understanding company objectives
Do you truly understand your company’s objectives?
An essential component to being a strategic HR leader is to know what it is that your company wants to accomplish and how they want to achieve success? Having specific, understandable, and written company objectives are a key first step in being a strong HR Business Partner.
Right now, ask yourself these questions:
My company’s largest goal is to …
My company measures success of this goal by …
Each division or department leader supports this goal through …
My role in both the larger company goals and the individual division goals is …
If you can easily answer all questions with a thorough plan – then you are on the right track. And you can then focus on communicating the company goals through all levels of the organization, tracking for success, recognition for milestones reached and coaching for underperforming individuals or teams.
If you struggle to answer any of these questions, then it is time to schedule conversations with various senior leaders to discuss the company goals and the expectations of each division in supporting a successful outcome.
When looking at the company goal, I like to think of it like a strong drive to the end zone. I want to know what score the company is trying to achieve, what do we need to execute to get there, and how do we know we are winning? You can look at year over year financial goals, territory growth goals, customer focused or production goals. Whether you are focused on annual year-end objectives , quarterly or monthly goals – having a clear understanding of these objectives and how they will be achieved is the foundation of your strategy.
If you are at a starting point in this process, you can begin by looking at it from the top level of the objective such as a company goal of “doubling sales”, “increasing GOP by 10%” or “launching a new product by fall”. Identify how all leaders and divisions will understand the overall objective. It is critical to make sure that all leaders understand and support the overall company objectives in order to drive the team and individual goals. This alignment pulls through the entire company at all levels and would be supported with business goal setting, team goal setting and a Performance Management process that directly reinforces your company goals.
Next partner with division or department leaders to identify how non-leadership employees will understand the objective. Maybe there are multiple objectives to achieve such as an “increase in customers and an increase in revenue”. You should review how visible the company objectives are to the entire team and increase the communication until all employees understand the big picture and how their work can positively affect the overarching company objectives.
Frequent communication through varied vehicles will increase the chances for employees connecting with the objectives.
· You could bring in a senior leader to a new hire Orientation to discuss the company objective.
· You could video the CEO with a quarterly message to the team and show this in a break room.
· You could send out via an email link for everyone to see and hear their message.
· You can create posters and brand the message.
Goals should be updated annually and evolve as your company grows or the conditions of the market change.
The company's objectives and goals are the cornerstone to everything else. All policies, procedures, hiring practices, handbooks, employee relations, everything created for your teams should be aligned with this cornerstone. If the policies are created clumsily or without consideration for the company’s objectives, then you will be out of alignment and your teams may work towards different goals. This could be a frustrating work experience for your employees, confusion by management and you are left with an unsuccessful, scoreless drive to the end zone.
If you need support in evaluating your current practices and brainstorming easy to implement ideas, find support in a colleague, a business coach or an HR consultant. Let’s talk.