In the movie Splash, John Candy’s character has only one question about becoming more involved in his family’s produce business: “Do we sell fruit and vegetables or just fruit?”
Many leaders suspect there’s far to many questions like this in their own organizations, but business acumen is only part of the challenge of a aligning people with an organization’s objectives. Do people understand where they fit in and how the corporation can pull together to meet goals? Do organiztions know how to provide incentives and motivation to bring employees on board?
Here are some approaches to achieving alignment.
SAS Institute
www.sas.com/subscriptions/sascom/janfeb01/epm.html
The SAS Institute offers this two-page article, Aligning for Success, which focuses on the effort required for businesses to achieve goals. It introduces the concept of Enterprise Performance Management (EPM). “EPM is about deciding on goals and then making the most of a business’ resources to meet them. It’s about aligning enterprise-wide strategy with planning and execution.”
Thank God it’s Monday
www.fed.org/onlinemag/sep98/trends.html
This page is a short review of Tim Hoerr’s book Thank God it’s Monday! Everyone will agree with the basic premise that an employee who is self-fulfilled and motivated is the best kind of employee. Hoerr challenges the reader to find ways to integrate or align the process of personal fulfilment with corporate goals. The book may not be for you, but this review is certainly worth the few minutes it takes to read.
Lots of links
www.ivysea.com/pages/ldrex_0500_03.html
Six pages and a load of links, this page is a longer read. The main premise of this presentation is that each company needs to understand its own culture and embrace it, rather than following the latest management fad. As an example, the authors show the foolishness of a Big Three automaker trying to pursue a Microsoft, “first to market, get the bugs out later” approach. It’s the bureaucracy and quality control that got the automaker to the top in the first place, and this is what will keep them at the top. Also offered are tips for assessing and maintaining the right culture, which include “ask employees” and “assess your gut feeling.”
Measurement systems
http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/aspa/unpan002078.pdf
This site hosts a 32-page overhead presentation on the subject of Strategic Performance Measurement Systems. The presentation offers the Four Critical Development Stages and offers some advice on benchmarking measures. The closing is four pages of “lessons learned” and a one-page case study.
IT alignment
www.cio.com/archive/040197_role_content.html
This medium-length page highlights the findings of the 1997 CIO/Ernst & Young survey on IT. The survey results point to the growing alignment of IT professionals and other business executives. One assertion is that as a growing number of executives become computer literate, their understanding of the strategic potential for IT increases.
Communication strategies
www.bus.umich.edu/ft/talbot-white.pdf
“When revolutionaries take over a country, the first thing they grab is the media and the education system.” According to this paper, CEOs need to do the same to win the “hearts and minds” of the people. A short read for those with interest in the communications angle of aligning corporate objectives and employee activity.
Incentive programs
www.bravanta.com/PDFs/ProfitabilityEdge.pdf
This article starts out with the same old story — our people are our greatest asset. It takes until about page four (of nine) to get to the meat of the story, aligning recognition and incentive programs with strategic business objectives. In the end, there is a checklist of considerations when selecting a partner to help develop incentive programs, and to a large degree the closing is an advertisement for Bravanta, whose Web site hosts this “independent” appraisal.
Aligning relocation policies
www.usrelo.com/news/Align-Relo.pdf
This white paper is prepared by US Relocation, a firm that provides a full range of relocation management services. This article in PDF (Adobe) form is entirely focused on the alignment of relocation policies and practices with corporate strategic goals.
Joe Nunes is an actuary and president of Actuarial Solutions Inc. in Oakville, Ont. He can be reached at (905) 257-2038 or [email protected].
Many leaders suspect there’s far to many questions like this in their own organizations, but business acumen is only part of the challenge of a aligning people with an organization’s objectives. Do people understand where they fit in and how the corporation can pull together to meet goals? Do organiztions know how to provide incentives and motivation to bring employees on board?
Here are some approaches to achieving alignment.
SAS Institute
www.sas.com/subscriptions/sascom/janfeb01/epm.html
The SAS Institute offers this two-page article, Aligning for Success, which focuses on the effort required for businesses to achieve goals. It introduces the concept of Enterprise Performance Management (EPM). “EPM is about deciding on goals and then making the most of a business’ resources to meet them. It’s about aligning enterprise-wide strategy with planning and execution.”
Thank God it’s Monday
www.fed.org/onlinemag/sep98/trends.html
This page is a short review of Tim Hoerr’s book Thank God it’s Monday! Everyone will agree with the basic premise that an employee who is self-fulfilled and motivated is the best kind of employee. Hoerr challenges the reader to find ways to integrate or align the process of personal fulfilment with corporate goals. The book may not be for you, but this review is certainly worth the few minutes it takes to read.
Lots of links
www.ivysea.com/pages/ldrex_0500_03.html
Six pages and a load of links, this page is a longer read. The main premise of this presentation is that each company needs to understand its own culture and embrace it, rather than following the latest management fad. As an example, the authors show the foolishness of a Big Three automaker trying to pursue a Microsoft, “first to market, get the bugs out later” approach. It’s the bureaucracy and quality control that got the automaker to the top in the first place, and this is what will keep them at the top. Also offered are tips for assessing and maintaining the right culture, which include “ask employees” and “assess your gut feeling.”
Measurement systems
http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/aspa/unpan002078.pdf
This site hosts a 32-page overhead presentation on the subject of Strategic Performance Measurement Systems. The presentation offers the Four Critical Development Stages and offers some advice on benchmarking measures. The closing is four pages of “lessons learned” and a one-page case study.
IT alignment
www.cio.com/archive/040197_role_content.html
This medium-length page highlights the findings of the 1997 CIO/Ernst & Young survey on IT. The survey results point to the growing alignment of IT professionals and other business executives. One assertion is that as a growing number of executives become computer literate, their understanding of the strategic potential for IT increases.
Communication strategies
www.bus.umich.edu/ft/talbot-white.pdf
“When revolutionaries take over a country, the first thing they grab is the media and the education system.” According to this paper, CEOs need to do the same to win the “hearts and minds” of the people. A short read for those with interest in the communications angle of aligning corporate objectives and employee activity.
Incentive programs
www.bravanta.com/PDFs/ProfitabilityEdge.pdf
This article starts out with the same old story — our people are our greatest asset. It takes until about page four (of nine) to get to the meat of the story, aligning recognition and incentive programs with strategic business objectives. In the end, there is a checklist of considerations when selecting a partner to help develop incentive programs, and to a large degree the closing is an advertisement for Bravanta, whose Web site hosts this “independent” appraisal.
Aligning relocation policies
www.usrelo.com/news/Align-Relo.pdf
This white paper is prepared by US Relocation, a firm that provides a full range of relocation management services. This article in PDF (Adobe) form is entirely focused on the alignment of relocation policies and practices with corporate strategic goals.
Joe Nunes is an actuary and president of Actuarial Solutions Inc. in Oakville, Ont. He can be reached at (905) 257-2038 or [email protected].
