This year has been full of uncertainty and challenges, impacting us all in some form. Yet, among all of the changes this year brought, some things have remained the same: people are still at the center of business, and they remain a critical component of success for the future.
An annual survey by Predictive Index of 160 CEOs showed top areas of concern heading into 2019 and 2020 were people-related — how employees fit the company’s culture, operational processes they follow, alignment to strategy, how to get the most from each individual and how to build people to further build business.
Looking ahead to 2021, you would think the focus would have shifted greatly given the intense changes and challenges of 2020. Yet, as we turn to the most recent annual results of the survey during a global pandemic, people remain at the top of mind.
When we look back at this year and the various industries, businesses, teams and individuals we worked with, we, too, found the common denominators were people and performance optimization. This year was full of helping clients address role clarity issues that came from sudden operational changes and business needs, as well as the realignment of leadership teams due to evolving goals and needs of organizational growth. We also found utilizing effective communication throughout the pandemic increased employee buy-in, understanding and alignment to goals.
As our clients sought to realign their organizations, we helped them develop:
- A standard sales and business process to create high-performing teams.
- Repeatable and consistent results.
- The implementation of talent management and optimization solutions to reduce bias.
- Action behind words of commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
No matter the business issues that needed to be solved, we always found people were the main element of the solution. People are complex and incredibly important to delivering business results. I often think about a quote from author, salesman and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar that continues to resonate: “You don’t build a business. You build people, and people build the business.” The most significant roadblocks for organizations are when there is a lack of commitment to supporting employees, such as ensuring the right people are in the right roles or rewarding employees for their work.
No matter the business issues that needed to be solved, we always found people were the main element of the solution.
As we look to 2021 with hope and expectation, we feel blessed to be a company that can support you and your teams in building a stronger and better business. While this survey data may shed new light on the importance of people being a primary focus for an organization, for us at The Vantage Group, people have been at the center of all we do since the beginning. Long ago, we recognized even the best business strategies can’t deliver the desired results if leaders don’t take the time to think through the alignment and development of talent strategy.
Whether it be talent management and optimization tools to reduce workplace bias, leadership coaching and training or the continuous improvement mindset being woven into your sales process, the Vantage Group has the experience and track record to help create stronger communities, better businesses and high performing teams. Together, we can help build your people so you – and they – can build your business.