I suspect we’ve all had the experience of observing what someone is doing and asking ourselves, “Why are they doing that?” If you are a manager I would be almost certain you have had that experience more than once!
Faced with doing more with fewer resources, as many of us are, the normal “noise” in organizations we have been able to tolerate in the past can now seem more distracting and even debilitating. It can seem that the actions of others impede and even thwart the fulfillment of what is of greatest importance.
So, how can we reduce the “noise” and have all the energy that is currently being used up by the noise channeled into achieving the results that represent success?
What this may first take is some insight into the nature of the “noise”. For the most part, people in organizations intend to contribute – intend to have the organization be successful. However, such people also, at times, will do things that seem to get in the way of success. If people are well intentioned, how can that be?
I invite you to take the case that organizations exist to fulfill some set of things of fundamental importance. You could say these areas of importance constitute the organizations reason for being. If you speak to an executive they will have at least some idea of what those areas of importance are. Yet, these areas of importance are not articulated in a way that makes them widely available so that they shape the actions of people throughout the organization.
Let’s take a look at this. In most organizations the goals and objectives of the organization are clear – people can readily state them. But even when this is the case, there is typically not a common answer to the question, “Why are those goals and objectives important?” This brings about a subtle lack of alignment that causes the “noise” in the system.
In the absence of a clear articulation of what’s of greatest importance, people view what’s important through the lens of what is of fundamental importance to them as an individual – this is the filter through which they deal with the goals and objectives of the organization. And, this is the heart of most of the “noise” in the organization – the subtle misalignment amongst people regarding why the goals and objectives are important. This misalignment manifests in people doing things that are slightly skewed. When you have many people operating with such a skew, the result is organizational noise.
Armed with this insight, it is now possible to create a different perspective that will allow for a reduction of noise and a commensurate increase in performance and ease.
When people in an organization, particularly the leadership, begin to inquire into those areas of fundamental importance that are the organization’s reason for being, people’s actions become more purposeful, there is a greater ease in producing results, and the noise is reduced.
People in organizations who have done this work report:
• Having a deeper understanding of their organization
• Being more equipped to make choices about what to do and what not to do
• Resolving long-standing issues rapidly
• Elevated levels of collaboration and coordinated action
• A greater experience of clarity, power and ease in producing the results that fulfill what is of critical performance.
I invite you to try this out – whether you are an executive, manager or an individual contributor. Take a circumstance in your organization – something that seems to generate noise – and begin to ask – “Why is this important to the organization?” Keep asking the question until you get to something of fundamental importance that gives you a different perspective, that gives you power. Then, engage others in the inquiry. (While a more formal process may be beneficial, this informal route can also produce an impact.) Please let us know what you find!
As always, thank you for your engagement in elevating the performance, productivity and satisfaction of yourself, your colleagues and your organization.
