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COMMUNICATION OF MISSION AND VISION
This no doubt has been communicated, but in what way? CEOs and
their directors have a habit of communicating corporate goals
in corporate goal language. Increased growth, improved profitability,
reduced costs are all laudable corporate objectives but they
hardly inspire a motivational response from employees. What's
in it for them? Longer hours, less resource, reduced rewards?
It's hardly surprising that they are not 'engaged with' the
organisation's mission and vision. And anyway what does excellence
in customer service mean?
If
employees are to take on board ownership of the future direction
of the business, they need a reason to do so - a win in it for
them. This needs to be spelt out in language they understand.
Perhaps
personal development, career opportunities, increase in job
satisfaction and more recognition need to be re-emphasised in
communicating the corporate vision, using language understood
by every level of employee.
VALUES
CLARIFICATION
If values are not translated into competencies or behaviours,
and measurements put to them, how will employees know what they
are expected to deliver to live out the brand values?
Values
need to be made clear to all employees in recognisable behavioural
descriptions. They need to be explained, socialised and sold
throughout the organisation. Cynics need to be won over. Senior
Management need to evidence them. The 'talk' must be seen to
be 'walked'. If not, values might just as well be a wish list
of out-of-touch senior managers.
Departments,
teams, and individuals all need to understand how to live out
the values in their part of the business.
REWARDS
What you reward is what you get. Vision needs to be supported
by values, values supported by measurable behaviours, and
these behaviours reinforced by rewards.
Look
at the most-powerful brands, they understand the link between
living the brand and rewarding the required behaviours.
Whatever
your reward and recognition system is based on - individual,
team, department, organisation performance - nothing will
happen in living the brand values unless there is explicit
reinforcement of desired performance and behaviours.
The
place to start is often at director level with bonuses reflecting
both results and behaviours. Let's face it, if senior management
don't change, others in the organisation certainly won't.
RECRUITMENT
Organisations are finding that they need an employee proposition
as well as a brand proposition. What is an employee proposition?
Quite simply what type of business are you and what type of
employee do you want to attract?
...READ ON
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Are you:
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An
established, high market share, long term employer |
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A
fast growth, high reward corporate |
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A
lifestyle provider |
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A
save the world, not for profit, organisation |
Whatever
you are, your employee proposition will need to spell out the
type of people you trying to attract.
It
is obvious, but true, that the first step to living brand values
is to attract those who hold your values!
TRAINING
AND DEVELOPMENT
This starts with education of new employees
during the recruitment process - what are you about as an organisation,
what's the mission and vision, what are the corporate values,
what does this mean to your people?
It
continues through the induction process in which these key messages
are driven home.
It
is reflected in all training programmes, learning and development
initiatives, and promotion decisions.
The
messages are clear - training and development is for your benefit
as an employee and our benefit as an employer as we work together
for the benefit of our customers for our mutual success.
LEADERSHIP
AND MANAGEMENT
The definition of a good leader is "Is anyone willing
to follow them?".
The
definition of a good manager is "Is everyone willingly
delivering the results required of them?"
So
what about your managers? Have they bought into the brand
values? Are they living them? Are they communicating them
to their teams? Are they coaching them? Are they rewarding
them?
Managers
cannot ensure the living out of brand values if they are rarely
seen, not respected and simply want to retain the status quo.
There is a world of difference between a manager who has a
passion for the business and one who is simply seeing his/her
time out.
So
what about a shake-up of your management team? Breathe new
life into the eager, young, innovative and spirited people
who believe in your organisation and want to make a difference.
You
can't make it with substandard managers. The impetus and momentum
simply won't be there.
So
where does this leave you as a CEO, with a mismatch between
the dream and reality. There are two basic choices - change
the dream or change the reality. The first is untenable (unless
the dream is ill-founded) so you have one choice - change
the reality. This means a return to the links in the chain
of success. Which is missing? Which need work done on them?
Its
been said that an organisation is only as strong as its weakest
link. What is your weakest link?
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