SUCCESS THE POWER OF ALIGNMENT IN SUPPORTING GROWTH

By Julie Booher, Chief Strategy Officer at PepperPointe Partnerships

At their core, entrepreneurs are builders. And, the best kind of entrepreneurs inspire others to join them in their efforts, making their work - their cause - better and more meaningful. The building of something long-term and its success from a team, or really success of any kind, seems to be contingent upon one really important thing: alignment.

If organizational alignment doesn’t exist among the team at all levels, sustainable growth isn’t possible. You’ve got to be rowing the boat in the same direction if you want to pick up any sort of speed to get where you want to go when you want to go there. Organizational alignment impacts all aspects of your company: collaboration, efficiency and effectiveness, positive company culture, and an employee’s overall satisfaction.

In Thierry Nautin’s article The Aligned Organization, they remind us, “Achieving real alignment, where strategy, goals, and meaningful purpose reinforce one another, gives an organization a major advantage because it has a clearer sense of what to do at any given time, and it can trust people to move in the right direction.”

Creating Alignment Within Your Organization

At PepperPointe, we believe that when like-minded individuals – with a shared vision and mission – come together, great things happen. This is true with our doctors and our team members in that there must be a similar driving force, affinity, and shared purpose for everyone. However, you’ll never be able to bring the right people into the organization (or keep the best people) if you haven’t taken the time to really identify who you are as a company and who you want to be.

The foundation of organizational alignment is introspection of the owner(s) and leadership team: What is our purpose? What are our values? What sets us apart from everyone else? What is our value proposition? What are our vision and goals for the future - this year, next year, and 5 years from now? And, what are we going to need to do each fiscal quarter to reach that vision and those goals?

These conversations and questions should not be taken lightly - they set the stage for everything that follows. If you don’t do the hard work here, you’ll never know your organization well enough to create true alignment. And, you’ll never know what is best for your team because you won’t know who your organization is at its core. Instead, you’ll constantly be struggling with staff turnover, employee morale issues, frustration with not reaching certain goals, or even doctor turnover issues.

Without a purpose or mission guiding decisions and actions, and without a clear future direction to build towards, there is no alignment amidst an organization, and the success of the company is at risk. Most importantly, in our industry, it’s truly the patients and communities who suffer.

How to Maintain Alignment

For so many people, they don’t just want a job. They want to know that the work they do - and where they spend so much of their time - matters. They also want to know that they matter. The answers to these questions, and this foundation you’re building, give you the unique opportunity to show them just how important their role is and just how much they do matter (to you individually as a leader and to the entire company). Every single individual in your organization should know how their roles and responsibilities help the organization fulfill its mission or purpose, and how their short-term and long-term goals help the organization reach its full potential.

Leaders need to talk about their company's mission (and all aspects of alignment) often and loudly, encouraging individuals to look beyond the “what” and believe in the organization’s “how” and the “why.” Then, recognize and reward (in big and small ways) accordingly — highlighting individuals who epitomize their values in department meetings, quarterly organizational meetings, and at annual events.

Why does it matter? Because we know that purposedriven workers are more likely to stay at a company long-term and experience higher productivity levels and engagement. When you’re seeking something meaningful, and you’re doing that as a team, it’s limitless as far as what can be created and what can be accomplished.

Taking it to the Next Level

Alignment in vision, purpose and values, is critical and foundational for overall success. Alignment (and consistency) in processes and procedures is critical for accelerated growth. So much time is wasted when the same process isn’t followed by all, and it can lead to such unnecessary confusion, miscommunication, and roadblocks. The processes that your organization determines are the most important should be documented and followed - encouraged at all levels of the organization.

It seems that the best processes are those reviewed and analyzed regularly, and where organizations are open to change, listening to their team members to create what works best for them and makes the most sense. I believe that these are organizations that are nimble, agile, and who truly believe that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts (Aristotle). And, that’s an organization I want to be part of!

I’ve learned that building something together - whether it be a start-up or taking an established company to the next level - is special, but it isn’t for everyone. It requires a certain grit, tenacity, humility, and a little bit of crazy. So, cheers to you, you crazy ones, and happy building (and aligning)!

About the author:

Julie Booher is the chief strategy officer for PepperPointe Partnerships based in Lexington, Ky. She has more than 14 years of experience in brand management, public relations, and marketing communications working with corporate and brand leaders to create platforms, programs, and partnerships that deliver on a company's purpose and make a positive impact in the world. PepperPointe currently supports more than 80 practices with 135 office locations, nearly 150 doctors, and nearly 1,000 staff members. Julie sees her opportunity to share the amazing story behind the organization's mission as one of her greatest privileges. She is also Accredited in Public Relations by the Universal Accreditation Board and the Public Relations Society of America.