Align your work
Imagine spending your day doing only those tasks which directly supported the attainment of your most important goal. You would be a productivity machine.
Of course for this to happen you would need a clear understanding of the following:
- Your goal
- The critical tasks
Once you had those two, it would then come down to whether you had the discipline needed to stay on track. Most don’t.
Align the organization
If this prospect seems challenging for you as an individual, now imagine pulling it off within a department or for the whole company.
Each person would need to understand his or her own goals, along with the supporting tasks. The complication comes when trying to ensure each employee’s goals align with the department’s goals, and those goals ultimately align with the company’s goals.
The higher level goals rarely are dictated by one person. Rather a group of people have to work together to identify those goals. There has to be agreement. And as those goals are communicated throughout the organization, everyone needs to understand and support them.
This process of alignment is difficult to say the least. It’s also necessary if your organization is to run smoothly.
Ask the question
Want to test the alignment in your organization. Go ask each of your direct reports individually this question:
“What’s the most important goal we are working to achieve right now?”
All ought to say roughly the same thing. If they don’t, then you have a problem.
Get everyone pulling together so your organization accomplishes its most important goals. If you need some help building alignment, I’d be happy to lend a hand.
Image credit: Michael Elleray via Flickr (cc)
