Many executives think purpose is paramount to business success. Others believe a rock solid go-to-market strategy is what defines market leaders. Some see the company’s core values as the cornerstone of organizational success. And still other executives believe telling a differentiated, customer-centered corporate story is what drives business performance.

The truth is, each of these executives are right and … they are all wrong.

Individually, these four dimensions of your business will only lift organizational performance so much … for so long. However, when all four are fully aligned and activated — companies can achieve sustained growth and significant business results.

At OnMessage, we work with C-suite executives and business leaders to establish clarity and alignment across all four of these critical links in the organizational performance chain:

Purpose (North Star): Your reason for being, the dent your company wants to leave in the universe.

Go-to-Market Strategy: Your vision, mission as well as annual strategic initiatives.

Core Values: Shared mindset, behaviors and actions across the business.

Corporate Story: Your company’s positioning, value proposition and promise to customers.

All four of these dimensions are critical to achieving clarity up and down your organization. All four must be aligned to drive sustained business results. Collectively, they represent the connective tissue that creates high-performing, market-leading companies.

While most executives have spent some time documenting and defining each of these elements, very few have done the work that is required to strategically align and activate these dimensions across the entire organization. And even fewer executives have done what it takes to weave these dimensions into the fabric of their business. Why is this so critical to business success? Without organizational clarity and alignment across all four dimensions, things like this occur on a regular basis…

  • Executives say one thing in external messaging and another through internal communications.
  • Leaders launch initiatives that are in conflict with or have no connectivity to the company’s purpose, vision or mission.
  • Managers and frontline employees make decisions that do not align with the company’s core values.
  • Everyone seems to be overworked and busy but their collective efforts never produce the desired business results.

As a C-suite executive, you can’t expect consistent words and actions to take root up and down the organization if your Purpose, Go-to-Market Strategy, Core Values and Corporate Story are not clearly defined and aligned. When these critical dimensions are not connected and clearly communicated — there is nothing for leaders, managers and employees to connect with. There is no connective tissue that will drive cohesive organizational performance — from team to team, department to department or division to division.

It’s just a fact, lack of alignment and clarity negatively impact sales, customer retention, employee engagement and business performance. Executives that are humble enough to admit this and brave enough to do something about it — will achieve success. Those that don’t will continue in search of other “organizational levers” to pull in hopes of finding one that produces sustainable, material business results. To that group, we say … let us know when you find it.