it’s better to be aligned to an ok strategy than to have a great strategy that nobody’s aligned...

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Toto, we’re not in a high-growth economy anymore:How to build a high-performing organization in the 21st century. PART 2: It’s better to be aligned to an OK strategy than to have a great strategy that nobody’s aligned to.


seem familiar?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.


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.

you’re not alone.

Source: Corporate Executives Board, Confronting the Six Enemies of Post Recession Performance, 2010


which leads us to the conclusion that…


… it’s better to have an OK strategy that everyone’s on board with than to have a great strategy that nobody is aligned to.


yeah, we said that.


want to know what good alignment looks like?


you paint a compelling picture

.

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’.


your leaders are aligned and committed

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.”


you communicate with one voice

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.


it’s understood – by everyone

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.


group and individual goals are aligned

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.”


say, what’s that again?

you paint a compelling visionyour leaders are aligned and committedyou communicate with one voiceit’s understood – by everyonegroup and individual goals are aligned


collect perspective

s

ok, but how do you get there?

test perspectives

build alignment

communicate & drive

action• 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


Tune in next month for PART 3: How to transform your culture to create the environment where your

strategy (and your people) will thrive.

Wait, did you just say, “Sounds great – but I’m not sure our culture will support it”?


your people = your success.

Seattle ∙ Portland ∙ Vancouver, B.C.

www.peoplefirm.com

thanks for reading.

it’s better to be aligned to an ok strategy than to have a great strategy that nobody’s aligned...

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