RUN WITH THE Big dogS™ newsletter
 Volume 3, issue 26

Is the way you state your goals getting in the way of the what you want to say?...John

Management idea

Does the way you describe your goals send an unintended message? Language is an important implementation tool.  When you set a goal, the way you word it can change the entire tone of employee effort.  Consider the goals Dramatically Cut Costs or Dramatically Increase Productivity. In both cases, you could expect your employees to wonder if they are being asked to eliminate the need for their continued employment.  

During their annual strategic planning meeting, one of our clients decided that the real focus of their cost cutting and process improvement was to increase capacity sufficiently that they could handle forecasted growth without major new hiring. (This would enable them to remain competitive and continue to support increased wages as their workforce grew more productive.)  They chose the goal statement Increase Capacity. This had an immediate positive effect.  It gained the whole hearted support of workers who were confused before that they were being asked to act against their best interests by eliminating their jobs.