4 C’s to Ensure your Company is Aligned for Growth
What does training have to do with alignment? Everything!! When I talk about alignment, I’m referring to having everyone in your company “rowing in the same direction”, working towards a common goal. Sometimes it’s a huge growth goals, like launching a new product; other times it’s literally understanding why you do what you do as a company. Everyone in the organization, at all levels, needs to be working towards the same goal in order to maximize results. Often, there’s a gap somewhere along the chain that is very detrimental to your success as an organization. I see it when I’m developing training for companies – there’s often one group that’s hard to crack, has no interest in change, and isn’t interested in even discussing training opportunities or why they’re needed. There’s very little that can be done at this point to change their minds and have them “buy in” to the company’s approach. Instead, here are three ways I suggest avoiding this situation, and aligning your company for growth from the beginning:
Communication – Nine times out of ten, there’s a communication breakdown somewhere in the organization. Senior executives might have plans but only part of the plan/rationale is being clearly communicated to middle managers, for example. There’s a lack of trust because pieces of the story are missing and people assume the worst when this happens. To avoid this, I’m a strong proponent of over-communication between all levels; make it a focus of everything you do going forward. Yes, it takes a lot of work but I promise you’ll start seeing results. Otherwise, poor communication can sink your ship before it’s even had a chance to leave the harbor.
Culture – This is very much related to the previous point, but the culture of the organization is key to ensuring it’s aligned for growth. This starts at the top. Senior executives need to be willing to create a workplace where communication is encouraged, where employee development is valued, and where bad apples are weeded out before they spoil the lot. In essence, your leadership team need to lead and create a positive workplace culture that’s aligned with your company’s goals. In order to do this, I strongly recommend that all performance metrics are tied to these outcomes. That’s the only way you’ll be able to shift the culture. Those who are willing to become part of the culture will stay; those that won’t will either leave on their own, or will give management a reason to move them along. An HR manager or middle manager can’t usually create this shift on their own, it really needs to come from the top.
Competency – Make sure your employees have the skills they need to do their job. A lot of the time I see this – employee A is hired for a role for which they have an education or formal training. Over time, they take on new roles and/or new responsibilities. This is normal as the company evolves; employees need to align with whatever skills the company needs from them. You’ve hired smart, hardworking people, so your employees “figure out” their new roles. That’s great. The problem comes when they’ve “figured it out”, but not in the fastest, most productive, most efficient way. Sure, they’re getting the job done, but maybe not in a way that would be considered “best practice”. My advice is not to forget about these people, and assume that just because they’re getting the job done, that it can’t be done better. Support them. Give them the tools they need to do their jobs effectively. You’ll see the results if you focus some of your effort on this group.
Cooperation – Involve your employees in discussions early. If you’re thinking of expanding to offer a new product, for example, consider creating a team of employees who can offer their feedback and help drive the change. It’ll be much easier to get your employees on board with the change if they’ve been consulted from the beginning.
It’s much easier to be successful when everyone understands your mission and is on board. It also makes it a lot easier to use employee training as a tool to help your company grow and succeed. If you’d like to chat about how High Tide Learning Studio can help your company evolve through employee training, reach out. We’d love to chat!
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We’re Erin and Peter, a husband and wife team passionate about making your organization successful through employee training and engagement. Join us as we explore new opportunities to improve your workplace.