“A bend in the road is not the end of the road… Unless you fail to make the turn.” -Helen Keller
We’ve spent the last twenty years watching a slow-moving tidal wave of change engulf an endless number of businesses, sinking them one by one.
Increased competition in the commodity product industry and fundamental changes in human behavior have combined to create a massive shift in our business landscape.
That was then.
Within the last nine months, a very different catalyst for change has emerged; a cataclysmic event that’s crushing the old order and paving the way for a new one.
Naturally, as we continue to adapt to this “new normal,” confusion abounds and uncertainty reigns. Questions such as “How can we weather the storm?” and “Will our teams be able to stay on the same page?” threaten to derail our organizations before they’ve even had a chance to contemplate recovery.
So, what do we do?
The answer is surprisingly simple…on paper.
Successful organizations are not only able to keep up with sudden, potentially destructive change, they often light the way through the darkness — leading the rest of us by example. These organizations all boast a strong foundation that’s nearly impenetrable.
They also make a point of providing their teams with the many tools necessary to improvise, adapt, and triumph in the face of adversity. And the most important among these tools? We’ll sum it up in one word: Alignment.
Consider this: An organization can be simply defined as “an organized body of people with a particular purpose.”
This means that, without a specific purpose or a shared goal, your company’s chances for growth and innovation are null and void. It follows that, without an ironclad strategy for alignment, your teams, processes, and product offerings will find it difficult to bend and flex in times of disruption. Instead, they’re more likely to break.
Strength and agility can only be achieved when everyone and everything is working together in harmony. As such, the key to managing change and securing a brighter future for your company lies in strategic alignment. And yet many organizations suffer from misalignment without even realizing it.
One prevailing reason for this problem is “Shiny Object Syndrome” a phenomenon in which team members are easily distracted by new ideas, new projects, or new objectives. The “syndrome” stems from a lack of clarity regarding company goals, which can ultimately result in confusion, conflict, and even chaos. In addition, when teams have no clear unified plan for moving forward, individuals are easily led off track, needlessly diverting their energies towards unworthy causes and allocating resources that could better be used elsewhere.
But though alignment may be essential to keeping your business running smoothly and effectively, implementation is no easy feat. Still, we promise the benefits will be well worth the effort.
Case in point: Think for just a moment about the last time you entered a
well-oiled, beautifully-aligned organization. You could sense the efficiency, right? These kinds of organizations announce themselves the minute you walk through their doors.
You can feel it. Clients can feel it, too. That’s the power of alignment.
Alignment has a near-immediate positive influence, and its effects can be witnessed in everything from team culture to company infrastructure. When alignment practices are put in place, daily operations that seemed strenuous in the past now become effortless. Yet once you’ve made the commitment to alignment, you need to know where to begin.
To get everyone in your organization on the same page, you have to start with what’s brought you all together in the first place — your customer. Begin by reflecting on your ideal consumer:
Who is (s)he/they?
What are his/her/their ambitions?
How can you best help him/her/them reach these goals?
Next, think about the internal structures you’ll need to help your customers get exactly what they want. Design a tightly knit ecosystem of tools, technologies, resources, partners, and processes with which you’ll be able to move swiftly and efficiently. Make certain the system maintains an environment in which everything you say, do, and create is geared towards fulfilling the practical and cultural promises you’ve made to your customers and your team.
Today’s markets are demanding and unforgiving. With all your usual “to-dos” in play, prioritizing alignment for your company might feel counter-intuitive, as if you’re keeping too many balls in the air. But organizations that can successfully align their teams, strategies, and brands according to their customers' needs and pain points will have a supreme advantage. These companies alone will be able to resist the cracks and breakages otherwise formed by market whiplash.
The last six months have presented us with two clear choices: Stick with old habits and hope for the best or learn to ebb and flow with the tide. We’re betting on the latter. All trends suggest you should choose alignment and take control of change.
Questions? Comments? Don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’d love to hear feedback on how you and your team are managing change right now.
