Whether clearly stated and communicated or not, every organization has a vision and a mission, no matter the structure, industry or niche. And, by and large, manager and employees want their organization to be successful, as growth and accomplishments fuel job stability and prosperity. Yet, it’s entirely possible for different people within the organization to have divergent viewpoints regarding what the company’s objectives should be and/or how to achieve them. It’s problematic when an organization and its employees aren’t on the same page. Here’s a look at some of the signs that better alignment is warranted.
Departmental Tunnel Vision
Ideally, all of the departments within the organization work together to achieve objectives within the framework of the company’s overall mission. However, it’s not uncommon for some or even all departments to become siloed, particularly when teams aren’t on the same page. Organizational silos refer to teams working in isolation with little to no communication with other teams. Collaboration and idea sharing are the hallmarks of a dynamic, forward-moving company, and organizational silos are certainly a cause for concern for managers and executives.
Conflicting Priorities
Another sign that your organization and its employees aren’t on the same page is that different teams have differing or even conflicting priorities. As an example, the marketing team might think that the priority should be on the rebranding initiative, whereas the sales team thinks that service offering expansion should be the priority. Conflicting priorities can lead to stagnant growth.
Power Struggles and Unhealthy Competition for Resources
Sometimes, the lack of a cohesive vision can lead to power struggles between teams and departments. If your employees aren’t all on the same page, they will be more likely to work toward their own team’s goals, rather than working toward fulfilling the overall mission and objectives of the organization. Power struggles between employees, departments and managers can lead to an unhealthy competition for company resources.
Reduced Employee Engagement, Productivity and Satisfaction
When not everyone is on the same page, employees can experience confusion. That, plus the power struggles, departmental tunnel vision and conflicting priorities may mean that your employees start showing up to work prepared to do the bare minimum. Their productivity and engagement can suffer, and employee satisfaction may be at a low.
Are you seeing any of these signs in your organization? For more than 30 years, Crosworks has successfully empowered organizations of all kinds to achieve their objectives. Through executive coaching, talent maximization and more, our career coaches provide impactful results. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discuss how we can help you get your executive team and employees on the same page.