The State of Work Getting to alignment 26 and workers rating a com- direct managers are the ones leaders have to think carefully PERCENTAGE OF ALIGNED Team meetings offer this to pany as “excellent” for career sharing strategic objectives. about both their messaging and WORKERS WHO UNDERSTAND a degree, and, accordingly, progression, collaboration, the mediums used to convey it. THE COMPANY STRATEGY knowledge workers rank communication, effective use But while tapping the CEO to them as the most effective of technology, productivity, communicate corporate goals forum for communicating morale, training, work-life bal- can be a smart choice, there Meetings and strategic goals. But for deep- ance, culture and openness is a caveat: the leaky bucket collaborative channels Executive ening understanding and to feedback. of executive communica- are most effective 90% Management encouraging discussion of tions, when messaging gets strategic goals, collaboration diluted as it moves down the Teamwide meetings win out tools are key. The leaky bucket of organizational ladder. Even as the most popular form for executive communications aligned workers aren’t immune strategic communications, Senior Eighty-one percent of knowl- to this effect. followed by email announce- 90% Management edge workers at companies Companies must also decide ments and companywide using collaboration tools to who will communicate stra- Unsurprisingly, most aligned meetings. This ranking communicate their strate- tegic goals. The obvious executives feel that they have applied across all knowledge gic goals indicate that they choice is the CEO or exec- a clear understanding of their workers surveyed. understand their company’s utive team. When aiming to company strategy. But that Management strategy. In fact, for under- ensure that knowledge work- understanding drops 13 per- But when it comes to strat- 89% standing company strategy, ers understand company centage points as one moves egy, hearing doesn’t always collaboration tools emerge as strategy, these are indeed down the organizational chart equate with understanding. the best medium, followed by good spokespeople. to general staff. For that, collaborative chan- videos and companywide and nels are key. To gain deeper Supervisor/ teamwide meetings. Three-quarters of knowledge This dilution of strategy com- insight into their company’s 86% Administrator workers who receive strat- munications applies across strategy, knowledge workers The upshot? Encourage lead- egy communications from the the board, to both aligned and seek a “two-way street” that ership to share strategic goals CEO feel they understand the unaligned workers, although facilitates an inclusive, organic on a monthly basis and to do company strategy. This drops aligned workers start at a dialogue between and among so through meetings and col- slightly to 74% for the exec- higher level of understanding. executives, managers and General laboration tools. utive team and to 68% when To combat information loss, office personnel. 77% Staff © SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 2019