“We need to get everyone on the same page.”

It’s a good bet that you either said or thought this statement. But the big question is how often do you say it or think it?

What conditions create the urgency to get your team on the same page? Conditions typically center on inconsistency in the execution of tasks, productivity issues, poorly defined expectations, conflicting agendas, indifference, and general performance frustration.

When leaders say, “We need to get everyone on the same page,” it’s a leadership issue – not a “they” issue.

Leaders are the authors and keepers of the “page.” That “page” embodies the company’s vision, mission, and game plan. In these days of teamwork, inclusiveness, and a sense of ownership, the team plays a vital role in getting everyone on the same page.

FACT: The ultimate accountability for executing what’s on that page rests squarely on the shoulders of leadership. But as we know, all it takes is a distraction or two to divert a leader’s attention away from what’s important.

Here are some no-compromise strategies for you to keep everyone on your team on the same page:

• Build a new page: You’ve already forgotten the old page, and therefore, so did everyone on your team. Start with the big picture. What’s critical for your salon/spa to achieve in the next 12 months? Is your company up to its eyeballs in crisis or debt? What’s that one big hurdle it must overcome? KEY: Meeting and exceeding that singular objective is what that page is all about. If your company is cruising along just fine, then the objective for your page should be a mission to push it out of its comfort zone. Comfort zones are danger zones. Build and get on the same page.


• A page, not a book: What, why, how, the score. These are the components of a page everyone can understand. Your page should be the equivalent of sticking a pin on a map to define the destination. Describe that destination in terms of market position, revenues, critical numbers, and specific outcomes that must exist to proclaim victory. You know where you are now, so what’s the plan to get to the destination? KEY: You must keep score via a rapid and thorough information-flow system. Once you build your page, you can create playbooks to map out the details. But it’s that first page that everyone needs to be on. Put your energy, focus, and innovative thinking into building the page that everyone rallies around.

• Your no-compromise commitment: I guarantee that members of your team will say, “Yeah, we’ve heard this before and nothing changed.” That means … it’s you that must track not only your company’s starts — but its finishes too. KEY: Your shiny new page is nothing without your team’s belief and trust in your commitment to see all initiatives through to success. Yes, your team may trust you on smaller commitments, but when it comes to the big stuff, chances are they want to believe in you … but fear disappointment because of your history of dropping the ball. You’re the only one who can build trust.


• The challenge of accountability: Getting on the same page is a form of a company’s culture shift. It requires organization, rules of engagement, assurance that procedures are followed, innovation to overcome the inevitable challenges, and self-management. KEY: Holding teams and individuals accountable for the right outcomes is the work of leadership. The process of holding oneself and others accountable is a virtual minefield of emotional and human-relations obstacles. Accountability is a discipline that leaders must embrace. When it comes to holding oneself and employees accountable, too many leaders hesitate. They fear confrontation because they lack the coaching skills to engage in accountability conversations. If this describes you, you are ready to find enlightenment through coaching.


• Let information flow: Nothing builds unity and rallies everyone on the same page better than information flow. Something as simple as fast daily huddles to communicate where you are and what needs to be done today is a non-negotiable essential to keep information flowing. KEY: The combined power of daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly information and strategy sessions – all focused on that same page – is what information flow is all about. Add leadership check-ins and hands-on interaction with team members and you have an information-flow system that supports same-page thinking and performance.