What do you do if your program managers struggle to align individual goals with organizational objectives?

1 Schedule a 1:1 meeting with each Program manager to discuss their current goal responsibilities challenges 2 Deep dive to identify barrier or obstacle program manager from aligning their goal with org objectives 3 Review and clarify org strategic objectives, KPI, also provide context and rationale behind org objective 4 Review Program manager goal target and performance expectation, identify any gap or discrepancies between individual goal and org objective 5 Offer training workshop to help program manager develop goal, strategic thinking and alignment 6 Ensure collaboration and cross functional communication among program managers 7 Cleary define the expectation, role and responsibilities for Program manager, establish accountability

This is a very critical aspect. I would ideally not treat this as a problem but as an opportunity. Finding synergies is difficult especially in large and complex organizations. The best way to deal with it is to put all the objectives of the Organization and Individual on a white board to see if they fit in. If there are no synergies, the ideal way is to realign the Program management team's vision post doing Cost-benefit Analysis. If there are synergies, then the Goal language needs to change.

There must be clear strategic map from top to the individual level so that the expectations are clear and the individual can see the linkages between their performance and organisation performance. Continuous feedback keeps the needs of individual and organisation aligned and can be tweaked as and when required.

If program managers struggle to align individual goals with organizational objectives in Telecoms, take decisive action. Conduct thorough assessments to understand the root causes of misalignment. Offer targeted training and mentorship to enhance goal-setting skills. Foster a culture of collaboration and accountability, emphasizing the importance of aligning personal aspirations with company vision. Implement regular performance reviews and feedback sessions to track progress and provide guidance. Ensure transparency in organizational goals to facilitate alignment at all levels.

If you hear from the team that they're struggling to align their goals with the organizational objectives it's always good to start by checking in with them directly - which is something you should be doing already. What I'd be looking for in these initial conversations is to assess whether they are struggling to understand the organization objectives or just how to apply them to their own work. A good tool for this, is to have them explain the organizational goals and how they plan to incorporate them in their work. Hearing them explain the goals will likely knock out where they're having issues.

Having served in the military, I know misalignment between mission and individual goals can sink a mission. As a program manager, I assess my team's needs just like I sized up my squad. Open discussions uncover personal aspirations, then I bridge the gap by crafting goals that leverage their strengths and connect to the organization's objectives. It's about finding the win-win, where individual drive fuels mission success.

I've always found that where there is a disconnect in goals, relying on the next-level leader goals is a good starting point. Although that leader may(should) have goals about building their team strengths, there should be goals that align with the organization/function/unit objectives. Concentrating on those goals is a good first step. I've worked in several successful organizations that rely on a cascading goals model to achieve success. In other words, each level sets goals and then the next level models their goals on those goals succeed. Of course, there will never be a perfect fit between these goals and each individual may have personal goals to achieve. QUESTION- Why set an annual deadline for goals? Projects don't conform.

Regular Check-ins: Establish a routine of regular one-on-one meetings between senior management and program managers. Use these meetings to review progress on goals, discuss any obstacles, and adjust goals as necessary to remain aligned with changing organizational priorities. Training and Development: Provide training programs that help program managers acquire the skills needed to achieve their goals and align with the organization's objectives. This might include leadership development, strategic planning, and specific technical skills relevant to their programs.

While SMART goals are great, just setting the goals and checking it back during the time of appraisal won't give results. expectations can change over a period of time and needs to be re-evaluated frequently. While it is mostly done top-down but bottom-up communication and expectations from the organisation in terms of pay, promotion, role change etc needs to be understood to keep the program manager on track.

Vroom's expectancy is a great framework to understand the linkages between efforts, outcomes, and rewards. What gets measured gets attention and what gets measured and rewarded gets much more attention. The tools can be simple performance tracker to variable pay calculator, frequent insights and opportunities for course correction are the key here.

Setting right expectation and incentivising it is the recommended way to solve for it. Stiching Organisational goals in the Program Manager's goals with clear line of performance as well as measure of performance solves the principal agent problem. Additionally linking rewards with organization goals ensure positive reinforcement enabling Program Managers to deliver desired business outcomes.

Having led squads in the military, I know misalignment between mission goals and soldier objectives can sink the whole operation. As a program manager, that translates to individual goals missing the bigger picture. The key is clear communication. Just like a pre-mission briefing, break down organizational objectives and show each team member how their contribution advances the mission. Regular check-ins, like progress reports back at base, keep everyone on track and ensure we're all fighting for the same win.

In principle, goals should align. Thus, connecting with your program managers and outright discussing their challenges on goals alignment is best to get insights, reminding them that your performance merit is dependent on individual goal-setting. Goals alignment is an endeavor because executing strategies at a program level needs to show alignment at the enterprise/organizational level. Sometimes, it may seem that individual goals don’t align with the organizational strategy, perhaps, its either timing, or you may need to offer your 2 cents and develop your individual goals to align with the objectives of the organization.