“My leaders don’t get it. We are missing opportunities because of their lack of organizational thinking and silos.” This is one of the most common frustrations of my executive clients. Working in silos with territorial battles are strategic goal derailers. Sure, an individual here and there will further their own career (for a minute) through defending turf and only looking out for #1, but the organization will suffer.
When leaders fail to think organizationally – a/k/a think end-to-end or cross functionally -collateral damage happens. Have you seen it in action? A department head makes a unilateral decision that seems good for his team, but simultaneously causes problems in other areas. Problems like new customer dilemmas and conflict between departments, for example. Then comes the lost productivity due to the re-work and additional meetings necessary for damage control. Oh! Let’s don’t overlook the cost of those deteriorated relationships…
This week I’m encouraging you to be a hero for your company – BEFORE you pull that proverbial trigger, consider these questions:
- If I / we do this, who else will be impacted?
- How does this fit into our organizations goals? (Hint: if there’s no direct correlation, stop!)
- To achieve ultimate success, who’s support of this initiative would be helpful?
- What have I/we not considered yet? (Think customers, operations, sales, marketing, staff?)
The few minutes it takes to consider those questions could save you and your peers wasted hours, stress and frustration, $$$$, and relationships, while exponentially increasing your chances of success. So, this week, what if we all intentionally THINK ORGANIZATIONALLY?
Contact me today for more information on strategic planning and creating a mission-focused, organizational-thinking culture.
