One of the most important steps to developing an excellent culture is alignment. Employees rate their culture 20 percent higher when there are mission and value alignment within the organization. They are also more successful–teams who combine strategy alignment with excellent project implementation are successful 90 percent of the time, compared with a 34 percent success rate for those who do not have strategic alignment. Our ability to align strategy and execution has enabled us to solve complex problems for the world’s largest brands and become the #1 Salesforce implementation partner out of 1500+ partners by customer rating.

Shockingly, alignment is something that very few companies truly achieve. Ninety percent of companies are unable to execute their strategic vision, and 95 percent of employees do not understand their company’s strategy.  

The key to any business alignment strategy begins by asking: “What do we do, why do we do it, and who must do what?” Through transparency, an alignment plan, and trust, you can achieve alignment throughout your organization. 

Transparency

Transparency is a vital component of building an effective business culture. There are three major ways that transparency affects alignment: job responsibilities, sharing ideas, and communication frequency. 

Job responsibilities. As it relates to alignment, transparency is necessary when discussing roles and responsibilities. Studies show that employees are 23 percent more likely to stay at a company if their manager clearly explains their job responsibilities, not just their job titles. Transparency should begin on the very first day of onboarding so all employees can understand the company’s purpose and the role they play in achieving those goals.

Sharing ideas. Alignment is also facilitated when people can transparently share ideas and suggestions.  Ideas should win, not titles. So it’s important to encourage creative thinking and problem solving within a safe environment. “As a leader, your role is to knock down walls and develop an environment that evokes creative thinking from your team,” said marketing expert Noah Mithrush. “The team needs to feel that their voice is appreciated and that they have room to do cool things. Let them test their ideas, see what works and what could be improved, and make sure they know that they have the opportunity to do so.”

Honest communication and transparency start at the top of the leadership chain, but it isn’t exclusive to your executives. Open communication should…

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