Is every member of your organization rowing in the same direction? Are they even all in the same boat? Verne Harnish, in his book Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, notes that organizational alignment attributes to 99% of an organization’s success, compared to organizational vision which leads attributes 1%. While executive leadership may determine the organizational goals, a majority of these goals have responsibilities spanning through multiple (if not all) departments. Organizational alignment is essential so that every individual in the company knows how their role impacts and works with others to reach your company’s success.
Start by making sure these key areas are aligned:
Is everyone aware and on-board with your organization’s annual and long-term goals? What about where the company is headed in the future? If you have yet to have a Strategic Thinking, Execution Planning session to determine your priorities for 2020 and beyond, now is the time! Involve your executive leadership and key team members in the planning session so that everyone is on the same page and has input in the planning process. It’s easier to get everyone on board when their participation is involved.
Operational alignment is equally important. Have you defined what success looks like in your organization and how you expect your team to work together? How about how your organization spends money? These are just a few of many aspects within your organization that must be in sync to ensure success.
Are your key people aligned?:
Is there a disconnect between your organization’s key people? Start by analyzing the relationship and communication procedures between the CEO and executive team. When the leaders of an organization do not see eye to eye, the confusion and power struggle trickles down to all other aspects of the business. Set a solid foundation for organizational success by scheduling weekly alignment meetings to ensure everyone is informed about the happenings around the organization, and are continuing to work towards the same goal.
From there, analyze if your executive team is aligned with the rest of the employees, down the chain of command from managers to direct reports, and even from one team member to the next. Define how your team should communicate with one another, how frequently they should meet, and consider organizing company-wide development days to refresh, energize and inspire your people to work toward a common goal.
What causes misalignment in your organization?:
Communication (or a lack thereof) is the key reason for alignment issues within a business. How are your annual, quarterly and monthly goals communicated with your team? How often do you talk about your company’s vision to your employees? Are decisions being made, and is it being relayed if you change your mind? Develop or revisit your team’s or company’s communication strategy when it comes to conveying goals, spreading news, or sharing updates.
How can you be more aligned?:
Do you wish your team was more aligned? It helps to have an outsider come in and talk to your team individually to learn what is going well in terms of communication and what could be improved upon. Hire a facilitator to help with your Strategic Thinking, Execution Planning session who will guide you through necessary areas of business that need to be worked on. Then, create discipline in your business to have discussions regarding alignment more frequently, and put them in a document and review with your team every few months.
Are you desiring greater alignment in one or more aspects of your business? Call for a complimentary team alignment assessment at 515-222-9193, or message me today.