Want to Gain Some Ground on Your 2020 Strategy? Talk It Up!
In many organizations the strategy is one of the best kept secrets. Is this the case in your organization? I have witnessed many organizations where the strategy is discussed, solidified and approved by the upper echelon of the organization. My question in this scenario tends to be “Why didn’t you include the employees?”
The statistic mentioned in the article in Harvard Business Review, How to Prioritize Your Work When Your Manager Doesn’t (2017), is that 90% of employee’s don’t fully understand the company’s strategy. Why is that? And, doesn’t this also suggest that the employees were not included in the development of that strategy? Ultimately, this could mean that many ideas, thoughts, and observations based on years of experience and expertise were not considered in the development of your strategy. How unfortunate.
My observation has been that successful strategies have patterns and one of those patterns is the inclusive nature of the strategy efforts and the overall program.
Discussing the strategic plan with your employees, and helping them understand the “why”, behind the strategic goals will give them the inspiration they need to contribute. Your employees have diverse perspectives that could be advantageous to the delivery of those new services, products and programs identified in your strategy. The bottom line is that inclusion of your employees in the strategy discussions, and implementation planning, can help the organization prosper.
It’s never too late to start the discussion. I strongly recommend that managers, supervisors, leaders at every level, speak with their teams about the strategy. Provide them with the opportunity to ask questions, share ideas or experiences that could positively impact the achievement of a strategic goal. This activity may give them the motivation to think about new approaches to achieving the goals and contributing to the overall success of the organization.
Here are some ideas on how to get the discussion started:
· Make the strategy accessible, understandable, relatable and achievable.
If you have not shared any strategy information with your team in the past, start at the beginning by discussing overall concepts, definitions and structure. Review the vision, mission and guiding principles prior to introducing an in-depth discussion on the strategic goals and the initiatives.
· Establish a level of transparency for your strategy by including the topic in all conversations.
Discuss strategic goals at team meetings, All-Hands events, portfolio reviews and individual coaching sessions. Always be discussing strategy. Don’t keep it a secret – make it visible.
Focus on why the goals are important and how your team can contribute.
Always bring the discussion back to the team and/or individual. For instance, “We, as a team, will be contributing to strategic goal #4 through our work on the enterprise project.”
· Organize a strategy team that will coordinate the strategy inputs and outputs.
Define their roles and provide them with the tools they need to capture new ideas, provide status on existing programs and the planning of future programs.
Create a new internal email address for “Strategy Ideas” for employees to submit ideas or observations.
· Ask for input from all employees through brainstorming sessions and surveys.
Consider hiring trained facilitators who can focus on open-ended questions, engage discussion and capture ideas.
Don’t forget to share the data captured through the various channels. This will solidify your commitment to transparency. More importantly, your organization might be missing out on a lot of great ideas from your employees by not asking for input.
Don’t let the strategy be one of your best kept secrets. Start the discussion today.