Many organizations regularly conduct employee engagement or satisfaction surveys to assess staff knowledge and understanding of the strategy. However, a common issue with most surveys is the leading nature of the questions. For example, asking employees, “Do you understand the company’s strategy and its priorities?” with responses like yes, partially, or not, often leads most people to believe they understand the strategy. This approach typically yields encouraging results, suggesting that the hard work of communicating the strategy has been effective.
Studies show that organizations with engaged employees generate four times more profit than their peers. However, only 20-40% of employees are typically engaged.
The leading cause of declining employee engagement is a lack of understanding of how they can contribute to the organization’s strategy. In organizations strong in strategy execution, over 70% of employees clearly understand their responsibilities.
According to a study published in HBR in 2015, 84% of employees agreed with the statement, “I am clear on our organization’s top priorities.” However, when asked to list those priorities, the results were less encouraging:
Beyond listing strategic priorities, understanding and explaining how these priorities link to strategic initiatives is crucial. Yet, only 50% of management team members and less than 16% of team leaders can explain these connections.
Employee engagement is essential not only for short-term profits but also for retaining talent and attracting new hires. The next time you conduct an employee engagement or satisfaction survey, instead of asking leading questions, provide multiple choices of your five strategic objectives mixed with five fake objectives. This method makes it easier to see which priorities employees understand and which they don’t.
Amplon applies the Hoshin Kanri (or policy deployment)principles to engage all employees and visualize the strategy. The X Matrix serves as a one-page strategy tool.
With a visual and clickable X Matrix, it’s easy to show company and departmental objectives. The list of key initiatives clarifies focus and links them to the objectives.
Amplon software enhances transparency, a crucial element in helping employees understand the strategy.
The “Ultimate Hoshin Kanri X Matrix Guide” provides an in-depth exploration of the X Matrix as a critical tool for strategic planning and execution. This guide details how the X Matrix aligns organizational objectives, improvement projects, and KPIs to ensure cohesive strategy deployment across all levels. With a focus on clarity and alignment, the X Matrix simplifies complex strategic processes into a single, visually engaging framework.
This blog explains the fake results typical employee engagement surveys provide. With these instructions you can check if your strategy is understood.
In strategy work and communication, terms such as vision, aspiration, goal, objective, and target are often misunderstood. This blog is the glossary of key strategy terminology.
Hoshin Kanri software, like Amplon, revolutionizes strategic planning by using a digital X matrix to align organizational goals with vision and mission, ensuring transparency and collaboration. This approach offers real-time data updates and intuitive interfaces, making the strategic process more agile and efficient than traditional Excel tools.
What unites Toyota Way, Danaher Business System, and GE’s Flightdeck?
These companies have branded the Hoshin Kanri method as their management system.
