Aligning Teams with Choreography

Key Insights

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  Unprepared internal teams often react with skepticism or resistance when external agencies arrive, underlining the need for proper internal onboarding.

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  Agencies frequently operate with only a partial view of the client's organizational complexity, which hampers effective collaboration.

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  Scope creep and unclear roles arise frequently when the nature of agency engagement is not precisely communicated upfront.

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  The 'dancing monkey' culture describes an unhealthy dynamic where agencies are expected to perform theatrically without sufficient internal support.

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  Choreography concepts—space, time, people, routine—can be adapted as a framework to coordinate and align cross-functional teams.

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  The Team Alignment Canvas is a practical tool to clarify project zoom level, timelines, roles, and collaboration routines early in the process.

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  A 'first rehearsal' informal meeting before the official kickoff helps teams build rapport, share working styles, and set foundations for trust.

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  More time should be allocated to external teams for discovery and sensemaking, ideally at least one to two sprints.

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  Champions on the client side act as ideal 'choreographers' to bridge agency and internal teams and maintain positive dynamics.

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  Effective onboarding and alignment require ongoing proactive communication beyond just the project start to support continuous collaboration.

Notable Quotes