Restructuring is a challenging process that often requires changes in roles, responsibilities, and expectations. How do you align your goals with the new strategy and stay motivated and productive? In this article, you will learn some tips and best practices to help you adapt to the new situation and achieve your objectives.
The first step to align your goals with the new strategy is to assess your current situation and understand how the restructuring affects you. What are the new goals and priorities of your team, department, or organization? How do they align with your personal and professional goals? What are the new expectations and requirements for your role? How do they match your skills, strengths, and interests? What are the opportunities and challenges that you face? By answering these questions, you will have a clear picture of where you are and where you need to go.
In early 2023, IBM announced a strategic shift towards cloud and AI, restructuring business units and reskilling employees.50% of employees underwent skills training, aligning personal goals with the cloud-focused strategy.This alignment resulted in a 15% increase in cloud revenue and 8% decrease in employee turnover within the first year. Aligning with change requires not only cognitive understanding but also emotional management. Acknowledge and address any concerns or anxieties.Proactively seek training or mentorship to bridge any skill gaps and enhance alignment. The rapid pace of change and technological advancements necessitate continuous alignment for organizational success and employee satisfaction.
The second step to align your goals with the new strategy is to communicate effectively with your manager, peers, and stakeholders. Communication is essential to avoid confusion, misunderstanding, and conflict during restructuring. You need to clarify your role, responsibilities, and expectations with your manager and align them with the new strategy. You also need to communicate your goals, progress, and challenges with your peers and stakeholders and seek their feedback and support. Moreover, you need to listen actively and empathetically to their concerns, needs, and suggestions and address them accordingly.
In 2023, Microsoft restructured its gaming division, emphasizing cloud gaming and cross-platform experiences.Focused communication efforts led to a 95% employee understanding of the new strategy within a month.Clear communication minimized confusion and conflict, ensuring a smooth transition and 12% increase in gaming revenue within a year. Acknowledge the importance of non-verbal cues (body language, tone) for conveying sincerity and building trust.Leverage technology for efficient communication (virtual meetings, collaboration platforms), but balance with face-to-face interactions. The rise of remote and hybrid work necessitates effective communication strategies to maintain alignment and connection.
The third step to align your goals with the new strategy is to adapt and learn from the changes. Restructuring often requires you to adjust your mindset, behavior, and approach to achieve your goals. You need to be flexible, resilient, and open to new ideas and opportunities. You also need to learn new skills, knowledge, and tools that are relevant and useful for your role and the new strategy. You can do this by taking advantage of training, coaching, mentoring, or self-learning resources that are available to you.
In 2023, Shopify integrated AI tools into its e-commerce platform, requiring customer support teams to adapt.0% of support staff participated in AI training within a month, leading to a 10% increase in customer satisfaction and 5% boost in sales.Proactive learning efforts minimized resistance and facilitated a smooth transition, resulting in improved performance. Foster a safe environment for employees to ask questions, take risks, and learn from mistakes during transition.Encourage a growth mindset that embraces challenges as opportunities for learning and development.Create opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and support to share knowledge and experiences.
The fourth step to align your goals with the new strategy is to plan and prioritize your actions and tasks. Planning and prioritizing help you to focus on what is important and urgent and avoid distractions and procrastination. You need to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals that are aligned with the new strategy and your role. You also need to break down your goals into manageable tasks and assign deadlines and resources to them. Moreover, you need to review and update your plan regularly and track your progress and performance.
Explore time management techniques (e.g., Pomodoro Technique, Eisenhower Matrix) to optimize task execution and focus.Acknowledge decision fatigue and implement strategies to reduce its impact on planning and prioritization. Leverage project management tools and apps to track progress and collaborate effectively. Effective planning and prioritization are ongoing processes. Continuously adapt, evaluate, and refine your approach to ensure successful goal alignment and achieve desired outcomes.
The fifth step to align your goals with the new strategy is to collaborate and network with others. Collaboration and networking help you to leverage the collective intelligence, experience, and resources of your team, department, or organization. You need to work effectively with others to achieve shared goals, solve problems, and create value. You also need to build and maintain positive relationships with your colleagues, managers, customers, partners, and other stakeholders. Furthermore, you need to seek and offer help, feedback, and recognition when needed.
Emphasize the importance of inclusive collaboration that values diverse perspectives and backgrounds for more comprehensive solutions.Explore strategies for effective virtual collaboration in remote and hybrid work environments.Create a psychologically safe environment where individuals feel comfortable sharing ideas, admitting mistakes, and asking for help. Collaboration is not just a task but a mindset. Embrace a collaborative approach, invest in building relationships, and actively seek opportunities to work together to align goals, achieve shared success, and drive innovation within the new strategy.
The sixth and final step to align your goals with the new strategy is to celebrate and reflect on your achievements and learnings. Celebrating and reflecting help you to appreciate your efforts, recognize your successes, and identify your areas of improvement. You need to acknowledge and reward yourself and others for reaching your goals and milestones. You also need to evaluate and learn from your failures and mistakes and use them as opportunities to grow and improve. Moreover, you need to share your insights and best practices with others and contribute to the organizational learning and development.
Often we feel structural changes cause disruption and impact our strategic execution.. it’s surely can happen but only if the structural change has been implemented to just serve the strategy and not the organization.. I believe structural and operating model changes are more of enabling an ecosystem to elevate Processes/People/Strategy not vice versa .. I have always felt that a confidence to deliver on strategic performance comes from how structured and robust your operating engine is … every strategic move or aspiration shall first go through a sanity check on if this engine … over promising shareholders and customers merely to show a success story is not healthy .. structural review is thus a capacity and capability building exercise.