It begins with an email addressed to "All Employees announcing an important meeting the following Friday. Extracting bits and pieces of the generalized message, core employees are able to pick out phrases like "future of the organization and "positioning ourselves to compete. They conclude that the meeting relates to the next big thing in company strategy. What that is remains anybody's guess. Despite the mystery, for the next several days, water cooler conversations are dominated by the question, "How will it affect me? Some wonder if the big announcement means layoffs, others speculate about a takeover, and most expect some rearranging of the executive group and reporting relationships. Adding to the suspense, whisperings about some meeting someone or other was at are cut short when those outside the inner circle approach.
Finally, the anticipated day arrives and employees pack the assembly room to hear the news. The message is introduced with the pomp of a grand coronation beginning with a parade of presenters. First, HR presents the glowing results of the latest culture survey followed by the marketing director who displays a flashy chart discussing how the company is reaching new markets. Next, the controller throws some spreadsheets up on the screen and drones on about rising costs and the need to tighten budgets to ensure future competitiveness. At long last, the CEO rises to speak. As elbows spring into action jolting many back into consciousness, a wave of nodding heads suddenly snap to attention beginning at the front and rolling to the back of the room.
The CEO begins with a message about global economies and competition. The words are mesmerizing with talk of shared visions, paradigm shifts, and strategic outcomes. New markets, new opportunities, and new commitments to quality and customer service are articulated. The mission has been redefined and all are encouraged to go forth and do their part to make it successful. The message has been communicated and all should understand what they are to do.
Three months later, a manager asks, "When are we going to get some direction in this organization?
The CEO is shocked. What more could possibly have been done to make it clear what everyone should be doing? In all fairness, some employees located outside of corporate headquarters likely never heard the presentation or received the message. Others attended the meeting, but what they heard were high-level concepts that appeared to be more applicable to the executive group. The message never transferred to the tactical or operational levels where it would need to be translated into language for execution.
A colleague described the problem this way: visionaries and strategic thinkers think conceptually, often assuming that others do too. They can't understand why those at tactical or operational levels hear the message, but complain about not getting clear directions. Employees functioning in tactical and operational roles, however, have to prioritize, organize, and take action in order to execute strategy, so they tend to listen for their marching orders. Tactical and operational employees don't always consider the strategic perspective and often hear conceptual speech as fluff when they don't know how to act on it.
Adding to the challenge is that some managers fail to pass along a CEO's vision or strategy to core workers because they can't see why it would be relevant to non-visionaries. But, presumably a CEO would not bother to provide high-level direction to employees unless he or she believed it would make a difference. All too often old-school models that segregate the operational, tactical, and strategic elements of work also tend to support segregating information so that only certain leaders have access to strategy and purpose. Consequently, a well-intentioned CEO may have no idea that the management team charged with spreading the CEO message sees little to no value in doing so.
In today's high performing organizations, leaders find that execution gets better with greater integration of strategy, tactics, and operations, so they teach employees to think strategically as well as tactically and operationally. The result is strategic information that gets shared broadly is understood in the context of execution, which enables execution to be carried out in the context of the strategy. Instead of shock and disbelief at the breakdowns in communications, these CEOs are confident that employees are developing tactics and actions consistent with the strategy because all have the capabilities of understanding and acting to achieve the broader organization mission.
Trying it on for fit: Prior to communicating a major strategic decision, consider how it will need to be understood by those who will be required to execute it. Consider meeting beforehand with a group of core employees involving them in the presentation to ensure those hearing the message know what to do to support the strategy. Develop a clear and reliable method of ensuring communication to those who miss the meeting, or who work in remote locations, in a way that supports understanding and contribution.
Begin a program of training for all employees to integrate their understanding of strategy, tactics, and operations, and organize the core workforce to be able to apply this knowledge with broader responsibilities for outcomes.
Kevin Herring is co-author of Practical Guide for Internal Consultants, President of Ascent Management Consulting, and co-founder of AV TTE. Kevin specializes in creating powerful business solutions through breakthrough leadership, workplace cultures and organization systems. Kevin can be contacted at kevinh@ascentmgt.com.
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