Cultural alignment – why should buyers care about this in their travel programs? Consider these 5 elements of value when organizations are culturally aligned.
It all begins with trust (as do so many relationships, amen?) Trust is the performance to promise and meeting commitment, and there is NO foundation without the performance. Without fulfilling promises, trust has difficulty existing.
Innovation is fostered when strong and trusting relationships allow parties to share risks and rewards mutually. Each can invest in one another's capabilities and collaborate to achieve common goals. We build off trust that leads us to feel safe when innovating.
Communication is required for open and timely sharing of all information that's relevant to decision-making.
Team orientation is about everyone believing in the relationship and making decisions from each other's perspective which mitigates opportunism and promotes collaboration. For those in attendance at the recent GBTA annual conference may have heard a great analogy presented by the CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, Cynthia Marshall. She shared a picture of a basketball court with two people standing on each end of the court. In the middle of the court was a number. Those that were standing on the left side saw the number six, while those on the right side saw the number nine. Those looking directly from the middle say a “g” rather than a number. Orientation means everyone may see the same information, but have different answers based on each perspective, all correct from their viewpoint. That’s how we build collaboration.
Lastly, focus. There's a common purpose. There's task, clarity, and there's direction.
When we are aligned, we realize these 5 benefits – plus a deeply satisfying experience knowing we are seeking a common goal.