In the Alignment stage you prepare the organization for improved service practices. You now begin to adjust the culture so it will welcome and embrace the introduction of new skills and mindsets. Before you can do this effectively, your workforce needs to see genuine signs of alignment between your organization's:

• Business Objectives
• Service Vision and Values
• Service Standards
• Systems and Processes

Without this, improved service practices will not take root. Communico can work with you to help you consider and answer the following kinds of questions:

1. Would every area and level in your organization agree that you have a shared service vision and values? If yes:
   • How were they developed?
   • When were they developed?
   • Was it a shared process where everyone was engaged in some form?
     
     
     
2. Do a shared service vision and values need to be developed or revisited? If yes:
   • What process will you use to engage the organization in this? 
   • Who will own, drive and contribute to the process?
     
     
     
3. Does your organization have clear, measurable service standards for internal and external contact via the phone, face-to-face and in e-interactions? If yes:
   • Are they consistent throughout every area in the organization?
     
     
     
4. Do clear, measurable standards need to be developed or revisited? If yes:
   • How will you develop or revisit these?
   • Who will own, drive and contribute to the process?
     
     
     
5. Have you identified which systems and processes encourage or discourage your service vision, values and standards? If yes:
   • How will you begin to align your systems and processes?
   • Who will own, drive and contribute to the process?

In addition to aligning vision, values, standards, systems and processes, people at various levels need to be aligned. This is true for senior executives right through to the frontline. Consider these questions:

1. Have you identified which senior executives are crucial to the success of the initiative? If yes: 
   • How will you engage them to participate?
   • How will you encourage them to model new service-oriented behaviors?
     
     
     
2. Have you identified how you will build “local” support for the initiative? If yes:
   • MAGIC™ Champion Workshops are designed to engage “natural leaders” throughout the organization so that they communicate, model and encourage MAGIC mindsets and skills. Should you offer these?

Next Page: Stage 3 - MAGIC Training and Development