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Togetherness is a means to an end – strong results and retention of great people, I would argue. But you may have picked up this book for a number of other very valid reasons. At the beginning of workshops, I usually have all leaders write on a card what they hope their Togetherness outcome will be and the benefit they think it will have. I get all kinds of thought-provoking responses, but some of my favorites include these:

• Balanced so I can do my job for a long time

• Consistent so my team knows what to expect

• Proactive so I feel like I'm moving the most important work forward

• Focused so I can make progress toward goals

• Intentional so I make thoughtful decisions

Reader Reflection

What is your Togetherness goal? What impact will it bring to you? Your intention can change over time, so this is a question worth asking yourself a few times per year.

Overview and Objectives

This chapter will describe different levels of Togetherness, ask you to take an honest self-assessment, and set your purpose for how and where to focus your reading.

In this chapter, you will do the following:

• Define your current level of Togetherness and envision your next steps.

• Articulate the mind-sets necessary to execute Togetherness.

• Identify the key tools required to pull off Togetherness.

• Determine how you will build the habits and keep them alive.

Togetherness Levels

In my experience, people fall along a few different levels on the Togetherness spectrum (figure 2.1). This book will work for you no matter where you are – but it helps to know, so you can target your growth and next steps!

Figure 2.1 Togetherness Spectrum

Level 1: I need to hunt and gather! This is the earliest stage of Togetherness. If this describes you, it's likely that your desk, bag, and in-box are a complete mess. You may leave a trail of paper or digital breadcrumbs in your wake. You keep a lot of stuff “in your head.” You may be stressed, overwhelmed, and prone to missing deadlines. If you are a hunter-gatherer, your Together Task is to write everything down and locate all important items.

Level 2: I need to consolidate! You know where your To-Dos are (written on whiteboards, sticky notes, and other locations), but you have too many systems going on. You have the right instincts but the wrong habits. You may be considered a “promiscuous organizer,” one who hops from system to system without a faithful commitment. If you are a consolidator, it's time to reel in all of those To-Dos, dates, deadlines, and projects and get them in one single location.

Level 3: I need to plan! You know where everything is and it's all in one place. You rarely miss deadlines and you have a strong sense of your work – in the day-to-day. But you are not as planned ahead as you would like to be. You may fall prey to the lure of the lusty checkmark, becoming easily distracted by the immediate work right in front of you but forgetting to look ahead. If you are a planner, you will focus on planning beyond a single day or week.

Level 4: I need to prioritize! You know where everything is in your world, and your To-Dos and deadlines are reasonably planned out. You get a lot of stuff done, but is it the right stuff? Have you proactively determined what is most important in your work and figured out how to let everything else fall in place around it? If you are a prioritizer, your job is to engage in the painful process of identifying your most important work and building structures to support it.

Level 5: I need to protect! Ah, the final stage of Togetherness … the protector. You've gathered, consolidated, planned, and prioritized. Now you need to fiercely protect your time to focus on the most important work. You set clear boundaries with colleagues, bosses, and team members; your focus and discipline are razor sharp. You are rarely distracted by emergencies, and people feel a slight level of trepidation when randomly interrupting you. If you are a protector, you will focus on articulating expectations with your team and others.

Reader Reflection

What is your current level of Togetherness? Where do you need to focus?

The Tools You Need

Mind-sets and routines matter most (and more on those in a minute), but you will also need a set of practical tools to support yourself on your journey. Not all leaders will need all tools; I encourage you to use the self-assessment later in this chapter to help you pick and choose the ones best for you. For example, if you scored low in the questions about prioritization, then you should double down on creating a Priority Plan. Let's take a peek at our guiding graphic – something I affectionately call Maia's Togetherness Tools (figure 2.2).

Figure 2.2 The Togetherness Tools

Let's review the definitions of each tool I will share in this book.

Yearly Goals. The outcomes you are responsible for achieving over the course of a year; you may also have longer-term goals, a vision statement, or a strategic narrative to describe where you want to be in three to five years.

Roles and Responsibilities: These clearly describe who does what across your organization.

Annual Activities: Different than your Yearly Goals, your Annual Activities outline recurring work that must be done at certain times per year.

Priority Plans. Three-month extractions from your Yearly Goals that name what matters most for you and your team; they also define the high-level actions needed to arrive at the desired outcomes.

