“Jack of all trades, master of none” is something you are bound to be stuck with if you do not make tough choices in your life. Of course, one can argue that business growth in different directions comes from diversification and the projects managers pick. However, it is also important to note that sticking with a hierarchy of purpose will help managers focus and streamline tasks closer to a business’s corporate and strategic goals.
One of the most common mistakes managers make is their involvement in a team handling the projects. Showing up once a week for a team huddle and speaking a few words of motivation followed by quick department updates is not the best way to execute successfully. Senior-level executives should make decisions to put the company in a good light and help the firm make more money. A confused manager will lead to unclear objectives, resulting in employees working for hours in the end.
What is the Hierarchy of Purpose?
The hierarchy of purpose helps companies and managers break down tasks and projects according to priority. Companies working in the service sector go-between product perfection and service excellence. The line that divides the two can get blurry, although it is instead defined. What can you do to drive an internal clean-up in the organization?
What often helps executives is returning to the drawing board to rethink and focus on the projects at hand. And this is where the hierarchy of purpose takes its first steps.
Purpose
Determining this step lies in the organization’s values and vision/mission statement. What is the purpose of the organization? How has the definition been served so far? What projects will help us cover as many values as possible? Does the objective need to be redefined? These are all critical questions businesses must focus on to get back on track.
Priorities
The hierarchy of purpose helps people pick and choose out of all the projects that come their way. Do you want ten small projects with a payout equal to $10 million or four big projects that will pay $8 million? Do you want a connected network in the long term or reinvestments to grow in the short time? Setting strategic goals and having the entire company on board is essential. Clear and transparent communication is critical.
Projects
Once you have listed down your priorities in line with your purpose, you will pick up projects coming your way quickly. This step will also set the standard and pace for projects in the future.
People
The human resource aspect of the organization is probably the most challenging aspect to manage by most firms. It is safe to say that bringing all teams on board is not an easy task in strategic and corporate alignment because communication gets lost from the top to the bottom of the hierarchy. However, this process takes a while to perfect; having a cohesive team will help you perfect your execution.
Performance
It is much more important to track the outputs the company creates once they work on a project. However, inputs such as the time, money, and other resources to complete the task are easier to follow. If your outputs outweigh your information, that should be your defining aspect. Success helps you determine your strengths and weaknesses and propel yourself further. Setting up specific KPIs to measure your success against will also help you efficiently track your performance.
Companies’ biggest challenge is aligning their internal team with the organization’s corporate and strategic priorities. Employing the hierarchy of purpose will help managers take small steps to align projects and teams cohesively to produce impactful, effective results in the company’s best interests.
The decisions made by the upper management will also pave a path for the future resources of the company. And the contingency plans needed to adapt to economic or financial turmoil.
The job of senior-level managers should be to focus on paths that will lead to outcomes. The environment you are operating in will analyze and focus on what you did to create an impact qualitatively. Create a checkbox to ensure that the hierarchy of purpose is fulfilled. Of course, a company has no timeline because each organization will take its technique depending on its size, geographical location, and many other internal and external factors.
A close-knit organization does not have a small number of employees but becomes so due to clear communication. The best way to communicate your priorities is to spend time with your team and guide them. Managers must help their teams and expect to be allowed to execute projects smoothly from start to finish.
It is impossible to pick up projects that align perfectly with all your company values and vision/mission statements. Other times, projects that seem too crazy to take up are the ones that will define the success of your company. It all depends on the risk appetite of the manager and the willingness to be involved with the project throughout.
Closing Thoughts
The hierarchy of purpose will not work unless you do. You can train your staff for countless days, streamline processes, and efficiently use company resources for impactful outputs. However, if you are unwilling to roll your sleeves up and get busy with your team, you will still have unclear strategic goals and meaningless projects. The choice is yours.
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