Total Alignment is the Key

Every organization has a unique way of running their business, which is primarily identified through their corporate culture. It isn't something that is said every day, rather generally, it is something that is felt and acted upon.  

That was the pre-COVID19 way.

Now that everything has been upended, now is a good time to pause, take a step back, and make sure the path forward for the next couple of years is a sustainable one. Here's your guide to doing just that.

Start with the Vision, Mission and Core Values

A vision statement is a company's road map, indicating both what the company wants to become and setting a defined direction for the company's growth. This is the dreaming piece; if everything goes right, this is how your organization will look in the future. Here is Amazon's vision:

"Our vision is to be earth's most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online."

A mission statement is a formal summary of the aims and values of a company. A well-crafted mission statement answers what you do, who benefits, and how you do it. Honest Tea's mission is as follows:

"We strive for relationships with our customers, employees, suppliers, and stakeholders, which are as healthy and honest as the tea we brew."

Core values are the fundamental beliefs of an organization. They help employees determine if they are on the right path and fulfilling the company's goals.  Here are the core values of Google:

• Avoid micromanagement
• Have fun and freedom
• Create an environment of openness, general ethics, and corporate citizenship

Without clarity around these three elements, a company will struggle, and its meeting will suffer.

If your company values…

…work/life balance, don't bombard your employees with emails past 5 pm on weekdays and let them off the hook on weekends.

…fun, figure out a way to deliver enjoyment in our social distancing world.

…quality, make sure employees have state-of-the-art technology tools at their disposal.

…education provide the best online training available.  

…collaboration, invest in Zoom, Skype, Slack, or Teams.

…causes, what does your organization stand for? Getting out the vote, sustainability, women's rights, BLM, Pride - let people know.  

Define Your 2020/2021 Goals

We are not coming out of our time of COVID-19 anytime soon. Given a reduced and remote workforce, it's good to reassess what are your overall objectives. Maybe now is the time to:

• Build a better management team
• Learn from each other through collaborative tools
• Work on specific issues
• Rewrite your vision, mission, and values or
• Set your strategy for the next year