Project Plans. Step-by-step work plans to achieve desired outcomes on cross-functional projects.

Meeting Matrix. An articulation of who you meet with, when, and why; this helps shape each meeting's required preparation and standing agenda items.

Comprehensive Calendar. A long-term, macro view of your calendar that reflects your priorities.

Later List. A long-term and total list of To-Dos, organized and grouped in some logical fashion.

Meeting Notes. Systematic methods for planning, facilitating, and following through on your various meetings to ensure time is well spent and aligned with your priorities.

Thought Catchers. A unified place to record your thoughts for people, teams, or topics to reference at a more appropriate time.

Weekly or Daily Worksheet. An hour-by-hour view of your time and To-Dos for the week ahead, created before the week starts.

Management Memo. An outline of meeting, planning, and communications expectations for your team.

Working Agreements. An organization-wide understanding of communication and Togetherness agreements.

Don't worry if all of these definitions feel daunting at the moment. These are not all fourteen-page documents that you will spend hours creating. Some of them may be as simple as a handwritten list.

Reader Quiz: Togetherness Tools

Now that you have seen where you fall on the spectrum of Togetherness, let's drill down into some specific tools and habits. Warning: I am going to get graphic here. This self-assessment is designed to rigorously examine your current habits. Don't feel bad about your work – I know you are getting it done. This is all about getting a little better and a little stronger! If you would like to take the quiz digitally, be sure to download the Reader Reflection Guide from www.thetogethergroup.com.

Quiz

Togetherness Assessment

After reading each statement, consider your current practice and rank yourself on a scale of one to three in table 2.1, table 2.2, and table 2.3. Three means you don't think your system could get better, two means you get mixed results from your current system, and one means you don't have a system. And yes, if you must, you can have good-day and bad-day answers!

Table 2.1 Togetherness Assessment: Section 1

Table 2.2 Togetherness Assessment: Section 2

Table 2.3 Togetherness Assessment: Section 3

The tools that will help you most master the outcomes in this assessment are at the foundation of the Togetherness Tools: Comprehensive Calendar, Later List, Weekly/Daily Worksheet, Thought Catchers, and Meeting Notes.

The tools that will help you most master the outcomes in this assessment work their way up the Togetherness Tools with a focus on Priority Plans, Roles and Responsibilities, Meeting Matrix, Project Plans, and Communication Agreements.

The tools that wlil help you most here sit at the top of the Together Tools: Onboarding Overviews, Yearly Goals, Annual Activities, Organizational Charts, and Scorecards.

Reader Reflection

Examine your responses.

• What strengths emerged that you didn't know you had?

• Did any gaps get exposed? Which ones? Why?

• Which overall section had the highest scores? Lowest?

If you had any one section rated below the others, I would suggest starting there.

Routines Rule

No Together Tool exists in a vacuum. Any tool needs a routine to create it and keep it alive. Over time, I've observed the routines present in the most Together (and successful) leaders.

Quiz

Routines Rule Assessment

Please review each of the routines in table 2.4 and rate yourself on a scale of one to three. Three means you consistently act in accordance with the routine. Two means you sometimes act in line with the statement. One means you do not adhere to this routine at all.

Table 2.4 Routines Rule Assessment

If you had low marks for any of these statements, I suggest focusing on routines in Chapter 9.

Reader Reflection

Examine your responses.

• Where are your routines strong? Why?

• Did any gaps get exposed? Which ones? Why?

Mind-Sets Matter (More Than Anything)

Now that you have examined your tools and routines, there is one more missing element – mind-sets! This is perhaps most important.

Quiz

Mind-Sets Matter Assessment

Please review each mind-set in table 2.5 and rate yourself on a scale of one to three. Three means you consistently act in accordance with the mind-set. Two means you sometimes act in line with the statement. One means you do not adhere to this mind-set at all.

Table 2.5 Mind-Sets Matter Assessment

Reader Reflection

Which of these mind-sets surprise you? Resonate with you? Why?

Build the Habit

Sometimes, the mind-sets are there and you've picked up some good tools and routines. But staying consistently Together on an ongoing basis (e.g., “being in a committed relationship” with your system) is a real challenge. There are many ways to build habits; I recommend Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit if you want to learn more. But in the meantime, here are a few things I've learned along the way on my own journey: