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2 Simple Steps to Organizational Alignment
| Guest post by: Pat Lynch |
Article Overview: “How can leaders align employees’ interests with organizational goals?”
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Free Download - Three Key Elements for Addressing Organizational Challenges Effectively By Pat Lynch |
2 Simple Steps to Organizational Alignment
A few years ago I was in Santa Barbara, CA
visiting a client on Halloween. The students at the University
of California, Santa Barbara have a tradition of dressing up
in costumes and parading informally throughout the downtown area on Halloween
night, so I stayed into the evening to enjoy the show. After a while I went
into a bakery to warm up before heading home. The young woman behind the
counter began showing me a variety of treats, and insisting that I sample some
of them. I finally said to her, “You’re spending a lot of time with me, and you
don’t even know if I’m going to buy anything.” She replied, “That’s okay. My
job is to make you happy.”
Wow! THAT’s the kind of experience your customers have when
you align employees’ interest with organizational goals. (And yes, I did buy
some baked goods before I left.) Yet I find that many executives and business
owners don’t know how to achieve this alignment, which is critical for both
employees’ and leaders’ success. When I am asked (frequently), “How can leaders
align employees’ interests with organizational goals?” I have a two-step reply:
1. Create a
vivid “big picture” or vision for the organization, and communicate it widely, frequently, and consistently, using
multiple media and language that is appropriate for the audiences; AND
2. Paint
the employees into the picture – i.e., make sure that each worker can state specifically what value he or she provides
to the organization.
Both steps are important: employees who both see the
organization’s “big picture” – i.e., its mission, vision, goals – AND can
articulate clearly the contributions they make to achieving that picture are
highly motivated individuals. In fact, they will be so energized that you will
have to get out of their way so they can work! These are people who cannot wait
to get to work every day, because they know they are making a significant
difference in the world.
When I worked at Fed Ex during the 1980s, I couldn’t wait to
get to work every morning because the environment was electric. We were on a
mission to deliver critical packages “absolutely, positively overnight.” To
empower us to do that, executives pushed
decision-making down the ranks as far as possible and gave us great autonomy. Risk-taking was rewarded as long as mistakes were treated as
learning experiences. When I traveled, I got a chill every time I saw a FedEx
truck, and I loved the immediate attention I got when people discovered what
company I worked for and peppered me with questions about it. Because purple is
one of the company’s colors, my colleagues and I used to claim that “purple
blood” ran through our veins.
What’s the secret to create such a highly engaged,
productive workforce? Creating a clear “line of sight” between each individual
and the organization’s goals – i.e., painting a clear, compelling vision and
showing every employee how he or she contributes to it. Some of the elements I
just named are very effective in maintaining that engagement – e.g., autonomy,
trust in employees’ competence, and a culture that supports prudent
risk-taking. Although I worked in staff positions, I still could articulate,
and sometimes physically point to, what I did or contributed to doing. The
visceral reaction I experienced every time I saw a FedEx truck or plane –
either in person or in a movie or on television – meant that I felt a part of
the company’s success. As a result, the company’s mission – “absolutely,
positively overnight” – became mine as well.
What are you doing to paint your employees into your organizational picture?
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Article Tags: employee engagement, employee retention, motivation, organizational success, productivity
|
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