In my previous article, I shared the importance of employees being able to articulate your business strategy. Following on from that, it’s also crucial for them to have employee Line of Sight (LOS) and understand their specific part within your company’s broader strategic objectives.
The relationship between employee Line of Sight and decision-making
When employees have LOS, they understand how their specific actions will work as part of the larger vision, and they are therefore more significant to the decision-making processes of the business.
According to Boswell, Bingham and Colbin, some of the main principles underlying the benefits of LOS include:
- “Those doing the work are in the best position to provide suggestions and make decisions”
- When employees can demonstrate alignment with company goals, you will be more confident involving them in decision-making processes and give them further leeway with these responsibilities
- Employees are therefore more empowered and likely to make better decisions for the good of the company
This means that no matter the level of the employee, if they have LOS, they can ultimately improve business operations, relieve some pressure on management and help propel the business towards its objectives.
Strategies for developing LOS
New hires should aim to establish LOS in their first three months of employment. There are two ways you can help you can help them do so:
1. Encourage them to choose 1-2 winning projects
Firstly, these projects should show that their actions are in line with the culture of the organisation, and secondly, what is important to you or their line manager. One way to help them decide on a project is to have them consider how you or their line managers are getting measured on their performance and settle on one that builds towards this.
2. Help them focus on Critical Success Factors (CSFs)
According to Mindtools.com, CSFs are “the essential areas of activity that must be performed well if you are to achieve the mission, objectives or goals for your business or project.”
For instance, if a CEO has determined that sales for their entire company are to grow by 15% over the coming year, an individual Sales Rep’s LOS requires they identify the specific ways they will increase sales in their own territory. These are their CSFs and working toward these is significant to developing clarity around their LOS.
Help new employees develop their LOS, and you’ll see your organisation gain more value from their work, while they enjoy greater clarity around their role.
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Greg Weiss is Australia’s Leading Career Coach. He is the author of “So You Got The Job! WTF Is Next?”. The book prescribes a proven, practical 7-step framework for new employees so they succeed, rather than fail their probation periods and beyond. Find out more about the book at https://www.wtfisnext.wtf/
He is the Founder and Director of Onboff an online training and coaching platform that helps HR specialists, coaches and recruiters to deliver exceptional onboarding and offboarding experiences for employees.
He also hosts The Keep: The Employee Experience podcast and runs CareerSupport365.
