Achieving sustainable and scalable sales is the natural output of a successful broad analysis of factors.
A PEST Analysis is commonly used to assess extremely broad factors of Political, Economic, Socio-demographic (social), and Technological. These four factors apply significant pressure and influence on a business’s current and future prospects.
Knowing what will provide an organization with the most opportunities and what threatens its future is a tremendous aid in building sales. In strategic planning sessions we facilitate, we find that managers are helped by determining their true risks and opportunities as opposed to creating a wish list that is not rooted in any business data. However, a PEST Analysis does not delve into several organizational areas that advance or impede a company’s steady growth.
Overcoming Organizational Dysfunction.
Nothing undermines every aspect of a business more than when organizational dysfunction is left unchecked. The early signs of dysfunction show up in the organization’s culture, including its inability to maintain a positive mindset among its leadership and staff, a lack of definition and understanding of the organization’s sole purpose, and the ability for everyone to pull or push in the same direction. These factors impact an organization’s reputation and its ability to sustain a predictable level of success for both its customers and stakeholders. Once a negative reputation has been established, it is many times more difficult to undo it than to create and sustain a positive one.
Mind the Gap.
The key question for managers to ask themselves before assessing their current sales is, “Are we communicating and demonstrating how we want our people to behave in the marketplace and among our employees? Do we let personal problems interfere in our business life, or have we put in place ways for everyone to receive help with their problems? Do we take away rewards when someone stumbles, or do we take the time to determine why it has happened and then help the person improve? Does our organization allow or even encourage turf wars thinking that a competitive spirit is a good thing?”
All of these behaviors are deflating to employees and the organization’s ability to compete effectively in its market. It also helps explain why “The Great Resignation” is presently occurring throughout all industries.
To effectively address these issues and many more, there are five things any organization can adopt:
- Define a clear organizational vision, strategy and set of values.
- Become transparent with your employees and customers by seeking their continuous input.
- Focus on helping your customers versus trying to sell them something.
- Focus on what your employees are telling you about their workplace and invest in them.
- Ensure the pay grades are consistent and equal for all employees regardless of how long they have been with the organization.
Our nation’s culture is shifting and refocusing away from toxic workplaces. The most often cited reason for employee burnout is rooted in the misalignment of what the business says it stands for and what it actually does. It’s way past time for organizations to take an honest and hard look in the mirror to determine if their employees’ and customers’ experiences align with the company’s stated vision, mission and values.