Do your employees ‘get’ your corporate vision?

If not, here are steps you can take to fix that

While meeting recently met with the vice president of marketing at a large hospital, I asked, “I notice the vision on your Web site describes you as unique in the way you collaborate with patients on their care. That’s interesting. How does that work?”

There was a brief pause. “We’ve had that up there for a while,” the client replied sheepishly. “Our CEO loves it, but I don’t think I can give you an example of how we actually do that. We should probably consider taking that down.”

It never ceases to amaze me that companies will devote extensive resources to develop a vision and strategic goals that satisfy executives in the board room, yet do little to ensure understanding of these objectives among the very people they are counting on to achieve them—their own employees.

If the VP of marketing can’t explain the company vision, it’s unlikely other employees can relate to it. Unfortunately, “Sounds good, but I can’t tell you how it works,” is the rule rather than the exception when it comes to many organizations’ vision statements. Staff members are often able to parrot the company vision but don’t know how to apply it. Some say confidentially that they doubt the vision is attainable.