“You mean I need to say it again?” Yes. “Even though we just had our weekly meeting?” Yes. What is so important that I had a client repeat it again and again? In this case, it was the company’s vision. It could also be the mission statement or the firm’s values. It may be a reminder of this quarter’s goals. As mentioned previously, communication is the most common failing in an organization larger than one. Falling right behind is a lack of collaboration with one feeding the other in a vicious cycle.
Leadership’s role is to break this cycle and continually reminding the team of the company’s focus is a big step in the right direction. The company’s vision, mission values should be emblazoned upon the hearts, minds and souls of each leader. More importantly, these will be living in each of these team members and reflected in every action they take for the company. Some wise person once said “actions speak louder than words.”
If your company vision includes providing education to protect and inform your clients, it will be part of every communication and service delivery to clients. It will also be reflected in your focus and support of educating employees so they may continue to effectively serve the client. Emphasizing one and not supporting the other makes you hypocritical. How much focus will employees place on educating the client if you are not supporting them?
Your core values include honoring and respecting other team members. Yet you often let commitments to employees slide placing client and other obligations ahead of those commitments. Clients are key yet continually allowing employee commitments to slide will create a cascade of “it won’t matter” and “nothing will come of this,” an attitude deadly to employee engagement.
Pull out your vision, mission and values statement. Read it aloud with other members of your leadership team. Now ask “how well are we living these?” An engaged leadership team will provide the answers. Maybe they are not what you want to hear. If not, consider it an opportunity to take action and align the entire organization with the vision.