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 pillars can only lift organizational performance so much … for so long. However, when all four are fully aligned and activated, companies can achieve sustained growth and positive business results.

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

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

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

Core Values
The mindset, beliefs and behaviors shared throughout the organization.

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

All four of these pillars are critical to achieving clarity across your organization. All four must be aligned to drive sustained business results. Collectively, they represent the connective thread 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 required work to strategically align and activate these dimensions across the entire organization. Even fewer executives have done what it takes to weave these dimensions into the fabric of their business.

Why is this critical to success in the coming year? Without organizational clarity and alignment across all four of these dimensions, things like this will continue occur on a regular basis:

  • Executives will continue sharing inconsistent messages — internally and externally.
  • Leaders will continue launching initiatives that are in conflict with, or no longer support, the company’s go-to-market strategy.
  • Managers will continue making decisions that do not align with the company’s culture or core values.
  • The messages frontline employees use to share who you are, what you do and the value you deliver will continue to confuse customers throughout the buyer journey.
  • Everyone will continue to be very busy, but their collective efforts will not produce the desired business results.

As a business leader, you can’t expect consistent words and actions to take root within the organization if your purpose, go-to-market strategy, core values and corporate story are not clearly defined and aligned. Executives who are humble enough to admit this and brave enough to do something about it before 2022 arrives will achieve success. Those who don’t will randomly search for other levers to pull in hopes of finding one that produces sustainable, material business results.

That’s Your OnMessage Minute.