From Overlap to Alignment
What Happens When a Great Team Gets Clear
You know that moment when your business outgrows the systems you built to run it?
The people are amazing. The work is strong. But suddenly, the way you used to do things doesn’t quite fit anymore.
That’s exactly where this service-based team found themselves.
They’d grown fast, and the owner could feel the strain. Everyone was doing “a little of everything,” which meant no one ever felt fully caught up. Boundaries blurred. Communication got messy. And even though the intentions were good, the energy in the room had shifted from collaborative to chaotic.
The owner—who genuinely cared about her people—had been trying to give them what she thought they needed. But without asking directly, she realized she was leading on assumptions instead of information. And that meant she was sometimes sacrificing what the business needed for what she hoped her employees wanted.
That’s when she called me.
Step One
Get Everyone in the Same Room
We kicked things off with a Strategic Team Alignment Session—a half-day of open conversation, guided reflection, and creative problem-solving (yes, there were markers, sticky notes, and laughter involved).
The goal wasn’t to lecture or “fix” anyone. It was to listen.
And once we did, patterns started emerging almost immediately.
The team realized that the “helping hands everywhere” approach had actually created more confusion than collaboration.
They were spending time on tasks that didn’t fit their strengths—and secretly resenting parts of their job they didn’t enjoy.
Inspiring thing number one. Title, description goes here.
Place the full description here. Speak directly to your ideal client, to create an undeniable bond with you and your values.
Inspiring thing number one. Title, description goes here.
Place the full description here. Speak directly to your ideal client, to create an undeniable bond with you and your values.
Step TWO
LEAD LIKE YOU MEAN IT
After the group session, I met with the owner and her manager to talk about how to sustain the change.
The manager had been in her role for over a year but hadn’t been set up for success. The owner had always functioned as both owner and operator, which meant the manager never had a clear sense of authority or decision-making boundaries.
We worked through that—together.
We clarified roles, decision rights, and expectations. We reframed how communication flows. And we did some mindset shifting, too: helping the manager move from doing the work to leading the work, and helping the owner step confidently into her CEO seat.
Those leadership conversations might not sound glamorous, but they’re where the real transformation happens.
Inspiring thing number one. Title, description goes here.
Place the full description here. Speak directly to your ideal client, to create an undeniable bond with you and your values.
Inspiring thing number one. Title, description goes here.
Place the full description here. Speak directly to your ideal client, to create an undeniable bond with you and your values.
what the business owner & Team members said about it...
- Business Owner & GSD Attendee
- A Team Member & GSD Attendee
By the end of the session, we had a clear outline forward...
- Clear role categories and written job descriptions (for the first time!)
- A new structure that gave each person ownership and focus
- Defined coverage plans so no one had to panic about absences
- A healthier schedule that balanced business needs with real life
- Small shifts—like adding “focus windows” with no client interruptions and reinstating paid lunches—created a big ripple effect in both morale and productivity.