Ask most C-suite executives if their company’s vision and strategy matter and they will say … “Of course it matters.” But the real answer is uncovered when you ask the next question …
What are you doing to ensure clarity and alignment in your vision and strategy — up and down the organization — on a consistent basis?
In most cases … their answer is vague and delivered with less conviction. So, let’s be clear, having a vision is one thing — infusing that vision into the fabric of your culture is another. Defining your go-to-market strategy is one thing, however translating that strategy into a message employees can understand and act on is something else.
The truth is activating your vision and strategy is hard. What C-suite executives must understand is that achieving organizational clarity and alignment in these areas is not a “one and done” effort. It requires intentionality at every layer of the organization. Not just within the executive team — but with every leader in the company with P&L responsibilities and direct reports.
Most executives convince themselves that they have “done enough” in this critical area of their business. However, industry research says otherwise. According to a Harvard Business Review article, “When CEOs Talk Strategy, Is Anyone Listening?” only a small percentage of employees know where their company is going (vision) and how they are going to get there (strategy). The article includes research that shows only 29 percent of employees can correctly identify their company’s strategy out of six choices. This means seven out of 10 employees are unknowingly misaligned with your company’s vision and strategic direction.
Today more than ever, if you want to achieve organizational alignment that will drive optimal business performance — you have to make clarity in your vision and strategy a priority. And make no mistake, it does matter.
According to McKinsey and Company, “When people understand and are excited about the direction their company is taking, the company’s earnings margin is twice as likely to be above the median.”
Who is responsible for aligning your vision, strategy and story up and down the organization? Who wakes up every day asking this critical question…
“What are we currently doing to ensure every employee knows where we are going and what they should be doing to help us get there?”
Many C-suite executives are turning to OnMessage to help them answer this critical question and define a sustained strategy that produces clarity and alignment at every level of their business.
