Red Flag to Leaders - This is a Recipe for Poor Performance

I read a scary statistic today – a new survey found that only 45% of Americans are happy with their work. This is the lowest level of job satisfaction that the Conference Board research group has recorded in more than 22 years of studying this issue. It would appear to be worse this year because of the recession. Clearly people are staying in jobs they are not suited for and do not enjoy because they are just glad to have a pay check.But this does not explain why worker dissatisfaction has been on the rise for more than two decades.The Conference Board did their first survey in 1987 and found that 61% of workers were happy in their jobs and has been steadily declining since then.

This unhappiness at work has major implications for the growth of the US economy. Miserable workers are not capable of taking the country through the recession and building the economy of this country. People who find their jobs interesting, who like what they do and respect the leaders they work for, are more likely to be innovative,think big,and show the initiative that drives productivity and contributes to economic growth.

So, unless your company is unique (and there are some, see below) There are many unhappy people coming to work in your organization who do not perform in ways that will grow your company. Square pegs in round holes. The wrong people in the wrong positions for the wrong reasons. Having miserable workers is a recipe for poor performance.

What do you do?

It’s simple really! Here are 7 steps – but please note that they must be actioned in the exact sequence outlined below. If you take one action out of sequence you will continue to have an unhappy, unproductive workforce and go to bed, as the leader, wondering why it is so hard to create an organization capable of sustainable growth.

1. Create a NEW Vision
One that gives the employees a sense that the company has a realistic and exciting path back to prosperity. (There is a proviso here. Formulate and communicate this vision in a way you have never done before. Use fundamentally different tools and processes, because over the past two decades the development and integration of a corporate vision has been badly mismanaged).

2. Align the Company’s Values to the Vision
This is crucial. If the vision and the values do not totally support each other, the company will develop a dysfunctional culture that will not be capable of supporting growth.

3. Align Strategies to Vision.
Create strategies for growth instead of desperate tactics for survival. Reset strategies and expectations to be absolutely aligned with the vision.

4. Align Structure to Vision.
Restructure the company for achievement of the vision. Do this by hiring and promoting the best and the brightest. Put the right people in the right places for the right reasons. Ask the question, ‘Does this person have the competencies needed to deliver on the strategic goals that will achieve the vision?’ If the answer is ‘yes’ then hire or promote them.

5. Align Action to Vision
To get through the recession companies will need to work smarter than ever before. The vision will ensure that this happens because it determines the right actions, for the right reasons, being measured in the right way.

6. Align Leadership Skills to Vision
The leadership approach before the financial meltdown has outlived its usefulness. Your vision will help you identify what new leadership approach and skills are relevant and necessary for the company’s success.

7. Align training and Development to the Vision.
There has been too much training for training sake. The curriculum for leadership development and all other training should be directly aligned to the achievement of the vision.

If you have read this far then you guessed it – the way to create happy, productive workers who deliver exceptional performance is through the application of just one leadership skill.

ALIGNMENT

So, you may ask, ‘which company has achieved this? The one that springs to mind for me is Zappos. This company is phenomenally successful and everything is aligned to their vision: Delivering Happiness to Customers, Employees and Vendors. We can all learn much from emulating what Zappos has done so successfully.