ARE YOU SYNCHRONIZED?
All levels and areas of an organization need to synchronize with the goals of the enterprise to maintain a consistent edge in today's business environment. But let's be honest…
- Who has never been part of an organization where strongly performing business lines had to compensate for a certain segment that consistently underperformed?
- How about an environment bogged down by a vast middle average section of work performance where employee contributions were vague and large numbers of people were treated the same?
- Or let me put it this way: have you managed your team in a company that developed its compensation plan based on the assumptions of a bell curve? Yes, just as I thought. So how can a business leader develop a cohesive, synchronized enterprise in which senior executives, middle managers and front line employees understand the respective roles they play in terms of company goals and expect to be compensated based on measurable results? My advice to senior executives over the years is to develop a process with their own teams and then replicate that process everywhere - at every level - in every business segment - across the enterprise. Reviews should be performed concurrently on the performance of individuals and the collective team.
Here are some thoughts:
- Know and communicate with every member of your team
- Know why each and every team member is there
- Understand each team member's business knowledge, skills and personal talents
- Understand and articulate the results everyone is expected to achieve.
Step back and truly analyze collective and individual strengths and weaknesses. How do you leverage individual talents to enhance the collective performance of the team? What parts of the business plan make you worry? What circumstances are troublesome? And make sure you put yourself in the equation. Okay, that's a start. Now you - and every business leader in your organization -- need to commit to repeating this process every six months. Step back again and again. Ask one another why you are doing certain things. What measurable benefits are you getting from all of your projects and strategic initiatives? Ask outsiders what you look like. Can they see the results? And watch out for reports that don't change.
If you first hold your own team accountable - and expect the same from the rest of your organization - the enterprise can take the important steps needed to act cohesively. Today's business environment demands synchronization, and so should you. next >