“Come one, come all to the greatest show on earth!” Sound familiar? This tried-and-true line has gotten people to buy-in to the fantasy of circuses for ages. Just those ten words deliver an anticipation and intrigue that always keeps them coming back for more. What’s better than excitement from an audience to boost the morale of the performers? What if you could produce this same enthusiasm among your employees? This leads us into the second benefit of project roadmaps.
In part one of this blog series, “Stay Balanced with the Project Roadmap,” we discussed how project roadmaps provide visibility into workloads and the status of work, thus allowing for more accurate long-term planning. Before we can move onto part three, “Remain Flexible by Using Project Roadmaps,” let’s keep the momentum going and hop over to the second ring.
Ring 2: Avoid the Mirage—give employees access to plans to create buy-in for strategic initiatives
Once you get everything on the same page—roadmapping, resource tracking, and project work—it’s time to do the same with employees. You want everyone to have clear goals that align with what the company stands for. Giving teams access into the full picture makes it easier for employees to buy-in to strategic initiatives and focus; it makes them feel more involved and, therefore, more willing to help work toward the end goal.
As many organizations continue to use multiple point solutions, rather than one common collaboration tool, employees continue to feel left out of important decisions and thus, undervalued:
- Only 41% of employees know what their company stands for and how it differs from competitors[1]
- 40% of employees believe decision makers “consistently failed” to seek other opinions before making a final decision[2]
Yet…
- Of those who strongly agree they know what their company stands for and how it differs from competition, 77% plan to stay with the company for at least a year[3]
- 90% of employees believe decision makers should seek other opinions before making final decisions[4]
Clearly, employees want to feel valued and be included in company decisions. So, why do many organizations continue to leave them in the dark? For one, many don’t see the reason why everyone needs access to long-term strategic plans, only providing access to executives. However, no one wants to feel like their work is meaningless, which is exactly what happens when the end goal of a project is unknown.
ProjectPlace has role-based access, ensuring the right people have access to information pertinent to their role. Further, access rights can be granted based on each person’s role, meaning while someone may have editing permission, another may simply be able to read. Either way, employees stay informed and feel valued—they share a focus that can only benefit your company. With ProjectPlace roadmap workspaces, you can change strategic alignment from fantasy to reality, earning huge applause from your employees.
Ready to move to the next ring? Click the link below to access the third ring and learn about how roadmapping provides greater flexibility, or hop back into the first ring if you missed the balancing act.
Try ProjectPlace for yourself by signing up for a free trial today. How are you developing this focus within your organization? Leave a comment below on how you are using project roadmaps.
Content Contributor: Hayley Eubanks
[1] Groscurth, Chris, Gallup (2014). “Why Your Company Must Be Mission-Driven.” https://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/167633/why-company-mission-driven.aspx
[2] Thompson, Neil, Work in Confidence (2015). “What’s the Top Thing Employees Would Change About You?” https://blog.workinconfidence.com/whats-the-top-thing-employees-would-change-about-you/
[3] Dvorak, Nate, Business Journal (2016). “Company Missions: Not Resonating with Employees.” https://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/194642/company-missions-not-resonating-employees.aspx
[4] Woolf, Sylvie, ClearCompany (2014). “7 Workplace Collaboration Statistics That Will Have You Knocking Down Cubicles.” https://blog.clearcompany.com/7-workplace-collaboration-statistics-that-will-have-you-knocking-down-cubicles
