Strategic Performance and Change Management, IQPC Exchange

1.
LINKING THE ORGANIZATIONAL VISION TO THE INDIVIDUAL
BY CREATING A STRATEGIC LINE OF SIGHT
Interview with Ruben Decoud, gphr
International Human Resources | Mary Kay Inc
Even after implementing the Balanced Scorecard and creating a Vision and
Strategic Map, many companies struggle with the complexities of how to properly
and fully align their human capital to achieve their desired strategic objectives. In
this Q&A interview, Ruben Decoud of Mary Kay Inc. discusses how a company can
achieve top down alignment throughout the organization and how to translate
strategic vision into tangible behaviors.
Management IQ: How can a company achieve top down alignment throughout the
organization?
Ruben Decoud: Many things need to be considered to create total alignment
throughout the organization. However, one of the best ways to ensure a company
maintains alignment (top down or otherwise) is by providing ample opportunities for
individuals to have a clear “line of sight” between their contributions and “bigger
picture” strategic objectives. This can be supported by a number of programs,
mechanisms and tools.
The consistency and intensity of which key messages are communicated and how they
are communicated is critical to ensure understanding at every level and help individuals
engage with the strategy. Infusing a sense of individual accountability to all employees
that contributes to strategic results is also instrumental in creating adequate levels of
“ownership” for strategy.

2.
Management IQ: How does a company create appropriate engagement with the
Company’s Strategic Vision and maintain its relevancy for employees at all levels?
Ruben Decoud: Individuals need to feel a sense of ownership and personal
engagement in order to contribute significantly to goals and objectives. The way a
message is cascaded down in the organization, the sense of urgency attached to the
objectives themselves, and the opportunities that individuals have to be educated,
informed and updated on progress are all ways to maintain engagement.
There are, of course, diverse audiences to consider in an organization. Communication
and training have to be appropriately and strategically customized for each segment in
order to achieve the desired result. Relevancy is a result of a dynamic and integrated
process of communication and feedback.
Management IQ: How can one translate strategic vision into tangible behaviors to
maximize synergy and clarify performance expectations?
Ruben Decoud: We can only achieve different future outcomes if we change our
behaviors in the present. Companies need to identify the key behaviors that will help
them move towards achieving their strategic vision. There is a direct connection
between the “what” we want to accomplish and the “how” we need to behave to get
there. Reinforcing key behaviors needs to be at the core of how individuals are
recognized and rewarded for their contributions.
Join us in Atlanta, GA, March 26 to 28, 2012, for the IQPC Strategic Performance
Management & Measurement Summit. For more information or to register, visit
www.performancemgmtconference.com or email info@iqpc.com.