Building a purpose statement and a Purpose Driven Team Game Plan is like climbing a mountain with pitons (the stakes you hammer into a rock crevice to hold your clip and rope when you pull up the slack). The journey requires the team to make a set of agreements.

When mountain climbing you can only climb 2 to 3 feet at a time. That way if you fall, you only fall 2 to 3 feet.

Building sustained alignment is like rock climbing: one agreement at a time before making another agreement.

Just like this team purpose process, you are taking a legacy-making journey. The bigger the purpose, the more agreements you’ll need to make, which will require more time. You need to listen and deeply understand each other as though your lives depend on it — just like climbers who must rely on their equipment and their co-climbers.

The first agreement is about an essential understanding of what is at stake if you and your team don’t align on the work that only you can do and that will make you proud.

What is at stake?

“What is at stake?” This question is the source and energy to give you and your team reason to change. Otherwise it is just another day.

We are intentionally creating tension by understanding the threat and opportunity.

Examples of what could be at stake:

Activity | Team Brainstorming Session

Facilitation Question: “What is at stake if we do not fulfill our team purpose?

Instructions: Dialogue about this question. See what surfaces. The responses should both raise concern and give a reason to propel you forward.

Duration: 10-15 minutes

Pro Tips:
• Brainstorming ideas only
• Capture ideas on a shared document