It’s that time of the year when people and organisation leaders are reviewing the achievements of the previous year and developing the organisation vision for the next 1, 3 or 5 years. However, does this sound familiar: you’ve developed and communicated your organisation vision, people seem to be doing what they need to do, yet they don’t seem as engaged as they should be? Are they just working through the motions?
So often in developing an organisation vision the focus is on the results that need to be achieved – revenue, profit, sales figures, production targets, technical results, etc. The actions to achieve the results are also identified at each level of the organisation, in individual and team KPIs, activities, projects, development plans, charters, etc.
Whilst best practice is to involve a cross section of employees from all levels in the organisation to develop the vision, there is always the challenge of employees actually committing to the vision.
You can provide the clarity, what your team needs to do to get there and the results they are aiming for, yet they may not be engaged with what they are expected to do to achieve the vision.
You need to get some ATTITUDE in your vision!
An ATTITUDE is defined as “a settled way of thinking or feeling about something”. Think about it this way, what do your employees think of the vision and how do they feel about it?
Too often the focus is on the actions and behaviours of employees, when fundamentally it is our attitudes that drive our behaviours and the results we achieve at work and in our lives. If you want to achieve anything in life, the first step is focusing on the attitude you have towards achieving that goal, whether that be financial, health, career or relationships.
Think of a footballer running down the tunnel at the start of a big game. If a reporter were to ask, “Do you think you’re going to win today?” You can bet the answer will be something like, “We’ve trained hard all week and we believe we can win,” or, “We will focus on our game plan and we know we can win.”
I’m yet to hear a player say something like, “The other team are so good, I think they will win!” If we heard that, I’m sure coach would have a lot to say to the player at half time! Fundamentally, the coach’s role is to develop a winning attitude throughout the team. A belief that they can win. The players have prepared all week, they think and feel they can win the game.
You need your employees to be game players and develop a winning attitude.
If your employees think and feel they can achieve the results you are half way there.
So how do you develop a winning attitude in your organisation culture?
How do people think about the vision?
Do they think the results are achievable? If not, why not? What are the challenges, the roadblocks?
Are they confident and capable to complete their actions? Do they have enough industry and organisation data to understand how they contribute to the long-term vision?
How do people feel about the vision?
Do people have the opportunity to use their natural strengths as much as possible? Are employees in roles aligned to their preferred work preference?
Do employees feel valued, supported, challenged and stretched? Do they feel they have a chance to contribute to the overall success of the organisation?
Do they feel they are being adequately recognised and rewarded for their contribution? Do they feel connected to the vision and the organisation’s values?
Do people have clarity in the vision?
Clarity, or lack thereof, is one of the biggest challenges for organisations. Clarity in the roles, responsibilities and who is ultimately accountable to achieving each area is also critical in achieving the vision.
It’s imperative that people not only understand their role in achieving the plan, but also have the clarity and certainty to develop engagement and the right attitude. Whether that’s within a certain shift, week, month, or a long-term vision and business strategy.
When developing your organisation vision, integrate the attitudes you desire of your employees to deliver the results – because ultimately, if you don’t consider their attitudes, they’ll never be truly intrinsically motivated.