How Well Do You Know Your Own Company?

How well do you know your own company, and why is it important that you do?

Imagine playing on a football team where you did not know the score of the game, or even the result of the play you just ran. It would be pretty hard to get fired up about doing your best possible job, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, that’s the mindset that a lot of companies have towards their employees. It’s even more dispiriting when employees have the same attitude towards about understanding the bigger picture of the company in which they work.

Henry Ford once complained that when he hired a hand, a head came with it. That attitude may have made sense in the days when assembly line techniques were a powerful competitive advantage, but it is sorely out of tune with today’s needs. Mindless jobs are exactly the ones that are most at risk from robotics and artificial intelligence.

People who will thrive in the years to come are those who know how to add value to their employers through the quality and relevance of their ideas, and their ability to communicate them effectively. One of the best ways to ensure this is to become a student of your own company.

The US military has accomplished tremendous things with its young officers and NCOs who shoulder tremendous responsibilities early in their twenties. One practice that helps them is a leadership concept called commander’s intent. Commanders are very open about the intent of their mission, and then leave the details for its attainment to their subordinates. This is important because things change too fast for the person on the ground to have to refer every decision up the chain. As George Patton said, “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”

Your own version of commander’s intent is a deep knowledge of your company, how it serves its customers, how it competes within its industry, and what the financial “score” is. Develop it in yourself and it will help you personally; develop it in others and it will help your team and the larger organization.

The personal benefits of knowing your company are:

• You become more engaged in your work when you see how it fits into a purpose larger than yourself.
• You make better decisions under uncertainty, because they are more likely to be aligned with the company’s priorities and goals.
• You become a more credible internal communicator, because you are seen as a strategic and long-term thinker who cares for more than just your narrow short-term interests.
• You become a better communicator toward your own customers. Instead of shrugging your shoulders and spouting the “company policy” line, you can explain the reason for something or find a solution that works for both parties.

By passing on this information and skill to your own direct reports:

• They have a sense of ownership which will make them more engaged and hence more productive.
• You can manage with a much lighter touch, substituting individual judgment for detailed rules and procedures.
• You get a better flow of ideas and intelligence upward, not only because employees are more engaged but because they have a sharper sense of what’s relevant.

So, what should you do to become a student of your own company?

• Read your own company’s annual report and tune in to quarterly earnings reports. If you need to, become knowledgeable about financial statements.
• Even if you don’t have direct customer contact, know what your company’s customers need and value, and what sets you apart from the competition.
• Treat your boss and her boss as a customer; know what drives them, how they’re measured, and how you can make their jobs easier.

Peter Drucker said: the effective executive asks, “What can I contribute that will significantly affect the performance and the results of the institution I serve?”[1] If you want to be an effective executive, that starts with knowing as much as you can about the performance and results of the institution you serve.

[1] The Effective Executive, Peter F. Drucker, p. 53.