Orientation, Meaning, Belonging, and Coherence: A Guide to Team Alignment

Understanding how deeply your team feels connected to their work and the organization is essential to fostering a productive and engaged atmosphere. This simple questionnaire provides a way to assess your team’s alignment with company goals, their sense of purpose, feelings of belonging, and coherence in their roles. 

By reflecting on these four key areas—orientation, meaning, belonging, and coherence—you can gather valuable insights, identify areas for improvement, and ensure each team member feels valued, supported, and motivated to contribute meaningfully within the organization.

1. Orientation

Do the people in your team clearly understand the direction they are heading? Are the values that guide them truly resonant, or do they feel more like they belong to upper management or external influences? When faced with decisions, do individuals see their personal values reflected in the team’s actions, or are they more often driven by immediate factors like mood, financial rewards, or simply the effort required to get the job done?

2. Meaning

Do your colleagues feel that their presence and contributions genuinely matter, or do they sometimes question their significance within the larger organization? Are they confident that they can make a difference—whether it’s in projects, client relationships, or the everyday life of the team? Do they feel the impact of their actions, through qualities like kindness, a proactive attitude, or by being a supportive listener?

3. Belonging

Have the people on your team found their place within the company, a space where they feel connected and part of something greater? Do they experience a true sense of belonging—whether it’s through bonds with their teammates, alignment with the company’s mission, or shared values that tie them together? Or do they sometimes feel on the fringes, uncertain of their place?

4. Coherence

Is there a natural flow to the roles and responsibilities of each person, where they feel that their various tasks come together into a meaningful whole? Or do some team members feel like they’re juggling roles or responsibilities that may not align with who they truly are or what they aspire to be? Are they empowered to bring their authentic selves to work, or do they sometimes feel they’re merely fulfilling what they believe are others’ expectations?