Are we really on the same page?

• Author: Dee, Kevin M.
• Position: HR Matters - Human resource - Viewpoint essay

In most organizations I find many different opinions on whether or not everyone is on the same page. When I ask managers I usually get a resounding yes. When I asked the people in the trenches what the mission of the company is they often look at me like my dog used to--with a cocked head and a "huh, what do you mean?" response.

One of the worst retorts to this by managers is: "Well, we told them didn't we?" I'll sometimes hear so many different responses to the question (of what we're trying to accomplish as a company) that I question if the people I've asked are even working for the same organization. So why does this matter? The truth is it matters a lot more than you may think.

Alignment

Understanding the strategic intent of your company and your role in moving the organization forward to accomplishing that strategic intent is the ultimate definition of alignment. From a bigger perspective, companies are like ships. Unless everyone is pulling or rowing in the same direction there is inefficiency and waste. The larger the organization the more important alignment becomes. Too many people pulling in the wrong direction will render a large organization restricted in its ability to maneuver and accomplish its goals.

If each individual knows how their job assists their team and their organization to achieve its mission, then they will become self-directed. They will do whatever is needed, including pushing on other departments or teams to achieve success. In this environment command and control is not as necessary and managers become more of a support and coaching function. These types of teams and organizations will do what's necessary to achieve success, if they have line of sight to performance.

Employee Awareness

What we're talking about here is "strategic importance." It is an employee's awareness of how their everyday job assists the organization's success. If every employee owns their individual strategic import to the company and they have freedom to improve what they do to assist the goals of the company, then you have a motivated and engaged workforce.

What would happen if tomorrow your company said they would pay you 50 percent of the first year's proceeds from any new idea that either makes money or saves money as long as the benefit was measurable? I've seen this work wonders to motivate employees.

Too often, management seems to think they know what's best from their lofty perches. In reality, quality and efficiency improvement...