If your company is suffering from bad communication? A lack of employee motivation and engagement? Or maybe there is a recurring difficulty with decision-making and problem solving. All these issues point to a lack of organizational alignment. But just what is organizational alignment and how do you go about achieving it? You have come to the right place. Continue reading to find out what you need to do to achieve top organizational alignment.
What is organizational alignment?
A company that appears to be well-aligned may still have room for improvement, which is why many successful companies invest time and effort in organizational alignment to maintain their success and competitiveness. Keep on reading to find out why.
Why is organizational alignment important?
As mentioned, by achieving organizational alignment the entire company works in harmony, ensuring efficiencyand optimal productivity. You will see increased efficiency and productivity through these benefits:
- Good communication - Having good communication in the company reduces the risk of misunderstandings and conflicts. Thus ensuring that everyone knows the goals they are trying to reach together and how they specifically contribute to them.
- Rise in innovation - When all departments are working together and sharing ideas there is a greater chance of finding new solutions and even new product options. This will help you stay ahead of your competition and of course, make a more productive work environment in your company.
4 tips for aligning your business
Now you are aware of the benefits of aligning your business, the next question is how do you go about achieving this? Well, the good thing is that there is more than one approach from which you can choose based on your company's situation. And lucky for you, we have them all here!
1. Agree on what you want to achieve
The first step to achieving organizational alignment is to reach a shared understanding of your company-wide goals. Managers should all take the time to come together to find out what your long-term and short-term goals and what is the strategy for achieving them. Make it a collaborative process, and involve employees from all positions so that every voice is heard and valued.
2. Set SMART goals
Once, you have identified your goals, it's time to start measuring them. The easiest way to make sure that everyone is on the same page and that they are keeping the goals in mind is through having SMART goals. SMART goals are realistic and measurable and are a surefire way to motivate your employees. This is because when looking at something that you can't define easily almost everyone loses their motivation since they don't see the point.
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3. Ask for feedback
Feedback is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to address problems and come up with solutions. You can't know everything alone, so be sure to always ask your employees for feedback. Reach out to individual employees, specific departments Ask them do they see any problems, do they see ways for improving, or if they have any new ideas. Doing this will bring more efficiency to your process and also make your employees feel recognized and part of the solution.
4. Avoid a "one size fits all" approach
Organizational alignment is a continual process that needs constant attention and modification; it is not just a one-time event. While it is crucial to develop alignment from the start, it is just as crucial to sustain it as the business grows and adapts to meet new challenges. Organizational alignment cannot be approached in a "one size fits all" manner because every business has different objectives, cultures, and problems. To maintain alignment with the organization's goals and enable peak performance, be sure to continuously evaluate and adjust your company goals.
How Plecto helps you achieve organizational alignment
By now you notice that having clear goals and good communication is a huge part of successful organizational alignment. With Plecto's real-time dashboards, you can achieve both things. Plecto's real-time dashboards allow you to display your KPIs making it easy to see your performance and enabling you to make data-driven decisions quickly. Plecto's dashboard also improves communication and motivation in your office by keeping everyone up to date and also creating a healthy competitive environment with gamification features.
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