BCA

In tough and uncertain times, many of us look for leaders to point the way. We hope someone in the organization can offer clarity and direction.

In response, many leaders feel the need to create and communicate next steps, a new plan, the key priorities. But this impulse for clear direction can actually undermine your progress. “Do not assume just because you have provided clear direction that anything is going to happen,” says CCL’s Bill Pasmore. “It’s the people, not the plan.”

If you’re like most executives, you’ve got plans — strategies, tactics, priorities — and you’re ready for action. But what about your people? Are your people aligned to your vision? Is your culture prepared to accept change, embrace your goals and execute collaboratively? Without effective leadership to drive direction, alignment and commitment, plans grind to a halt.

Too many priorities can be a problem

Pasmore likes to tell the story of the CEO of a large defense contractor who was a good strategist and a clear communicator of plans and priorities. As a result, the senior team knew what needed to be accomplished, and they developed objectives for their departments.

“The CEO had been reiterating priorities for months, so imagine his surprise to hear that at the level below his direct reports, there was confusion about the company’s priorities. They insisted that too many things were important. In fact, everything was important,” says Pasmore. “When they looked to their bosses to arbitrate, everything seemed important to the members of the senior team as well. They, in turn, kept asking the CEO to tell them what to do first, second and third. How did this happen?”

As plans and ideas get put into action, they take on a life of their own. “The teams started working on their objectives, but often they needed help from the other departments to get their work done,” explains Pasmore. “But those objectives weren’t on the priority list for the other departments. People did their best to help their colleagues, but they didn’t have the time and resources to do all that everyone was asking them to do. And, since the senior team members knew all of the CEO’s priorities, they found it impossible to say no.”

The problem was that the CEO believed that giving clear direction would empower people to do their jobs and foster ownership of the outcomes. In fact, giving clear direction often creates less ownership, according to Pasmore. If the top provides absolute clarity, others will continue to look to the top for clarity. If answers, direction and plans are handed down, the people who do the work won’t be able to adjust, accommodate and collaborate.

Trying to manage from the top can halt the project

“The top can’t direct all of the things that emerge and have to be dealt with for the change to happen. Much of this work is spontaneous, unplanned, interdependent and emergent,” he says. “Trying to manage it at the top slows it down or brings it to a halt altogether.”

To prevent overload and non-alignment during execution, try these suggestions from Pasmore:

• Insist on feedback loops from the bottom up, or you’ll never know what’s going on. Strategy execution isn’t a top-down process. Find ways to consistently understand the reality throughout the system. And don’t shoot the messenger; placing blame will kill upward feedback.
• If the project is really important, spend the time and money to get all the key players together in the same room (or on the same videoconference) to iron out priorities every two to three months for the first year, and as needed thereafter. Take note: “key players” include those below the senior team who know firsthand what is actually happening in the work.
• When planning the project, agree on observable measures of progress and timetables rather than just setting priorities. For example: “Sales, research and manufacturing will have signed off on the design for the new product by the end of Q4.” This helps everyone understand when work is on track (or not).
• Build a “cooperation cost” into your planning. Add between 25 and 100 percent (depending on project complexity) to project costs and timelines to allow for emergent cooperative work as people learn what needs to get done. Be realistic; if the added costs make the project untenable, do not proceed on the assumption that cooperation won’t be necessary.

Reprinted with permission from Leading Effectively newsletter, Center for Creative Leadership

The Path to Growth Comes From Leveraging your Assets

By John Riley

 In the rush to get on the social media bandwagon, it appears a number of companies have been satisfied to simply post a note inviting visitors coming from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to follow their company or brand. With that non-engaging message, the result is a lost opportunity and the likelihood the visitor won’t return. 

 The benefit of social media is to build relationships and that means there needs to be a dialog between the visitor and the website host. Because of the immediacy of these social media tools, it’s essential the website has a mechanism in place to respond in kind so the dialog can be initiated. When that happens, the response is an opportunity to influence visitors to later communicate their endorsement of the company or product to their friends and associates directly or through social channels.

 For the website host, a ‘what is’ analysis of the state of the company’s current website capabilities accompanied by a projection of ‘what the capabilities should be’, that is based on the company’s vision, needs to be prepared. Also prepare a clear and concise brand positioning statement designed to attract the maximum  number of your target audience. Then, implement the steps necessary to make it all happen.  Recognize that as the level of sophistication increases, so will the need for resources and management support.

 You have to start with a strategy

 Start with a social media strategy that takes into account all of the company’s assets that can be leveraged to help build the brand. Study the website and either incorporate with or link to a company blog. While the website provides company and product information that can be assimilated and digested, the blog is ideally suited for interaction with visitors on any number of issues important to the host or visitors.  

 Access to the blog can be handled in two ways. First, allow visitors to use their existing login.  The disadvantage of this option is the inability to capture the visitor’s e-mail. Second, use a sign-in process to capture the visitors’ information. This option usually provides more complete and accurate information, but its’ the less desirable choice because of the inconvenience.

 Keeping the visitor on site once he’s there requires an attractive website/blog with compelling content. The challenge is to know who the target audience is so the content can be designed to satisfy their curiosity and stimulate interest. Most important is the need to refresh the blog content at least once or twice a week to sustain visitor interest. This is where a social experience needs to occur so the visitor can interact with the brand or socialize with the host, both of which will keep the visitor on site longer. When the experience is positive, that person becomes an ambassador for the company or brand within the social network fraternity/sorority.

 Participate in conversations anywhere

 When the coordination between website, blog and social media is functioning, customers, employees and prospects can interact as a community. However, that will take more time.

But don’t overlook the importance to the brand of taking part in conversations wherever they take place, i.e. blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or forums.

 An essential element in strategy is brand tracking. That requires tracking the brand’s progress continually. The obvious reason is to detect any negative results so corrective action can be taken promptly and avoid any long term damage to the brand. If progress is positive, further upgrading of the social structure can take place to accelerate the progress. Listening to customers and prospects is the most important part of this process and the social interface should take precedence over the automated data collection systems although ideally, both should be used.

 Social media can be an important asset for any company, but like any tool, it needs to be used properly. To do that requires a strategy that links all the resources to a common goal or vision. Otherwise, the time and money spent on these tools won’t help drive your marketing plan.