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Peak Atlas

Problem · Team works on different priorities

Everyone works hard. Just not in the same direction.

When each person has a different number one, you get duplicated work and quiet conflicts. A short alignment shows where the directions diverge.

Align prioritiesUnderstand the causes

Team alignment

Every number one on one sheet.

Each person enters their most important task of the week and says what it contributes to. Anything that doesn't end in "yes" belongs in the next conversation.

Your plan

4 of 4 rows complete.

Die Beispielzeilen sind nur ein Anfang. Überschreibe sie mit deinen eigenen Einträgen.

Assumptions and limits

  • The comparison shows differences, it doesn't resolve them. For conflicts, someone has to decide.
  • A "no" isn't automatically wrong; some work keeps the business running. It should then be named as such on purpose.
  • None of it is saved or sent. Copy the result before you close the page.

Your entries stay in this browser. Nothing is saved or sent.

How you'll notice

A lot of effort. Little shared direction.

  • Two colleagues work on solutions to the same problem without knowing about each other.
  • Sales promises what the project team can't deliver right now.
  • Everyone nods in the meeting, then goes on as before.

Understand the causes

Why teams drifting apart.

  1. 01

    The goal isn't shared

    How you'll notice
    Asked about the quarterly goal, people give different answers.
    Why it happens
    The goal was presented once, but never made visible where the work happens.
    What helps
    A goal in one sentence, visible to everyone, and briefly referred to every week.
    Limit
    A shared goal doesn't resolve conflicts about the way there.
  2. 02

    Each area optimizes for itself

    How you'll notice
    Sales, projects, and marketing have their own goals, which contradict each other.
    Why it happens
    Area goals were set individually, not derived from a shared goal.
    What helps
    Derive area goals from the company goal and discuss contradictions openly.
    Limit
    Some tension is unavoidable; it should just be decided on purpose.
  3. 03

    Conflicts stay undecided

    How you'll notice
    Two priorities collide, and both keep running at half speed.
    Why it happens
    Nobody feels responsible for deciding between areas.
    What helps
    Name one person who decides within two days when there are conflicts.
    Limit
    Whoever decides needs enough overview, otherwise the decision becomes a lottery.
  4. 04

    Changes don't reach everyone

    How you'll notice
    Part of the team is still working on last month's priority.
    Why it happens
    Priorities change in conversation, but not where everyone looks.
    What helps
    Record every change in one fixed place and announce it at the next meeting.
    Limit
    Changes that are too frequent confuse people, even when they're communicated well.

Ways to solve it

Review in conversation or in the system.

Ways to fix a team with different priorities
WayEnough ifLimit
Fifteen minutes on Monday: each person names their number oneYou are up to about ten people and see each other regularly.What was said is often forgotten by Wednesday.
Shared document with goal and weekly prioritiesEveryone actually looks in and maintains their part.Sits apart from the work and quietly goes stale.
Software for goals across several teamsSeveral teams and levels need cascaded goals.High setup and upkeep effort.
Peak OneGoal, milestones, and tasks should live where the team works.The Goals app for multiple teams and levels is marked as a preview; for a team with one quarterly goal, Peak Work is enough.

Peak One in action

From many directions to one.

  1. TriggerAre we all working on the same thing?
  2. 01 · GoalSignalGoal Portfolio in Peak Goals shows where all goals stand and what blocks them.
  3. 02 · GoalUnderstandingGoal Map shows how goals and work connect, and which work serves no goal.
  4. 03 · GoalDecisionYear Focus in Peak Year sets what you concentrate on this quarter.
  5. 04 · TaskActionIn the Project Board in Peak Board, tasks are tied to milestones, visible to everyone.
Result: Everyone can say which milestone their number one priority contributes to.

The apps for it

Available in Peak One.

To get started

See together, decide together.

Three steps

A reconciliation. Still this week.

  1. 01 / 03

    Write down number one

    Each person writes down their most important task of the week, without talking to each other first.

  2. 02 / 03

    Side by side

    Enter everything in the alignment above and mark what doesn't fit the quarterly goal.

  3. 03 / 03

    Decide conflicts

    When things collide, a named person decides within two days.

Frequently asked questions

Briefly answered.

Who decides when two priorities collide?

A person named in advance, usually the lead who oversees both areas. Who it is matters less than that it's settled before the conflict arises.

How often should we sync?

Once a week is enough for most teams. If priorities change more often, the problem is more likely the goal than the sync.

Does the whole team see the goal in Peak One?

Yes. Goal, milestones and projects live where the team works, and tasks in Peak Board hang off the milestones.

Keep exploring

What's included.

Welt Direction

✦ A Peak principle

Context is capital. Everyone has names.

Where from, what for, when last

More problems

Typical bottlenecks in growing companies, each with a tool you can try right away, the causes, and the path Peak One provides for it.

Alle Probleme

Solve it once. The rest follows.

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