This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "The Advantage" by Patrick Lencioni. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here.
What is employee alignment? Are your employees dedicated to your company?
Employee alignment simply means that your employees are on the same page as you when it comes to the company goals and expectations. In The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni says that employees must align with the organization’s goals for organizational unity.
Read below to learn how to achieve employee alignment at your company.
Employee Alignment and Dedication
To achieve employee alignment, the organization’s hiring and firing processes must align with its goals and standards. To achieve employee dedication, leaders must constantly and effectively communicate the organization’s goals and standards and their personal dedication to them. Let’s explore each of these processes in more detail.
(Shortform note: To create employee alignment and dedication, Lencioni says goals and standards must be prioritized during hiring and firing and must be constantly communicated to employees. While John Doerr agrees that goals must be transparent, he points out in Measure What Matters that creating organizational goals and standards at the top, as Lencioni recommends, may disrupt employee dedication. When goals and standards are created at the top and then trickled down through methods like hiring processes and rigid protocols, employees on the ground aren’t given the opportunity to offer ideas regarding their own work. Consequently, they may feel like their opinions and experiences aren’t valued, and organizational efficiency, flexibility, connection, and motivation may decrease as a result.)
Strategy #1: Prioritize Organizational Alignment When Hiring and Firing Employees
The first step in achieving employee alignment is to prioritize the organization’s goals and standards during the hiring process. Many organizations struggle with this because they prioritize potential employees’ skills over their attitudes and values. Hiring employees who don’t align with the company’s goals and standards disrupts organizational health by causing inconsistencies within organizational culture, disagreements, low productivity, and high employee attrition.
Before placing value on a candidate’s skills, interviewers should gauge whether the candidate upholds the organization’s behavioral values and believes in the organization’s core purpose. Candidates who don’t align shouldn’t be considered for the role. Employees who are hired should be thoroughly trained on the organization’s core purpose, behavioral values, and success strategies to reinforce alignment and dedication.
Next, Lencioni says that organizations must change their firing practices to retain employees that meet behavioral standards and eliminate employees who don’t—regardless of their skill level. If you’re considering firing an employee who meets behavioral standards but lacks skill, give them a performance improvement plan instead—according to Lencioni, it’s easier to improve the skills of someone who’s aligned with the organization than to change the attitude and values of someone who’s highly skilled.
Strategy #2: Gain Employee Dedication With Constant, Effective Communication
———End of Preview———
Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Patrick Lencioni's "The Advantage" at Shortform.
Here's what you'll find in our full The Advantage summary:
- How the biggest business advantage you can gain is free and within your reach
- How to create an effective leadership team
- How to maintain organizational health with effective meetings
