Train employees to implement your strategy

by Bruce Kasanoff

Before you read this article, take a walk around your firm and ask your employees to explain your strategy in a few sentences.

(I’ll wait.)

How did it go? Could you find four people who said the same thing? Did you get an alarming number of blank – or terrified – looks?

Yes, at most firms you have to train employees to understand, embrace and adopt a strategy.

Nearly everything conspires to fight against your strategy. No one has enough time to read or grasp strategic statements. Most firms have compensation systems that ignore or contradict their stated strategy. Employees have vastly different backgrounds, skills and predispositions. Half your employees probably think in pictures, not words.

So while you might think it would be a waste of money to hire someone to come up and train your employees, I have even worse news for you. It will be necessary to do this more than once.

To change the way your firm operates, you have to consistently push people, systems, communications and habits in the direction you wish to go.

It is a constant battle, much harder than most expect.