In the world of business, aligning team efforts can often feel like herding cats. During the Super Bowl in January 2000, a tech company named EDS perfectly captured this challenge in an iconic commercial. This ad became an instant legend, downloaded over 3.5 million times on YouTube at the time of writing. It featured cowboys herding cats across the vast Montana prairie, humorously depicting the struggle to orchestrate the chaos of teamwork, and it ended with the resolution “EDSolved.”
I’ve shared this commercial countless times with clients over the years because it hits home so effectively. Whether a company manufactures widgets or sells real estate, one thing remains true: it’s incredibly difficult to align people, processes, and technology in a way that maximizes operational effectiveness. This challenge isn’t unique to any one industry—it’s universal.
My Own ‘Aha’ Moment
Earlier this year, I had a realization of my own. After four years in business, I discovered that I’m not just an HR consultant—I’m an ‘organizational effectiveness consultant’. My work extends far beyond HR. I help businesses orchestrate the complex interplay of people, technology, processes, and leadership.
The “herding cats” metaphor resonated with me even more deeply after this epiphany. People don’t operate in silos within an organization. They communicate (sometimes poorly), they use technology (sometimes inefficiently), and they follow processes (sometimes unnecessarily complicated ones) to accomplish their work. Add to this the fact that they are managed by leaders with varying degrees of skill and operate within cultures that can range from highly positive to downright toxic. All these factors combine to create organizations that operate at varying levels of effectiveness. And this is where my role comes in—helping companies take a step back and see the bigger picture.
One of my favorite experiences as a consultant is that ‘aha’ moment when I sit with a leader to discuss what I’ve uncovered through interviews with team members and assessments of business processes. Often, leaders are so entrenched in the day-to-day grind that they lose the ability to step back and ask, “Is there a simpler way to do this?” or “Did I communicate that clearly enough?” Helping them reach those realizations is incredibly rewarding.
Seeing the Whole Puzzle
I love the visual below because it captures the way all the pieces of this complex puzzle we call work fit together—people, process, technology, and leadership. Like herding cats, it’s never easy to get everything moving in the right direction, but with the right strategy, it can be done.
As an organizational effectiveness consultant, I’ve encountered all kinds of “cat herding” moments. For instance, I’ve worked with businesses where two departments were duplicating efforts because they weren’t sharing data. Or in another case, a company struggled with misaligned processes, causing delays and confusion. These are common issues that plague organizations of all sizes and industries.
But the key to solving them is simple: reflection.
Looking in the Mirror
Whether you’re the owner of a small business with 10 employees or a C-suite executive leading a team of hundreds, I encourage you to take a step back and help your organization “look in the mirror.” What are your biggest challenges when it comes to communication? Are there areas where effort is being duplicated? Are your people clear on what success looks like? Small adjustments can lead to big improvements in effectiveness.
One of the easiest ways to start is by asking yourself a few simple questions:
- Is there a more straightforward way to handle this process?
- Am I communicating clearly and frequently with my team?
- How aligned are we on what success looks like?
The answers might surprise you.
So, the next time you feel like you’re wrangling chaos, remember that there is always a path to clarity and cohesion. Even in the wildest moments of “herding cats,” there’s hope for alignment.
Meow!
More on Organizational Effectiveness
Harvard Business Review – 10 Principles of Effective Organizations
Decide & Deliver-5 Steps To Creating Breakthrough Performance In Your Organization
McKinsey & Company – Organizational Health Index