Throughout my work – and this site – I frequently make reference to a compact lexicon of rules and tools. They are simple and accessible, developed not only for the Boardroom but also for every member of staff to refer to.
The biggest reason why a business plan fails to meet expectations is because too few people in an organisation actually know what it is, and their part in its success. Feeding people parts of the mission on a ‘need to know basis’ is self-defeating – you keep secrets from them and they will keep secrets from you. Battle metaphors can be fun, but when it gets to the point where the army does not know the direction and whereabouts of the air force, it breeds the potential for ‘the wrong kind of headline’.
Feeding information on a need to know basis causes a silo mentality between divisions, departments and individuals. It is corrosive, hard work to keep up and will inevitably feel like herding cats. The better one can direct those at the coal face, through management, the easier direction is and the more effective those at the coal face will be.
Transparency is the new black.