I’ve spent enough time in third world countries to be completely persuaded that vaccinating is the right thing to do. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure; particularly, when not everything can be cured.

If you are tired of putting out fires in your organization and dealing with “team health” issues – these three “vaccinations” will go a long way to preventing organizational illness:

‘Vaccination’ One: Align Values, Goals & Practices – High functioning organizations have clearly defined values, goals and practices. Each of these components is further defined at the departmental or individual level.

• If ‘Excellence’ is a value – what does that mean for leadership? For accounting? For front-line staff?
• What are the overall goals? And how does each department and individual contribute to accomplishing those goals? The clearer that connection is – the fewer the silos.
• What about daily practices? Do meetings, processes and immediate priorities best reflect your values and your progress towards goals?

Effective leaders regularly help people see, explore and remember how they express the values, their contribution to overall goals, and the daily practices that are necessary to make all of this happen. This prevents inter-departmental rivalries or apathy.

‘Vaccination’ Two: Define Roles and Responsibilities – One of the most common areas of conflict in organizations are when people are not clear on where they fit into the organization and what is expected of them. Taking time to clarify the following will dramatically reduce confusion and conflict:

• Reporting – Who each position reports to, and who reports to them
• Decision Making – Each position’s scope of authority
• Expectations – What’s expected in terms of goals and behavior

‘Vaccination’ Three: Manage According to Metrics – Certainly not a sexy sounding sub-point; however, metrics make a world of difference for people.

• What, specifically, do you want each person to accomplish?
• How will you determine, or measure, success?
• When do you expect this goal to be accomplished?

The more effective you are at managing according to metrics, the more focused and productive your staff will be. Focused and productive staff are less prone to be engaged in unproductive conflicts or inefficient practices.

Prevent organizational sickness. “Vaccinate”.

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