If you’re like most managers, you know the importance of helping your team see the bigger picture. You would do more, if you only had the time. The occasional all-hands meetings help, but without interim reinforcement, those motivational meetings can feel like a fire hose of plans and numbers. If you want your team to truly “get it,” sprinkle little bits of big picture reinforcement into their week.
6 Ways to Get Your Employees to See the Big Picture
“The big picture doesn’t just come from distance; it also comes from time.” -Simon Sinek
1.”Postcards”
It’s easy to forget that the main reason many employees don’t think more strategically is a lack of information. It’s hard to connect the dots when a third of them are invisible. It’s also tough to translate all you heard three days later. What I’ve found works quite well is just to send soundbites out via text message throughout some of the more strategic meetings I attend.
I make them fun and relevant to their roles. It creates interest and sets the table for the more robust conversations that follow. These have worked for years, long before 140 characters was the way of the world. “Oh boy, Competitor X just launched new plans that will change the way customers think about our pricing. Let’s talk more on Monday.”
2. Gamification
It’s easier than ever to turn learning into a game. In most of my keynotes I use kiwilive as a simple platform to poll or ask questions, poll everywhere is free for up to 25 responses (no, neither of these companies are paying me). Participants can “compete” on who knows your big picture fun facts from the convenience of their phone.
3. Bring-a-Friend Staff Meetings
Sometimes the best way to understand how sausage is made, is to help make it. Giving people exposure to the conversation and thought process, not just the outcomes of strategic decisions, goes a long way in helping people connect the dots. Every time I’ve held a “bring-a-friend staff meeting” where my direct reports each bring one of their direct reports, you can almost see the light bulbs going on.
4. Field Trips
There’s a reason every elementary school takes a trip to the zoo. You can read about giraffes all you want, but until you have one bend down and lick your face, it’s hard to really understand what they’re all about. There’s real power in taking a “field trip” to another department and seeing how they really think and operate.
5. Mentoring Circles
I’ve shared this idea with you before. I’m repeating my self because mentoring circles work. Click here for more information. If you want more information on mentoring you can download my FREE eBook, Mentoring in the Age of the Millennial from my new ecourse landing page .
6. Teaching Operations Reviews
Another one of my key go-tos. For step-by-step instructions click here .
Effective managers are translators. Help your team see the bigger picture. Before you motivate, translate.