You and your team came up with a perfect business solution that would generate a 40% ROI (return on investment), increase shareholder value, and ensure a nice bonus at the end of the year, but for some reason, the expected results are not there. happening. So what’s wrong?
As with any complex business plan, you need a good balance between people, processes, and tools. However, it’s crucial that business initiative is brought down to the level of everyday employees so they can understand their role within the bigger picture.
With that in mind, using a “everybody’s good” analogy to simplify your intricate business strategy into easy-to-understand language can lead to a significant improvement in employee relationships, understanding, and engagement. Consider using this business as a rowboat analogy:
Boat. The ship represents the entity as a whole. The boat must be able to float (ie financially stable).
Water. The water around the ship epitomizes current market conditions and is, for the most part, outside of the organization’s control.
Direct and Direct. The address corresponds to senior management. The company’s mission statement and STRAP (long-term strategic planning) indicate direction.
Race. The race represents the business channels in which the Sales and Marketing executives decide the company will compete.
rooster. The Cocksman represents front-line managers who set the pace and provide immediate feedback to employees and senior management.
rowers. Rowers in the boat characterize people or employees of the organization. Deciding how many rowers you need and what kind of attributes (such as transferable skills) they need is critical to business success.
Rowing. The team rowing in sync signifies the business process. If the equipment is out of sync, the speed or direction of the boat will be hampered and it will surely drift off course.
oars The oars symbolize the tools required to efficiently and effectively run the race (business).
Other ships. What is a race without competition? The other ships represent business competition.
Finish line. The finish line embodies the team reaching its goal.
Executives and managers who break down their business plans into easy-to-understand analogies help their employees understand how they fit into the big picture of the business. In short, they accept their role within the company which leads to employee engagement, which is one of the common threads of highly successful companies.
About the author: Paul A. Fischer is a father, husband, former college athlete, and supply chain professional. He passionately believes in the benefits of Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) as an important tool for business success.