February 6, 2020
ISSN# 1545-2646
Get your compass pointing in the right direction
The visual of a compass lends itself to pointing in a particular direction. Organizations around the globe use it to heighten awareness of an approach to give guidance to a person or subject matter. Even our “Promise Culture” logo uses the aspects of a compass to bring forth the concept of finding and taking a given direction on a journey which leads to something or someplace of a high destination or calling.
The interesting thing is that many of us do not even know how to actually use a compass. We universally understand to a large degree that the intended use is to point us to a given destination. Beyond that, the actual process for using a compass can be hit or miss depending on your exposure to using one in real life. This is not intended to teach you how to use a compass. I might suggest a search on the internet or talk to a boy scout or girl scout for some training.
The idea here is that as business leaders we use tools, and reference points to bring clarity to goals and processes but do not always make sure the audience links back our connection to the desired direction we may be asking them to travel. How often in the past few months has their been a discussion about a project or some business demand which everyone thought they were on the same understanding only to find out a short time later that there was a scattering of directions taking place.
Take for example the conversation which takes place when a new hire comes into the workplace. Their first few moments and initial onboarding effort is critical to how they will ultimately get pointed in the right direction to success in your business. Yet this can sometimes be shortcut for any number of reasons. One that I have witnessed far too often is the assumption by the organization that because the new hire did a similar role at their prior employer that they must already understand the job at your location. Not only does the new hire feel alone and possibly abandoned on their first day but when something goes sideways they begin to get frustrated which only leads to more challenges for them and the organization as a whole.
Getting everyone pointing in a common direction and understanding common expectations makes an organization operate at a much greater frequency of performance. The best way is to communicate on a recurring basis the destination, the direction to take and the expectations along the path. Communincation needs to be in a variety of forms. You just can’t send an email and think everyone gets it. You must verify and validate your communications as everyone listens and hears differently.
This week as you continue on your 2020 path, take some time to really look at getting everyone pointing in the same direction. Communicate your direction and the associated expectations so that each and everyone is participating in the same journey with the same level of understanding and feeling part of the overall plan.
Do you know if your team is all pointing in the same direction? Do you understand the makeup of your team members? Give JKL Associates a call at (313) 527-7945 in Michigan or (407) 984-7246 in Florida and let’s discuss how we can bring value to pointing you and your team in the best direction.