Your team is probably leaving money on the table.
Too often, as an advisor and facilitator, I’ve seen extraordinary amounts of money and value left behind, because of a lack of strategic thinking.
Leaders – are your teams leaving money and value on the table… or even wasting money, because of where they are spending their attention and time?
Here are some examples I see on the regular!
1. The up-and-coming department coordinator who isn’t yet across the whole business, or how leaders think.
Example: This go-getter has recently been promoted to, or come in at, a senior role that is quite new to them. Sure, they have acquired a qualification in the field and maybe a few runs on the board, but they are still learning the depths of complexity and strategic thinking required to understand how what they focus on affects the whole business. Moreover, they are proud of achieving their recent status and top of mind for them is proving themselves – which often translates to proving ‘I don’t need any help’.
Consequence: Unfortunately, their excitement can look like overconfidence and decision-making that is not based on the full picture; their insecurity can make them a roadblock for getting important information to senior leaders who need to make informed strategic decisions. Insightful strategic reports from the outside consultant, who has been engaged to provide expertise, are not passed on to leadership by the account manager, forcing the consultant to choose between going over their head or surprising the exec team when they reference the report in a leadership meeting! Not an efficient use of the consultant’s OR the leadership team’s time… and worse, important insights and recommendations fall through the gaps.
2. The senior program manager with a technical background, who doesn’t get the BD.
Example: A brilliant senior project or program manager who truly understands the industry, making them a great asset to the organisation. They can really get into the ‘head’ of the target market. However, they do not wear a BD or marketing ‘hat’ when developing or promoting their programs – they are not naturally oriented towards this way of thinking, they are not trained in this space and not held accountable to client acquisition or revenue goals. Typically, they manage an education or networking event program that is central to the organisation’s brand-building and growth goals – yet the program manager may not even be aware this is the ultimate purpose of the program.
Consequence: The turnout and turnover are not what they could have been / Game-changing educational content that would make the organisation more competitive doesn’t reach enough of the staff or the learning isn’t embedded well / Networking and value-add opportunities among the clients and business community are not leveraged / The program fails to achieve its brand-building and/or BD objectives.
3. The relatively junior event planner who has been (wrongly) tasked with running your marketing and stakeholder communications, too.
Example: I’m booked to give a keynote or run a workshop for a networking/professional development event. I provide promotional ideas and value-adds around the presentation. These are often free, low-cost, or a money-making opportunity for the client, such as a ticketed Masterclass or content for their blog/podcast/social media. However – these suggestions are forgotten/ignored by the junior team responsible for putting the event together (even when prompted during pre-meetings) – because they’re not across marketing strategy.
Consequence: See #2 above. Also, essential strategic links between event programs and core marketing objectives and target audiences are not achieved.
Solutions
Leaders – don’t forget that most of your staff don’t think like you! They come from a different area of expertise or experience, and most likely a different motivation.
That means you must lead a coordinated, cross-functional approach to strategy, brand, sales/BD, marketing, stakeholder communication, networking, and learning and development.
You must make strategic objectives and expectations of teamwork clearly known to department and team leaders.
You must ensure your line managers are equipped to make strategic decisions and that they bring their teams along to achieve goals, holding them accountable for results. And you must give them the space, support and time in their roles to achieve this.
Make this a part of the culture right through the organisation, requiring an aligned, clarified, goal-oriented approach.
Then equip your people to spot and respond to opportunities, through people development that stretches them to think strategically and problem-solve across the business… not operate in little siloes focused on protecting their domain!
Related material
How your business benefits when employees act as brand ambassadors
Professional Development that sticks!