At my alma mater, every Baylor Bear — student, professor, athlete, fan and spectator — acts with respect, support and honor. It is a code, the values, we Baylor Bears adhere to as a member of the Baylor Family, because being a Baylor Bear means we get to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We get to take part in traditions like running the Baylor Line, lighting Pat Neff green, heckling the right fielder from the “berm boys seats” or singing the Good ‘Ol Baylor Line. We win when our teams win, and, while we do not lose much (at least over the last decade plus), we lose when our teams lose. We find community and purpose that lasts a lifetime. The Baylor Family is a culture, it is a purpose and it is a calling.
Every sports team has this unity — and B2B organizations also possess this culture and strategy. Yet, unlike college sports teams that consistently “bleed,” for example, green and gold — many organizations remain fragmented across organizational disciplines and / or geographies.
- A report from Leadership IQ found that 71% of managers are not aligned with the corporate vision.
- The Forrester 2022 Global CMO Strategy Survey found that fewer than 35% of chief marketing officers are involved in corporate strategy development.
- Salespeople are not even using the tools marketing creates for them.
This issue cannot be left unsolved for many reasons. A main driver for change: Forrester has found that highly aligned companies grow 19% faster, while being 15% more profitable.
Organizational alignment does not happen overnight. It takes a dedicated, conscious effort and commitment. Here are the main avenues we at Mereo focus on with clients to rapidly foster organizational alignment — and the benefits that follow.
3 INTERSECTING PATHS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT
Organizational alignment starts at the executive level. Who has a say in the foundations that govern the whole operation? How do they represent the different segments of your organization, and how do they contribute? How often? And how does this allow for buy-in across operational disciplines, geographies and departments that cascades down to teams?
>> Opportunities to align: Strategy Development Workshops, Operational Design Workshops, Sales Enablement Sessions, Sales Kickoff Planning and Event
Then, the foundations the executive board sets must be shared and embraced across your organization. How can you drive common processes and procedures? In what ways has your organization developed consistent tools and made these accessible to the important functions? To what degree does everyone in your organization understand and agree on the target audience, the value proposition, the ins and outs of your solution and brand?
>> Opportunities to align: Value Messaging Workshops, Innovation / Solution Roadmap Workshops, Marketing Campaign Theme Development, Ideal Client Profile Alignment, Sales Tool Creation, Formal Go-to-Market Strategy and Process
Lastly, this alignment should permeate through a unified culture that informs everyone on how to behave. While competition can be healthy and necessary within organizations, what unifies everyone — from sales to marketing to product to even human resource and other supporting departments? What are your shared goals and values? How are these expressed through a shared language, events, leadership consistency and accountability?
>> Opportunities to align: A Chief Reminding Officer Leadership Approach, Corporate and Team-Building Events, Corporate Language Cues, Accountability Disciplines and Incentive Programs
AN INSPIRATION FOR ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT
See the power of organizational alignment in practice. Learn how Mereo supported cloud-based ERP software provider Nextworld align its leadership and operations to enter its market as a leader.
THE POWER OF ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT