Got a severe case of CD (Corporate Disconnect)?

Got a severe case of CD (Corporate Disconnect)?

Every organization has CD (Corporate Disconnect) lurking somewhere in the shadows and every day that it’s allowed to continue or grow - it’s costing you sales, profits and consistent effective performance and consistent healthy stable growth. 

It doesn’t matter whether you are a start-up or have been in business for over 50 years – (I will guarantee you have CD to some extent as every organization I have ever worked with, observed or evaluated has had to some degree) or you;

-Have 5 employees or over 5000

-Sell a service or a product

-Are in ANY industry

-Have a local market or are a Global organization

-Have under 1 million in sales or over one billion

The single biggest reason why organizations or businesses fail is - CD.

If you’re not sure what CD is let me explain;

If you have ever been in an airplane at 40,000 feet on a clear day, I’m sure you’ve had the experience of looking out the window and being able to see for hundreds of miles, but also realizing that you couldn’t see any detail on the ground. No cows, trucks or houses. You are just too high to make out anything other than the vast expanse of raw land.

Later, the pilot announces that he is beginning the descent. As you descend through the 20,000-foot level, you notice that you can’t see quite as far, but the details are getting a bit clearer. You can see houses, roads and factories, but you still can’t tell if that’s a cow down there or a truck. As you get closer to the ground, you notice that you can’t see as far off on the horizon, but the details are getting clearer. At 500 feet, your view of the horizon no longer exists, but the details are quite clear. You can tell that there’s a red truck traveling on the highway off to your right. You land, and another safe trip is behind you.

The analogy: Presidents, CEO’s, CFO’s and other senior executives are typically flying at the 40,000-foot level in their organizations. They can see a long way. Their vision for the future is clear and they can easily be aware of major storms or opportunities at this altitude. But details? Not a clue. Middle managers, directors or senior staff employees are typically flying at the 20,000-foot level in their organizations. They don’t have as clear a view of the horizon as their superiors, since they are 20,000 feet lower, but their view of the details is a bit more evident; not totally clear, but better than at the 40,000-foot level.

Then there are the employees in your organization who are flying at the 500-foot level, almost at ground level. They don’t have a clue what’s going on beyond their desk or the building next door, but they can tell you what customers think, what policies or procedures are working or not working and what is generally going on in the bowels of the organization. They know the details, they live them every day; but they, for the most part, don’t always see the connection between the reality at 500 feet and the vision or decisions at 40,000 feet.

Here’s the truth in two sentences: If the reality of what is going on in the marketplace, with your customers, with your competitors and/or with your employees is not getting to the 40,000-foot level, I will guarantee you are experiencing CD. Likewise, if the vision, leadership or goals at 40,000 feet are not finding their way to the 500-foot level, I guarantee you are also experiencing many of the negative issues of CD in your organization.

Let me repeat, every organization has Corporate Disconnect and if its symptoms are ignored, its causes not eliminated, sooner or later it will have a negative impact on your sales, margins, profits, customer loyalty and healthy growth.

Not sure where your Corporate Disconnect is stealing from your bottom line?  Not sure where your Corporate Disconnect is hurting your business growth?  Not sure how your management style, culture or employee attitudes are contributing to your Corporate Disconnect?  Here are three simple explanations;

Corporate Disconnect is;

1.   When the realities that exist at the lower levels of an organization and in the market place do not accurately, consistently and congruently find their way to the highest levels of the organization – where direction is set, goals are established, vision is created and major decisions are made.

2.   When the vision, mission, purpose, direction and leadership at the highest levels of an organization do not accurately radiate throughout the entire organization with integrity, accuracy, clarity, accountability and consistency.

3.   When corporate-wide and top-down messages lack consistency and accountability and negatively impact the integrity of bottom-up communication, employee performance and effectiveness.

Here are a few of the most common C D symptoms, that impact employee performance, healthy organization growth, customer loyalty, increased sales and consistent profitability;

- Communication breakdowns in any direction

- A lack of consistent accountability

- Inconsistency in policies, procedures or approaches

- A lack of proactive Leadership throughout the organization

- Ineffective supervision

- Poor employee retention

- Ineffective recruiting strategies or processes

- Inadequate or inappropriate feedback

- Management ability that is inconsistent, unpredictable or contradictory

- Poorly or inconsistently motivated employees

- A lack of an effective training process, effectiveness, inspection and/or integration

- Top-down and bottom-up communication breakdowns

- Uncontrolled egos

- Poor or outdated motivational strategies

- Corporate Culture breakdowns or lack of congruence

- Personal agendas

- General organizational dysfunction

- The lack of a fun environment or culture

- A lack of clear, communicated and accountable vision and direction

- A lack of clear, communicated and reinforced strategy and/or direction

- Poor customer loyalty or retention . . .  this list could go on forever . . .

I’ll bet you are working for, own, manage or know an organization that is suffering from CD and as a result they are losing; revenue, customers, market share, positive reputation, the best employees etc.

The solution – identify it, address it, overcome it or better still prevent it.

If you would like my 100 question CD evaluation (it’s free) shoot me an email – timspeaks4u@gmail.com.