Layoffs, mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, reorganising – all outfall of the recession in the majority of companies to some extent and all creating the greatest challenge facing organisations in 2010 – alignment. The massive organisational upheavals leave so many employees floundering in what to prioritise and what really matters. In the midst of these organisational changes, many companies also changed or adjusted their strategic objectives to align with the new priorities, but in doing so neglected to tell the employees how their work and specific tasks should also change to achieve those revised objectives.
Towers Perrin found in a June 2009 report:
“A company’s success depends on its people. But their collective power stems, in part, from an organisation’s ability to point them in the same direction and importantly, in a direction that is aligned to the organisation’s business strategy. When an organisation’s leadership, workforce and culture are aligned with its strategic priorities, people can be a major source of sustainable competitive advantage.”
Chief Operating Officers and their teams are responsible for making their organisations run smoothly and efficiently. Communicating revised company goals and the important role each employee plays in delivering against those objectives is critical to achieving that objective. Human Resources is a key partner in creating and implementing the solution effectively across all units, all divisions, all employees. Together, the COO and HR can bring employees into alignment with the company’s objectives.
One of the most effective and positive methods for creating alignment is through strategic recognition. These highly structured programmes encourage employees to notice, acknowledge and praise the exceptional efforts and behaviours of colleagues that reflect the company values in achievement of the strategic objectives. In this way employees are not only reminded of the values and objectives with every recognition they receive, but it also becomes very real to them how they are helping to achieve those objectives in their daily tasks. Simple tracking and reporting mechanisms allow leaders to review dashboards showing where employees may be lagging in their understanding. These analysis tools then enable targeted intervention where additional training may be needed.
How aligned is your organisation today? What steps are you taking to get your employees aligned with your priorities within their new organisational structure?
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