All of the senior and middle level managers were gathered together for a day long training on the subject of leadership and organizational change. After a productive morning of learning and sharing in large and small groups, I talked with the group about how operational priorities need to be in alignment with strategic goals. People looked puzzled by this idea and were struggling to comprehend it. So, I choose a person in the front row and asked them to tell me what their top 3 goals and/or priorities were for the next six months.
The person paused for a moment and then shared them in a concise and straight forward manner. I then asked them who their supervisor was. They pointed to another person across the room.
Next, I asked this new person what were their top 3 goals and/or priorities were for the next six months. Again, this individual gave me their answer. And when I asked who their supervisor was, they pointed to another person in the room. I repeated this line of inquiry one more time and when that individual was asked who their supervisor was, they pointed to the CEO.
When I turned to the CEO, he was deep in thought. I did not ask my question, and the room was silent for a bit. Then, he stood up and stated his top 3 goals and/or priorities for the next six months, and explained how each one was directly connected to the company’s current three year strategic plan.
Everyone listened attentively as he paused one more time. Then, he spoke again, saying, “I have realized something. The goals of the first person to speak are not at all connected to the goals of their supervisor. And this has continued all the way up to my direct report who shared just a moment ago. We are not in alignment. That explains why so many things are happening right now.”
I smiled and nodded in agreement. “Your key middle managers who are gathered here together with your senior team do not have line of sight from their goals and priorities to your current strategic plan,” I explained. “For example, the first goal you shared with the group was about quality. You explained to us that given current events and the attention being paid to this subject by the funders of your non-profit services, low quality would cause there to be a reduction of referrals for service, and this could result, over time, in a downward spiral when it comes to fiscal management. However, not one person who shared their goals with the group talked about quality or its importance.
So, what we have here is a line of sight problem. Your middle managers can not connect what they are doing on a day to day basis to the current strategic plan. However, everything you are focused on has a direct connection to the plan. When there is no line of sight from operations to strategy, alignment issues always follow.”
He listened carefully to what I said and nodded once. Then, he turned to the group and spoke. “I get it. We have some work to do this afternoon and during the coming weeks. First, we are going to hold a 45 minute senior management team meeting right here and right now. I want to review with all of you on the senior team your goals as individuals and our goals as a team for the next 6 months to a year. I need all middle managers to hear this conversation and to understand what are those goals and why they are our goals. Then in the next 48 hours after this training, I want all senior managers to gather with their direct reports and hold a similar meeting to make sure there is clarity and line of sight from their goals and priorities to the strategic plan. This action will be repeated with all teams down to the front line people so that within one week to 10 days, everyone in the company knows about line of sight and what is most important. Are you OK with this happening right here and right now, Geery?”
I smiled and said, “Yes. When lighting strikes and clarity happens, there is nothing better than translating it into action. Go for it!”
The next hour was highly productive and very important. In subsequent years, this discussion about alignment and line of sight was referenced as a major turning point in the history of the company. People got it and made sure it was not a one time event, but, instead, a routine exercise.
A year later, in a follow up training, I repeated this same exercise with different people. The new answers were spot on. There was line of sight at every level. And when it came to the subject of quality, the key performance indicators showed an improving trend line. Even referrals by a variety of case managers were on the rise. The CEO smiled and gave me a thumbs up. I nodded in agreement.
There are many ways to create a shared perspective or mindset across an entire company. The first step is for people to understand how their day to day work contributes to the mission of the company and the strategy of the company. When people realize their work matters and when they feel valued for the work they are doing on a daily basis, then a shared understanding is created. And as a result, people feel empowered to move forward even in the face of daunting circumstances and difficult challenges.
FYI: To be continued on Friday.
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