Postcard #2 it's better to be aligned.
-
Upload
peoplefirm-llc -
Category
Business
-
view
51 -
download
0
Transcript of Postcard #2 it's better to be aligned.
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
How to build a high-performing organization in the 21st century.
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
Your leaders and/or CEO lock themselves in a room and hash out a strategy. The new strategy is presented
with great fanfare: “Voila! Here’s the strategy – now get going!”
Without further clarification, some of your people exhibit signs of disagreement, and seem to resist getting to work...
Frustrated that the new strategy isn’t being effectively implemented, leaders gather again (and again) to address the issues they see - without even imagining there’s a bigger issue at play.
… while others seem confused about what they need to do - and struggle to work efficiently as a result.
Others are excited and get to work immediately, but lacking clear and consistent guidance they wear themselves out with lots of activity, and end up with limited results.
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
Many organizations create great
strategies in the privacy of the corner
office or corporate boardroom, with
little thought or planning about how to
get everyone on board and moving in
the right direction.
The end result? Only two employees
out of ten are fully productive - the
rest are not totally aligned to the
organization’s strategy, or mobilized
against the right objectives and goals.
Source: Corporate Executives Board, Confronting the Six Enemies of Post Recession Performance, 2010
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
.
If you talk about your mission, vision, and strategy in the same old blah, blah corporate speak,
people frankly won’t remember it. But if you capture (and embody) a compelling vision of the future, one that connects with the hearts and minds of your people – then they’ll get behind
it.
Well-stated and inspiring
strategies help teams understand the “what” so
they can figure out the
“how” themselves.
We like Starbucks’ mission:
“to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person,
one cup, and one
neighborhood at a time”.
It’s an evocative image -
plus tangible ideas about how to achieve it - in (dare
we say it?) just one ‘shot’.
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
There’s no ‘ifs, ands, or
buts’: to operate in the high performance zone, your
leaders must be aligned and
committed to your strategy.
Sure, they may not all start
in the same place, but the alignment process is the
perfect time for different
perspectives to be surfaced, discussed, and resolved. In
the end, you need an
aligned leadership team that’s personally committed
to a shared vision of the
future and a strategy for execution.
“Our CEO’s strategy is fine and all, but I think we
should do bla bla bla instead.”
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
It’s not enough that your leaders commit to a compelling vision and a shared strategy. How
they share it matters. To ensure success, invest in a great communications strategy. Prepare leaders, ensure consistency, and help them customize the message for their business teams. It’s also vital that you
make sure everyone shares the same
definition of key
words and concepts. For example: don’t
just say ‘apples’. If
you mean Granny Smith be sure you
spell it out - or some
of your leaders may think you mean Red
Delicious.
How our Washington apple company ended up planting
orchards in Antarctica.
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
Yes, communicating clearly and consistently is vital; when done well that communication will create
real understanding. But your goal is not just to share – it’s to ensure your leaders and employees understand the strategy and how they personally support it! Remember, you’re providing the what,
with enough clarity so that your people can make great decisions on the how!
Here’s a tip: throughout the year, check for knowledge and understanding.
Remember, when employees get behind the shared purpose, engagement soars.
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
Seems like this should be fairly straight-forward, right? Yet so many companies struggle
with misaligned goals and activity overload. Help your teams get focused on the correct future through shared goals that support the strategic mission.
Tip: Measure and
reward leaders and employees on
results that support
the goals of the organization.
Remember the old
adage, what gets measured gets
done!
“…needless to say, all of our employees are 100% committed to
our mission of growing the best apples in the world. Now, here’s Bob, who’s our employee
of the year because of his really hard work pioneering new breeds of oranges.”
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
you paint a compelling vision your leaders are aligned and committed you communicate with one voice it’s understood – by everyone group and individual goals are aligned
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
• Understand your starting place
• Capture the current thinking and ideas
• Engage a targeted group in the conversation
• Test what you’ve heard – their words, not yours
• Analyze where you have alignment and where you don’t
• Develop key strategic themes
• Share the results of the alignment testing
• Drive alignment across your strategic themes through healthy leader discussion and debate
• Communicate and engage everyone in your aligned strategy
• Advance your alignment through action planning
• Keep the conversation going – don’t stop after the announcement
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014
Tune in next month for PART 3: How to transform
your culture to create the environment where your
strategy (and your people) will thrive.
All rights reserved PeopleFirm LLC 2014