Going to an auto repair shop to have our wheels aligned ensures all four are tracking on the same or parallel paths. The obvious benefits are huge. Good alignment improves tire life by reducing friction that causes premature wear. Good alignment improves fuel economy by reducing resistance from that very same friction caused by tires not traveling on the same track. Good alignment improves handling as directional changes are made throughout the journey, efficiently responding to course corrections ranging from subtle steering to remain between the lines to abrupt, emergency maneuvers to avert disaster.

Alignment efforts we seek in due course of running a business are no less important, and surprisingly, for many of the same reasons proven appropriate for our vehicles:

• Improved effectiveness by ensuring all contributors work in the same direction
• Improved retention by reducing angst (friction) over missing clarity of goals
• Improved productivity by maximizing the "right work" and minimizing the unnecessary things that add little or no value
• Improved efficiency by avoiding chaos as business direction changes

Business alignment begins when senior leadership comes to consensus on strategic business plans intended to move the business forward. Invariably, failure to move the business forward is imminent if alignment never makes it out of the thick carpet of the executive suite.

How deep should business alignment go? For the entirety of the organization to track in the same direction, the driver of a forklift in the warehouse should be as aligned with the mission as his senior leadership. Seems a little extreme when we consider the forklift driver does not have strategic thinking listed as one of his job accountabilities. This is very true; however, that forklift driver's business contribution is manifested as job-specific outcomes, and those outcomes require aligned, effective, human performance. At this low level in the organizational hierarchy, alignment is still mission-critical. What differs from the thick carpet version is the message of the mission and the necessity of buy-in. At this level, everyone is a contributor, and everyone should have skin in the game. Does alignment go that deep in your organization?

If you are driving your business toward aggressive goals or objectives, then everyone from boardroom to warehouse should be on the same page. This is not as cliche as it sounds, because while everyone may be on the same page they are at different points on that page. Chances are good they may be reading something different depending on where they are in the organization. As leaders, we all would like to think we are fully aligned. The question that matters most is How aligned are we?

Here is a simple test to determine to what extent alignment exists. Go back to that forklift driver and ask him to define the corporate mission. Sound ridiculous? Well, it is...but only to an extent. If you are hoping to have him read back the leadership version of the mission, you will be sadly disappointed. Quite honestly, that version is of little value to the operator of a forklift, or for that matter, most other individual contributors. And yet he certainly does have a mission that is both relevant and critical to the overall business mission. What is most important to his mission are those aspects local to his role and function.

Inclusion and Localization

The local version of corporate vision or goals is often lost, or worse; never articulated or reinforced down through the organization to the individual contributors who are in a position to make or break success of the mission. Choose any contributor's position in the organization and consider it as a point of reference. For that position to be in alignment with the corporate mission, it must be aligned both upstream and downstream from where it resides in the business. Articulating alignment at this, or any other level, in the organization requires a localized version of the big picture mission. This localization implies tailored communications that articulate expectation of contribution of each role with both corporate mission as well as other roles interdependent to their performance outcomes.

An organization is full of interdependencies, and this is of particular importance when disparate work groups have different work responsibilities, different workflows and processes, different performance outcomes, different motivations and incentives, and different success metrics. Given those differences does it not make sense that the big picture message of mission should reflect the local nature of work as a function of business contribution?

Every contributor, regardless of level should know four things about the corporate mission:

• Their inclusive role - Why am I important to the mission?
• Their localized role - Why is my department important to the mission?
• Their contribution to those downstream and dependant upon their success
• Tangible outcomes they will produce if they are successful in their tasks

As we can see, alignment is not a singular effort to inform people across the enterprise. Alignment must be articulated at multiple levels, in multiple messages, and within that mix, localization is shaped at each discrete level, role and function. Leadership's consensus version of the mission is not localized; it is merely a benchmark from which inclusive and localized targets must be established and linked to tangible performance outcomes. It is like propulsion on a Viking warship; everyone has his own oar; but to be effective, they must align and synchronize their efforts to propel the boat forward.

Here is a perfect real-world example. In the early 1990's I worked for Sprint Communications in their long distance division. A hot-shot, ex-AT&T executive named Gary Forsee joined the team as the new president of our division tasked to turn sagging sales around. He did. At the time, I worked in the training group and will never forget the inclusive message he shared with our team in our first meeting. It was short and sweet; and most importantly - empowering. Simply put:

"We must grow our business. If what you spend your day doing does not enable the sale of new minutes on our network, you need to question the necessity of doing it."

Believe me, that simple message provided a tangible target for everyone in our group. He gave that same speech to every other work group too, and it carried the same weight and urgency from which we all fashioned our role-specific, localized, messages of mission. He never told us what to do; rather, he told us what to accomplish & why. Everyone knew what his or her contribution needed to be in order to affect the overall corporate mission. His simple statement was our benchmark from which we could easily align both our departmental and individual contributions. Do you provide clear, concise inclusive messages of mission to your organization from which they can benchmark and align their localized contributions?

Alignment Is Not Limited to Mission

Up to this point, focus has been limited to articulating a mission that is inclusive and locally discrete to specific roles and functions. From a Learning and Performance perspective, alignment becomes even more critical. Now we will concentrate on the what-needs-to-be- accomplished contribution to mission - and that means human performance. Accomplishment requires productivity. Productivity requires effective performance, and effective performance is confirmed through measurement of different outcome metrics. When these metrics do not add up to targets necessary to meet productivity goals, performance gaps need researched to determine root cause. When root cause(s) point to gaps related to knowledge and skill deficiencies, an aligned strategy of continuous learning must be in place to close them.

Application of effective learning creates a critical need for alignment across three elements of continuous learning strategy that include:

• Technology
• Methodology
• Culture

Alignment now embraces a more tactical focus when continuous learning carries the business objective of providing the right learning...to the right people...in the right amount...at the right time...and in the right format.

Decisions related to new or upgraded technology must be aligned with not only corporate mission, but with existing systems, future migration, and myriad downstream dependencies that are forced to change. Add new technology and interdependent linkages with learning methods will be impacted, and not just those directly impacted by the technology. There will be a ripple effect that impacts how learning takes place, by whom, when, and where they may be when learning is required. Ultimately, the way learning takes place must be nurtured and encouraged by a business culture that is as aligned with the requirements of continuous learning as it is with the corporate mission. Truthfully, you cannot have one without the other.

The reality of alignment becomes a multi-headed monster. Truly, alignment must remain consistent with corporate objectives; however, there are implications of alignment that dwell interdependently within the planning, development and implementation of a learning strategy.

HPO is an outfitter that can equip your organization with the knowledge, skills, tools, tips, and techniques to ensure alignment of your Learning Strategy. At a more tactical level, HPO can equip your front-line responders to performance challenges with the skill sets and tools to ensure alignment of all facets of continuous learning.

A good first step may be benchmarking your organization's strategy gaps by investing in HPO's "State of Learning Readiness Assessment". Chances are good your organization has pieces and parts of a continuous learninacrossegy. What is often missing is the continuity and alignment acrosss the sub-strategies of technology, methodology and culture. Follow the link above to learn more.

Results from the readiness assessment may point toward a modularized program called "Impacting Learning & Performance Workshop" to address missing knowledge and bolster skills where your learning and performance competency gaps exist. HPO can help identify them and customize an approach to learning to close them.

I encourage you to share your comments here and help establish an interactive dialogue specific to your alignment successes and challenges. For more information or assistance in this area, contact HPO today to arrange an initial consultation and/or further discovery.

Gary G. Wise
Founder/Principle
Human Performance Outfitters, LLC
(317) 437-2555
g.wise@humanperformanceoutfitters.com