“If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.” – Patrick Lencioni.

I am not an advocate of highly documented processes.  Not only are they arduous in putting together, but they are often outdated before they can be rolled out or so detailed that they are difficult to follow.

I like to think of processes and procedures like a roadmap with a final destination.  Some are more comfortable taking a direct route, some like to adapt their route based on traffic, and some embrace the creativity of taking back roads – what matters is that everyone arrives safely, on-time, and obeys traffic laws.  While traffic laws mandate what is lawful and unlawful, organizations have behaviors and actions that influence the culture of an organization.  This influence will affect how employees embrace processes, policies, and procedures. Is there buy-in from leadership or their manager? Do seasoned employees think they are a waste of time? Are new employees comfortable in providing feedback? Is there any thought in why things are being done they way they are being done or is it the tired answer of “because it has always been done that way”.

Good process facilitates communication and efficiency.  Bad process creates chaos and silos.

What is easy to do in the beginning is hard to do in the end.  What’s hard to do in the beginning is easy to do in the end.  Do the hard work now and start or review your core processes, making sure your organization is scalable and ready for sustainable growth.

Check out my Blog – Do you have a roadmap for everyday operations?

What does alignment look like? From the company’s vision and mission to the company’s organizational chart, the entire team is aligned in expectations, focus, communication, and accountability,

 “An organizational structure defines how activities such as task allocation, coordination, and supervision are directed toward the achievement of organizational aims. Organizational structure affects organizational action and provides the foundation on which standard operating procedures and routines rest.” Wikipedia

 No structure or poor structure results in poor customer and employee experience and a negative effect on the bottom line.  And while structure is crucial, to grow and scale your company, it must also be intentional and adaptable to realignment. And even having a defined organizational structure, won’t matter if you have the wrong people or the wrong people in the wrong seats.

“If you have the right people on your bus, the problem of how to motivate people largely goes away. The right people don’t need to be tightly managed or fired up: they will be self-motivated by the inner drive to produce the best results and to be part of creating something great… And if you have the wrong people, it doesn’t matter whether you discover the right direction; you still won’t have a great company. Great vision without great people is irrelevant.”  Jim Collins

Formalizing and communicating changes in organizational structure is critical to ensure employee alignment. Do your team members know who they report to?  Are they clear on their job titles, responsibilities, and expectations?

Some key indicators of having an unintended org chart are too many reports to one leader, unclear leadership, random coordinator and specialist roles, and employees who are unclear what their actual title is.  What does your organizational structure look like?