What is ALEiGN? 

#context #comms #culture #move2done!

We fall into the task management / productivity genre. Yep, kind of like Trello, Jira, Clickup, Monday, Asana... it's a BIG, busy space, and I hear you say, why would you want to compete there? 

Because... a big, busy space is a good thing.

Why?

  1. There's actually a problem and there are others trying to solve it. It's a long list, I've mentioned a few above. 
  2. It hasn't yet been solved. Atlassian was founded in 2002. A google search for 'Jira alternatives' will return about 5,450,000 results... plus ads using 'best Jira alternative' from the players previously mentioned.
  3. There's an opportunity to solve the problem. Atlassian's revenue in 2021 was US$2.1B. ClickUp raised US$400m in mid-2021 to help it become the 'one tool to rule them all'. Users and investors want the problem solved.


What is the problem?

How do you #move2done!? 

Your projects, tasks, to-do list, corporate strategy, shopping list. How do you move all your sh!t out of your inbox, out of your 'now' without piling it onto your future self or future team?


Our Solution

We use 4 key concepts: 

#context #comms #culture #move2done!

Let's have a look at these concepts and see if any of them resonate.

#context

  • In ALEiGN we don't use channels or folders. We build tiered Domains and SubDomains that grow and evolve. 
  • Tasks, chats, and the dashboard are all in context. Information where you need it, not in your email or 3rd party APP. 
  • If something is out of context, it can be dragged to a better home. Subdomains and Tasks can all be dragged and dropped to anywhere, based on your and the participant's access. 
  • The Tiered Domains structure provides different views of your domain in the context of where you are. The high-level overview or the ground-level detail, and whatever is in between.

#comms

  • This crosses over with context and brings chat to each level of your environment. From the Top Level Domain (TLD) to the Task, conversations and important info don't get lost in 3rd party comms tools, channels or email. It's right there, where it should be. No domain or task is an island.

  • Good relationships are built on good communication. Contextual comms that make sense at the time and place they are communicated
"Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion." 
- Simon Sinek

#culture

Great team culture starts with #context and #comms. Conversations with the right people at the right time about the right things. 

To help with understanding how the team is feeling about projects and tasks, we use a survey each time a task is #moved2done! 

The survey asks 3 questions:

  • DOES THIS TASK CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUBDOMAINS GOALS?
  • ARE WE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL?
  • DID YOU ENJOY DOING THIS TASK?

These answers are shown on a 'sentiment' graph showing Success and Morale. This graph will change depending on the context (the level in the domain structure you are viewing) and gives managers a view of 'how we're all going' and provides an opportunity for another conversation. 

We recommend transparency, an agreed common focus, and the ability to contribute. Maslow's hierarchy and all that jazz.

#move2done!

Execution is everything!

  • Keep tasks small and #move2done! often
  • Keep the focus on the North Star. The track may wind, but the destination is set
  • Try. Experiment. Iterate. Fail. Try again. Change the world.