By Adrianne Miller

Sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward. In any business context, it is so easy to get absorbed in immediate project deadlines or the crisis of the day that we lose focus on the reason why we’re doing what we do, and that brings with it the risk of losing sight of the forest for the trees. 

Building a high performing, resilient organization is really all about the people, the processes that touch them, and their alignment with your organization’s values, strategies and goals. Being high performing and resilient means having the right people, in the right place, at the right time, with the right skills and support to be able to effectively handle planned change as well as the unexpected change external forces bring to your organization.  

Building a resilient organization doesn’t happen overnight, it requires a continued focus on alignment of people with the vales, strategies and goals of the organization. So, when you take the time to step back, consider the following people strategies as a basis for a move forward in building a resilient organization:

Successful People Strategies focus on business outcomes

People strategies that meet the evolving, time-sensitive requirements of your organization’s business strategy (such as revenue growth – organic or through acquisition, a new product or service offering, an expansion or elimination of facilities, building operations in another country, etc.) require that all of your people maintain a current, solid understanding of: 

  •     Your organization’s business
  •     What your customers expect
  •     Your competition
  •     Your organization’s goals, objectives, and expected outcomes
  •     How things get done in your organization

Effective People strategies require a vision of how they will drive accomplishment of your organization’s business strategy.

Consider an objective of building the Best Team and Talent and how that can drive business outcomes. 

The best team and talent make the company the best business partner for its customers which, in turn, drives customer loyalty and market share, producing the best business performance. And the cycle continues to feed itself as a resilient high performing organization attracts and retains the best talent. 

The Golden Rule of Strategic People Alignment:

For People strategies to be successful and for your organization to achieve exceptional resiliency and performance, every process that touches the people in your organization must be aligned with the stated values, goals, and strategies of your organization. 

These are the entry level basics to building a resilient organization. Consider them as you plan for your organization’s growth.