Achieving Strategy Breakthroughs by Enabling the Operational Workforce
Increasing knowledge sharing between senior leadership and those performing daily operations accounts for intricacies of numerous projects and programs and reduces the isolation of decision-making. In addition, senior leadership may uncover actionable insights otherwise left undiscovered. Lastly, enabling and involving those upfront provides a smoother progression from enterprise-level strategic goals to implement and execute strategic initiatives that support these goals.
Strategy breakthroughs happen when an enabled workforce become active contributors and buys in to the strategic vision. This maximizes their potential to develop, implement, and execute the strategy. After all, strategy is too big and too important to leave to just the strategists.
About Arc Aspicio
Arc Aspicio is a management, strategy, and technology consulting firm that takes a mission-oriented approach to complex client challenges. Focused on innovation, Arc Aspicio provides services in strategy, design, human capital, operations, analytics and visualization, technology and information sharing. The company is known for a strong, collaborative culture that values gratitude, provides leadership opportunities, and explores the future. Our teams take a human-centered approach to working with clients and are flexible and responsive within dynamic Government client environments where missions evolve and new priorities arise sometimes even daily. We thrive on these situations and promote continuous improvement and new ideas. And, #welovedogs! Follow us on Twitter @arcaspicio or learn more at www.arcaspicio.com.
Are you developing a strategy but are unsure where to start, what to rely on, and who to engage when driving a business, organization, or agency forward? Start by enabling the operational workforce. The workforce includes those who are executing daily tasks and operations of the many programs within an organization. Enabling the workforce gives them authority, allowing them to access their full potential to achieve desired results, and helps the Government develop, communicate, and implement strategy.
At the operational level, enabling your workforce increases engagement and participation, accounts for the individual complexities of projects and programs, and streamlines the transfer of information to those implementing the strategic initiatives. For example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) uses IdeaScale, a forum to collect ideas from the public and the workforce to help develop FEMA’s Strategic Plan.
Enabling shows an understanding and confidence in others to perform and take on more responsibility. Providing the opportunities to take on responsibilities supports the enabling process. While senior leadership ultimately sets the strategy and goals, the operational workforce handles implementing the strategy through initiatives. As a result, additional responsibility falls to those leading the initiatives or projects to make them a part of day-to-day operations.
Having confidence in others starts with knowing they have confidence in themselves. Involving the workforce in the strategic planning process and reviewing the input shows you are considering their feedback. For example, say the workforce provides an idea through a company/employee survey that develops into a strategic initiative. The team implementing this initiative is more driven to succeed, as it feels like the idea is their own, which can increase engagement when working on strategic initiatives. The confidence to express the idea to leadership makes it more likely that there is buy-in to move forward.
