In Series #1 and #2 I discussed the best steps for aligning people with strategy and how to know when strategy must change.
In this post l get to the execution part of a change in strategy and answer, “How do you re-align people when strategy must change in a way that changes their daily work?”
For their Sept 2015 newsletter, Palladium Group, founded by the fathers of the Balanced Scorecard, Robert Kaplan and David Norton, asked a few thought leaders including me to provide guidance to their readers on this subject.
How Do You Align Culture with Strategy?
Want to get what you expect, even when your expectations change frequently as your company grows? Create clarity around how problems will be discovered, communicated and solved. Communication between individuals and managers can ensure that decisions are made, and resources are allocated smartly – and aimed at keeping execution on track with strategy.
In the case of a drastic change in strategy, the leader is asking people to address daily work differently than they have before. This will require each person in a changing role to stretch further than they are used to do, and possibly further than they can. Those who cannot grow may be better suited for a role outside of this dynamic culture. Try training and coaching first. Give people the tools they need to make better decisions.
Decision-support is too often over-looked. Helping people make the best and timely decisions is most effective when every person knows that their manager has their back. When an individual knows that their manager wants them to be successful, and gives them the time and tools to do so, engagement and productivity rise.