How to address goal-cascading pitfalls
The goal-cascading process can be derailed by personal biases and other issues along the chain of command, according to the experts interviewed the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Here’s how to address key issues.
‘Safety-first’ mentality
It’s tempting for managers to focus their efforts on their own areas of expertise. This may lead them to ignore or change goals that force them into new territory. Addressing this bias may require establishing a sense of safety by assuring the employee there is room for error; suggesting ways for the person to improve their skills in a given area; and underlining the importance of a particular goal to the success of the business.
Moral hazard
Complying with corporate goals often comes with trade-offs for managers and employees. For example, a corporate goal of making a more efficient retail product line-up might require store managers to drop some of the products they prefer. Leaders can respond by assuring these employees that the change won’t affect their chances of a promotion or salary increase; sharing detailed information that shows why the change will benefit the company; and working with employees to create new strategies.
Differing interpretations of strategy and goals
Especially in a large organisation, the original intent of a goal can be lost in translation. There also may be debates over the best way to achieve a goal. Leaders can avoid confusion by providing specific strategies and tools to achieve goals. They also can engage with employees throughout the organisation, including through “skip level” meetings with lower-level staff, to ensure that everyone shares the same understanding of the company’s goals.
Lack of transparency and efficiency in the cascade process
The cascade process is meant to create “line of sight” between the work of individuals and an overall strategy — but it can become cumbersome and confusing as goals are passed from level to level of the organisation. To improve transparency and efficiency, the experts interviewed for this article suggested that businesses create and share documents that clearly “map” the overall strategy and demonstrate how each individual’s goals are linked to the pillars of that strategy. An open and receptive culture also will allow staff to ask questions and highlight potential inefficiencies.
