The secret sauce: Creating an aligned workplace culture that empowers teams to succeed

Having a common goal or mission is critical. That demands everyone has access to the same information so they can focus on the right tasks.

By focusing on the right tasks and empowering people to do that work, organisations can ensure that the work people do is directly aligned to the strategy. When the work people do is meaningful and aligned to a larger purpose, their satisfaction increases, and everyone reaps the benefit through a successful execution of strategy.

Rohini Sharma, the Industry Lead, Technology and Professional Services at monday.com said democratising information empowers teams to deliver superior outcomes.

“A recent study found that 67 percent of strategic plans fail because of a disconnect between strategy and execution," Sharma said.

"Everyone is time-poor so ensuring that effort is expended on high-value activities is critical for achieving success. Working with tools that show the alignment between strategy and activity is critical.”

The key to driving this alignment and achieving business success starts with making data accessible, Sharma said. 

“Seeing the same data helps teams focus on the same challenges. That helps them identify what they need to be collectively working on,” she added. 

That’s complemented by moving away from the old Key Performance Indicators mode of measuring outcomes and adopting OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). OKRs enable organisations to focus on important activities and align their teams to the company strategy.

The final step, Sharma said, is focusing on people.

“Leaders must empower their people. It's not about telling them what to do. It's about creating an environment where everyone comes together and has the tools and right coaching so they can achieve those goals and your vision as a leader.”

Successfully executing a strategy is about more than setting goals. It requires a clear articulation of that plan supported by tools and processes that empower people through transparency and information sharing so teams can use their time wisely.

When work is meaningful and aligned to a larger purpose, workplace satisfaction and motivation are boosted, creating a positive culture that will drive successful execution of the strategy.