When your team struggles to connect to the big picture: 7 tips to make that connection

Some organizations have constantly been pivoting over the last two years, and teams may be struggling to connect to the larger vision and mission of the organization. Perhaps your vision and mission have even changed in the last two years. Maybe these have stayed the same, but your strategy and focus have shifted. That certainly makes sense, given the disruptive times we are in.

I have had a few conversations lately that result in people asking why we are focusing on something. Why is this project suddenly so important? Why should I stop doing what I am doing to pick up something else?

Knowing and communicating the "why" cannot be underrated. We all know this, but often, we get caught up in executing and meeting deadlines that we forget to come back to, reinforce, and re-establish the objective and purpose behind why we are doing what we are doing.  

I have even caught myself a couple of times saying lately that we need to get things over the finish line because we committed to do them. While this is a valid reason — to finish what you start — it never hurts to review the business reason behind our work.

As managers, we never want to fall into the parent trap of "Because I said so..." or "Because the leader said so." That is a cop-out. It is also an opportunity to think about or ask your leader about the why. If I don't know the why as a manager, how can I expect my team to know it?

It is always a good time to review priorities to see if they are the highest impact projects to be working on. How do you know if they are high impact? These high-impact projects, programs, and processes have a direct or indirect line to company KPIs. 

Reviewing priorities and goals quarterly will help people stay connected to the bigger picture. During quarterly check-ins, you can talk about status, results, and barriers to overcome. Still, you can also take the time to re-establish and reinforce the connection between individual goals and organizational ones. If, during a review, you find the work doesn't connect or somehow support the corporate strategy and goals, maybe revisit if this is the right time to pursue that goal.

To help your team connect to the big picture strategy, here are seven tips I like to follow and keep in the forefront to make sure everyone knows the "why":

1. Ask your team. 

If my team doesn't understand why we are doing something, I first ask them to tell me what they think. Sometimes, I get an answer: "I honestly don't know." Well, that is honest, and then I know we have work to do. More often than not, they come up with their own answer. That provides an opportunity to discuss, agree and tweak if necessary. It also invites them into the process of planning and steering the direction of the group.

2. Review that annual deck. 

I find it helpful to review the department/company strategy deck presented at the beginning of the year to review the top priorities. Discuss with the team if we can fit our projects underneath one of the priorities. If not, ask yourself if it should be on the list right now.

3. Plan as a team. 

Have you had a team planning session where you create your purpose, scope, and strategic alignment? Or is this something you did last year? It is time to do this again. People support what they create, and being involved in setting team priorities helps them stay connected and feel a part of the team. It is never the wrong time to engage the team on a team purpose and goals exercise.

4. Invite a guest. 

To help connect our efforts to a bigger picture, I have asked others from the business and different company areas to speak to my team. This allows us to see a different part of the organization. If you work in a support function as I do, hearing from the front line is invaluable to know if what we are doing helps them achieve their goals.

5. Ask others. 

Like the above, recap your projects and priorities and share them with others to get their opinions. Ask if they feel this scope of work meets their needs and will help them accomplish their strategy. Have a steering body or group of people you can regularly bring your plans to for validation. I am finding especially now that this group of advisors is essential.

6. Create charters. 

Knowing the organization's high-level strategy and business objectives can help you align the goals of each project, process, or client relationship you are working on. We often skip the step of creating short charters for each project, team, or account. These charters are how we define the background, objectives, approach, roles and responsibilities, and timelines. Having this in a one-pager for each effort clarifies what we were doing, why we are doing it, and a little bit of how. We so often jump to execution in our fast-paced work environments, but documenting these key project elements will help keep people connected to the overall purpose.

7. Connect across silos. 

Now is a great time to encourage your team and yourself to have virtual/in-person coffee chats with people to ensure you are aware of their corner of the world and you can align with what they are doing. Hold these connections cross-region, cross-function, cross-team to share what others are working on and ensure alignment and awareness.

What happens when there is no "deck" or strategic goals or statements to get behind? While most companies have these, I have certainly worked for some where they did not. Or, if they did, they were not explicitly shared. I say create one, or at least make one for your group. Align this with your leader and others and use it as a guidepost. There is nothing wrong with taking some initiative here to help connect the team to a higher purpose.

Staying connected to the larger picture can be challenging if it continues to change in our current environment. Staying connected to the strategy means staying connected to the people. You cannot have one without the other. Whether individually or as a group, I encourage you to know what your sales, service, product, quality goals are....whatever your industry. If you don't, start meeting with people and ask.

Ensuring we invite others into our process of planning and strategic alignment helps them feel part of the team and that they have a voice. This is critical to creating that sense of belonging in your teams. Don't just set strategy behind the magic black curtain all by yourself. Open up the process for input to engage your team.