# The Simplest Exercise to Instantly Align Any Team Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxnX6h1HCps Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/vxnX6h1HCps Generated: 2025-11-25T15:35:40.874+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The simplest exercise to instantly align any team involves establishing a shared, optimistic 2-Year Goal (North Star) and then immediately creating actionable "Can We" questions to address potential challenges preventing that goal's achievement, culminating in a Decider Vote to select the most critical question to address. **Key Points:** - The core exercise requires teams to set a 2-Year Goal (North Star) as the most optimistic outcome they can imagine for the project in two years (0:21). - Following goal setting, the team generates 'Can We' questions by rephrasing challenges that could prevent reaching the 2-Year Goal (7:43). - Participants write as many 'Can We' questions as possible in 8 minutes (Step 6), but only choose the top 3 to put on the whiteboard (7:59). - A 'Decider' is assigned for the final vote (Step 5) and gets one voting dot to choose the final 'Can We' question, which automatically becomes the top priority (11:08). - The Decider's vote overrides group consensus (Step 5, Point 3), ensuring a single, clear path forward without extended discussion (11:36). - The final output is a one-pager summarizing the 2-Year Goal and the top 'Can We' question, which acts as the North Star for subsequent exercises like concept creation (12:33). ![Screenshot at 0:17: The presenter introduces the concept of using simple exercises to help teams set a shared goal for themselves, referencing the book 'Sprint' as inspiration for the methodology.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vxnX6h1HCps/00-00-17.png) **Context:** This video tutorial outlines a structured exercise from the AJ&Smart program for facilitating team alignment, particularly useful when working on large or vague projects. The process emphasizes creating a single, clear, optimistic long-term goal (the North Star) and then proactively identifying and framing potential obstacles as actionable 'Can We' questions, which are then prioritized via a decisive vote led by an assigned Decider. ## Detailed Analysis The video details a multi-step exercise designed to align a team around a shared, optimistic long-term goal and identify the most crucial questions needed to achieve it. First, the team must create a 2-Year Goal (North Star) by writing down the most optimistic outcome they envision in two years on rectangular sticky notes (3:14). Each participant creates 2-3 such goals. Next, the team visualizes these goals, and participants stick their strongest 2-Year Goal onto the whiteboard (4:16). Step 3 involves a silent 'straw poll' vote where participants decide which goal is most appealing without discussion, writing their reasoning on a sticky note (4:31). Step 4 is the presentation phase where each person explains their chosen goal in under one minute (5:33). Step 5 introduces the Decider, who receives one voting dot and must choose the single 2-Year Goal that will be used on the final one-pager, potentially combining sticky notes without discussion (6:08). Step 6 shifts focus to creating Key 'Can We' Questions: participants write down challenges that could stop them from reaching the 2-Year Goal and rephrase these as 'Can We' questions (7:39). Each participant writes as many as possible in 8 minutes but only chooses the top 3 to add to the board (7:59). Finally, Step 7 utilizes the Decider's single vote to select the most critical 'Can We' question, which automatically gets the most votes and becomes the priority for the team, ensuring alignment and preventing endless debate (11:08). The ultimate output is a one-pager containing the 2-Year Goal and the top 'Can We' question, serving as the North Star for the project (12:33). ### Goal Setting (Exercise 7) - Teams create 2-3 optimistic 2-Year Goals on rectangular sticky notes, aiming for an ideal state two years out (0:21, 3:14). ### Voting and Selection (Step 3 & 5) - Participants silently decide on their favorite goal (Step 3), followed by a Decider Vote (Step 5) where the Decider selects the final goal using one dot, overriding group votes (4:31, 6:08). ### Key Questions Generation (Step 6) - Participants identify challenges to the 2-Year Goal and rephrase them into 'Can We' questions, writing as many as possible in 8 minutes, but only selecting the top 3 to post (7:39, 8:21). ### Finalizing the North Star (Step 9) - The Long-Term Goal and the top 'Can We' question are rewritten onto a single sheet of Magic Paper or Flip Chart Paper to serve as the project's permanent North Star (12:33). ![Screenshot at 0:00: Presenter sitting with a laptop in front of a whiteboard filled with notes, introducing the concept of easy goal-setting exercises for teams.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vxnX6h1HCps/00-00-00.png) ![Screenshot at 0:17: The presenter holds up a copy of the book 'SPRINT' while explaining the motivation behind the exercises \(0:18\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vxnX6h1HCps/00-00-17.png) ![Screenshot at 1:40: Slide detailing the purpose of the exercise: creating a one-pager that summarizes the project goal \(North Star\) and key questions \(1:40\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vxnX6h1HCps/00-01-40.png) ![Screenshot at 2:31: Graphic illustrating the team alignment goal: one person \(the Decider, purple glasses\) stating the North Star to the rest of the team \(2:31\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vxnX6h1HCps/00-02-31.png) ![Screenshot at 10:26: Slide outlining Step 6: Vote, where participants vote on 'Can We' questions, emphasizing that the Decider does not vote in this step \(10:26\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vxnX6h1HCps/00-10-26.png)