MIXED MESSAGING

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Companies and their managers will provide reassuring messages about seeking to operate in line with best practices, but in reality many will not have taken the steps needed to match their words.  This can lead to employees becoming disillusioned and zoning out. 

 

For example, leaders will typically want their company to be innovative.  To offer cutting-edge products or offer industry-leading services to their customers.  But studies show that many top managers are reluctant to take the risks required to be innovative because the company doesn’t reward risk-taking.  Instead, managers fear that failure would be fatal to their career.  They prefer to stay just under the radar and do the same things as last year, because it’s safer.  There is no encouragement and safety-net for risk-taking and possible failure.  In effect, there is mixed messaging that stifles the innovation company leaders seek.

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Some organisations get this right.  As an illustration, a major insurance company celebrated a call centre employee who stayed on the line with a customer for more than an hour because that customer needed extra assistance.  The call centre rep was specifically recognised for providing exemplary service, for demonstrating the company's commitment to its customers, and exhibiting behaviour consistent with the organisation’s purpose.

 

Who are the company's employees? 

 

To create a culture that delivers on the company's purpose, businesses should seek to select, engage and develop employees in ways that introduce and reinforce the organisation's values.  However, many companies establish and deliver their selection, engagement and development programs in silos, without due regard to the company’s values and culture.  This approach doesn't support an organisation's desired identity.  A new employee might be attracted to a company because of its promised focus on excellence and providing a quality service, but the recruitment process itself, along with other company processes, does not live up to the promise. 

 

Does the organisational structure deliver on its desired identity? 

 

An organisation's processes and structure affect how customers and employees perceive the company and colour their experiences with it.  

 

• If a brand promises excellent customer service, but customers who need support are not treated well, and shuffled from person to person, companies cannot expect customers to feel like they've received the highest level of service. 

 

• If a business goal is to produce a stream of innovative products, the interactions between the company's technology, communication, marketing and customer service teams should be structured to encourage frequent engagement between these different parties, which, in turn, can promote a stream of new, commercially viable ideas.  

 

Often, reconfiguring a company’s structure in line with its identity is key to achieving its highest potential.  In organisations that succeed, leaders will often undertake strategic reviews of their operations, and new initiatives, to ensure they are aligned with the company’s values and expectations.  The changes needed might be difficult, risky and expensive, but necessary to ensure the ongoing long-term success of the company. 

 

How does the organisation measure and reward performance? 

 

Aligning a company's measurement and performance systems with its identity is also crucial to maximising business performance.  Everything from goal setting to accountability, and especially pay and recognition, must encourage employees' efforts to fulfil the company's purpose, deliver on its brand promise and create a culture that promotes success.  Misaligned measurements and incentives create confusion and inconsistency for employees, and that translates into confusion and inconsistent experiences for customers.

 

Strategic Review

 

As a company develops and grows, it might create programs that directly answer one or more of the above issues.  Too often, though, departments or teams, such as the Marketing Department that creates a new brand campaign, or the HR team that launches a new onboarding program, implement initiatives without considering whether they fully align with the organisation's identity.  

Extra care is needed to avoid this patchwork approach.  Leaders must step back to objectively review their organisational identity and determine whether their programs and processes align with it.  This step can help bridge the gap between the organisation's current identity and the aspirational identity that will inspire employees and attract and retain customers.

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