Phyllis Weiss Haserot's
Organizational Effectiveness Issue of the Month

WORKING LONG HOURS, BUT TO WHAT END?

July 2004

The findings of FranklinCovey's latest Execution Quotient study of over 12,000 U.S. workers released in March 2004 reveal that most organizations suffer from major "execution gaps," indicated by the degree to which workers understand and apply six key principles of execution at the individual, team and organizational level. These are: clarity, commitment, translation into action, enabling, synergy, and accountability. This suggests serious problems in organizations' pursuit of their goals and maintaining a talented, committed, productive work force.

Here are some of the findings:

Clarity: The majority of workers don't know their organization's most important goals.

• Only 48% of workers say their organization has a clear strategic direction and only 37% say they understand the reason for that strategic direction.

• Only 44% or workers say their organization has clearly communicated its most important goals.

Commitment: The majority of workers are not committed to their organization's most important goals.

• Only 39% of workers say they are highly energized and committed to the direction of their work team

• Only 41% of workers say their job taps into the best of their talents and passion.

Translation Into Action: The majority of workers do not translate organizational goals into action.

• Only 38% of workers say their work team planning results in clear assignments for individuals.

Synergy: The majority of workers don't work well together to achieve their organization's goals

• Only 28% of workers say that work teams within their organization actively help each other to achieve their respective goals

• Only 37% of workers say they do not undermine each other on their work team.


Accountability: The majority of workers don't hold each other accountable for achieving their organization's goals.

• Only 41% of workers say their work team reports to each other on their progress toward goals

• Only 26% of workers say they meet at least monthly with their manager to review progress on their goals

• Only 30% of workers say work team rewards and consequences are clearly based on performance

Enabling: The majority of workers think there are significant barriers to execution of organizational goals.

• Only 38% of workers say that their work team systems and processes are aligned to help the team achieve its goals.

• Only 15% of workers say their upper management actively supports the goals of their work team

When asked the most significant barriers that make it difficult for them to achieve their most important work goals, the most frequently mentioned responses over 25% of the time were:

• Overwhelming workload (e.g., too much to do, can't get to all my key priorities) (31%)

• Lack of resources (e.g., insufficient budgets, people, tools, support) (30%)

• Unclear or shifting work priorities (e.g., other people's urgencies and emergencies, conflicting demands, surprise projects) (27%)

• Political issues (e.g., turf battles, rivalries, favoritism, personality clashes) (26%)

• Lack of recognition or reward (e.g., credit not shared, unfair pay, rewards not tied to performance (26%)

Here are my thoughts on this data.

Although the survey data is a composite of many industries and professions, there are warning signs for all to examine their own situations.

>>> If strategic direction and goals are not known or not clear, it is difficult to mount a concerted effort to reach them.

>>> If people's greatest talents and passions are not being called upon, they will lack commitment and the energy that is necessary for organizational greatness.

>>> If people are not only neglecting to help each other but often undermining each other, the cohesiveness and collaborations needed to get the job done in virtually any field or organization today is in grave danger.

>>> If accountability is lacking, if it is everyone for himself or herself, what guidelines and measurements do people have go by except financial rewards which may not be perceived as just and fair?

>>> If people don't perceive they have management's support, how hard will they try to pursue stated goals?

>>> The barriers cited to achieving important work goals suggest dysfunctions we have observed in many firms. They need to be addressed or organizations will never be as competitive and effective as they can and should be given the talent of the valuable human assets they employ.

"The top priority of every executive and team leader should be to clarify, communicate and assist workers in achieving their organization's critical goals,." said Dr. Stephen R. Covey, vice chairman of FranklinCovey and author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."

© Phyllis Weiss Haserot, 2004. All rights reserved. _____________________________________________________________________________
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