Take a look at your 'To Do' list for a moment. . . go on, dig it out. Find something your organization, or your boss - jeck just you - has placed a top priority on? You know they tell you in all those get-things-done-through-better-organization books to label those very important things as "1" or "A" on the list. In gross violation of the rules you may have quite a number of 1's - I've even heard people call things 'priority zero' to make sure it gets in front of all those 1's. I kid you not.
Now, if your list looks like that and you are an intelligent person, imagine all the other intelligent people's lists looking just like yours. But, they don't look like yours do they? They have completely different 1's and 0's. And this might be the person you need to help you get your project done!!
Now, let me ask you: with all these lists and all these number 1's and zeroes causing anxiety, night sweats and a general feeling of unease throughout the day - how is anything getting done?
The answer is that things are getting done, but they may not be the most important for the business' long term success.
Alignment is Leadership's Job
This problem - misalignment - causes an incredible amount of frustration and wasted time as well-meaning, talented people try to fight through the tangled mess of their lists and get something accomplished.
That this problem exists isn't a surprise. I doubt I've presented a scenario to you that is foreign to your experience. What is surprising is that, too often, this problem is left to the wrong level of the organization to address - at the wrong time. I've seen many leaders simply take the directives and objectives given them and parcel them out to direct reports, wishing them God's speed. I believe someone who has reported to me might remind me that, yes, I have done it as well. For the record, I am guilty and have vowed not to do it ever again.
In many cases these goals are challenging of themselves not because they do not make sense, but that they make a different sense depending on whom you are speaking to.
This is a leadership's opportunity to make big difference in the business' execution of it's prime goals and objectives.
I suggest there is a fairly clear way for a business' leadership to be sure they are operating from a single set of aligned goals and priorities
2. Think through the key objectives and messages for communication. One of the most surprising things I have witnessed is a management group's apparent alignment around a set of goals, yet an evaluation of their objectives - the stuff they get rewarded for - shows they aren't going to place the same priority on them. If the finance leader has an objective to lower expenses in the business, but the people with line budgets don't share in that objective it is at best going to be a tough go (This is a completely crazy fictitious made up problem example just to illustrate. Really.). At worst they will experience infighting and affect the team's overall performance.
Once agreed, it is critical that management speak with one voice to the people who must carry out these important tasks. I've actually seen marketing groups be asked to plan out the audiences and messages for internal communications just as deeply as if the business leader were going to be interviewed on television. This preparation fixes into everyone's minds the key objectives and actions needed for success.
3. Act by showing your commitment and involvement. The business leader must take a clear stand, publicly, on the challenges, opportunities and priorities of the business. When a business' priorities are left to make their own way through the organization's tangled and mangled communications web, nuances are left out. Questions go unanswered. Progress is blocked.
Once communicated the business leaders must have mechanisms - weekly standup status meetings, centralized project status databases and reporting with weekly updates and issue resolution protocols. Key objectives need visibility and a sponsor with the horsepower and influence to clear the brush that the project team cannot.
By thinking these challenges through and making clear prioritization calls, leadership can help the organization - and everyone in it - focus on the right things. Without this, well... they won't.
Now, back to your list.
So, what are you going to do with that list? Depending on where you sit you may have more or less control as to what's on it. One thing you must do is avoid being a victim of misalignment. Is your activity for the day/week/month aligned with the most important priorities of your business? If so, do you have clear partners with similar objectives in the key parts of the organization you need to support your efforts. If not, find them and get your goals aligned.
Remember I said it's leadership's job - and you are a leader!
