CEOs who produce winning cultures ensure that their entire employee population understands, internalizes and activates the company’s story and strategy in daily work activities.
Your story and strategy … create a shared mindset.
When employees have a deep understanding of what your company stands for, what it does and how it creates value for customers, their purpose becomes clear. They feel more connected. They believe what they do matters. Clarity of purpose is a powerful motivator. And, it’s born from a clear, compelling and consistent corporate story that aligns with your go-to market strategy.
Your story and strategy … drive aligned actions.
When leaders and team members across the organization understand how the strategy connects with the story, congruent actions and decisions unfold. Your company’s vision, mission and values go beyond words on paper and take on a life of their own. Employees see how strategic decisions, investments and initiatives connect with the story. They understand how their marching orders align with the bigger picture. For this to happen, leaders must ensure the story and strategy are consistent and omnipresent.
Clarity and connectivity are the keys to a high-performing organization.
High-performing cultures are formed when consistent words and actions, aligned with the corporate story and strategy, are constantly on display — when what is expected and what is acceptable become second nature to each employee. Everyone is operating from the same sheet of music.
The problem is, many business leaders do not provide employees with the same sheet of music to guide daily work activities.
As a result, employees lack clarity — clarity around what the company’s higher purpose, vision, strategic growth drivers, quarterly and annual business priorities. They also lack clarity around the story the company should be sharing in the market and the promise wants to be making to customers. When it comes to maintaining organizational clarity, one executive interviewed by Duke University said it best:
“A good leadership team and good CEO will put processes in place to make sure the message filters down to the very bottom of the organization unchanged.”
The key word here is unchanged. CEOs who want to establish high-performing organizations must understand it all starts with ensuring there is clarity around the company’s story and strategy. So, ask yourself:
Do our employees understand the story we need to share in the market?
> The position we want to own in the minds of buyers?
> What we do?
> The value we deliver?
> What makes us different?
Do employees understand the pillars of our strategy?
> Our company’s purpose?
> Vision?
> Mission?
> Values?
> Strategic growth drivers?
> Go-to-market priorities?
Business leaders who answer these questions with a resounding “yes” — most likely have high-performing cultures. Those who answer “no” or do not know the answers to these questions need to realize that lack of clarity in their corporate story and strategy is most likely negatively impacting their culture and business performance.
OnMessage is the B2B communications consultancy executives call when it counts. When strategic shifts in the business take place, when financial performance is on the line and when the message absolutely must deliver material business results. To learn how we can help you align and active your strategy and story, schedule a briefing with one of our experts today.
That’s Your OnMessage Minute.
