If you are seeking unstoppable momentum in your organization, tying strong execution to a clarified vision and purpose will get you there. Sure enough, some people doubt the benefit of a purpose driven life or business, but an organization whose purpose is clear performs better financially, has more engaged employees and more satisfied customers.
Purpose statements are often timeless and help employees allocate resources such as time, people, money and prioritization to the work that matters. They help transmit your desired future state and culture to your stakeholders and provide a reason for your existence. With that said, a strong purpose is not enough. It must be paired strongly with execution, the total sum of the actions that must occur in order to fulfill the purpose.
To accomplish this, Forbes contributing writer Louis Efron recommends organizations do the following:
- Clarify why your organization exists, where it is going, and what needs to be done to get there.
- Share these foundational pillars with employees so that they can understand and embrace them.
- Employees must align with these elements, and keep them at the forefront of their daily work.
- Leaders must obtain feedback from employees, engage their people and keep their promises to cultivate trust.
To determine if your company delivers on its promises, ask yourself if you’d feel the company was keeping its promises if you were a customer. Do people within the organization do what they say they will? Balancing purpose with execution can feel like a juggling while walking a tightrope. But when employees don’t know how to align with your company’s purpose and execute effectively, it hurts both your productivity and the employee experience.
Just like fighter pilots who put in thousands of hours of study and practice, leaders must avoid “winging it.” Put together a clear plan to align purpose with execution and create wingman-like partnerships. Don’t fly solo either – teams are only as strong as their weakest members so consider how you might bring people along on the journey.
Transition Designs helps executives develop and execute an effective strategy.