Your business purpose makes your mission-driven company more than a job. It's a way to have a lasting positive impact on the world around you. You're not just chasing dollars. You're making a difference.
And that's something everyone can get behind. But how do you ensure your employees are on board with your business purpose? How do you ensure they understand and buy into what you're trying to achieve?
In this article, we'll discuss the best ways to do this.
Communicating And Connecting Your Purpose To Your Employees
It takes a cohesive team to cultivate a successful business. And that team starts with you, the leader. But that group won't be complete without your employees. You need their skills, dedication, and buy-in to achieve success.
Here's how to make sure your employees are on board with your business purpose:
Define Your Purpose
The first step is to have a clear and concise definition of your purpose. It should be something that everyone in the company can understand and get behind. It's the foundation for everything else you'll do, so it's crucial to get it right.
Some social enterprises create well-defined and specific objectives, while others have more generalized goals. There's no wrong way to do this, as long as everyone understands what you're trying to achieve.
Once you have your purpose defined, communicate it to your employees. You can do that by:
Including it in your business for good's mission statement
Using it as a guiding principle for decision-making
Using it to shape your company culture, and
Making it a part of your employee onboarding process
Make It Meaningful
Your business purpose should be more than just words on paper. It should be something your employees can believe in, so your mission must be relevant to them.
One way to do this is to connect it to their personal values. What does your company stand for, and how does that align with your employees’ beliefs?
You can also make it relevant to their day-to-day work. Help them see how their individual roles fit into the bigger picture of what you're trying to achieve. That will help them feel more connected to the company's purpose. It will also motivate them to do their best work.
Make It Actionable
Your business purpose should be something that you can put into action. It should guide your decision-making and help you set goals. That will make it more than just a feel-good statement. It will make it a tool you can use to move your business forward.
Some ways to make your purpose actionable include:
Creating measurable goals that align with it
Making sure your company's policies and procedures support it
Encouraging employees to come up with ideas for how to put it into action, and
Communicating regularly about your progress toward achieving it
That will help everyone in the company understand how they can contribute to achieving it.
Illustrate Your Plan To Achieve It
Once your purpose is defined and actionable, share your plan for achieving it with your employees. That will help them understand how their individual roles fit into the bigger picture.
You can:
Create a roadmap. That should include the specific milestones and deadlines your business aims to achieve.
Share success stories. When you reach a milestone, share the story of how you got there with your employees. That will help them see how their work contributes to your success.
Encourage feedback. Ask your employees for their input on how to achieve your business purpose. That will help you get buy-in from the team and ensure everyone is on the same page.
Set up a system of accountability. Hold yourself and your team accountable for meeting your goals. That will help ensure that everyone is working toward the same thing.
Hire the right people. Make sure you're hiring people who share your company's values. Find those who will be committed to helping you achieve your purpose.
Don't forget about the financial side of things. Make sure you have a solid financial plan to support your business purpose. That ensures you have the resources you need to achieve your goals. For example, you can hire a virtual CFO. CFO services can help you with financial strategizing and forecasting.
Measure Your Progress
You need to measure your progress to make sure you're on track. That will help you identify areas you need to improve and keep everyone accountable.
Some ways to measure your progress include:
Setting milestones
Conducting surveys and focus groups
Gathering feedback from customers and employees, and
Analyzing your financial performance
Share What It Means To You
Your employees need to know what your business purpose means to you. What motivates you to achieve it? Why is it important to you? Your employees will look to you, as the leader, for guidance and inspiration.
If you can share your personal connection to the company's purpose, it will help your employees understand why it's vital. It will also make them more likely to buy into what you're trying to achieve.
You can share it by:
Writing a letter to your employees
Giving a speech to the company
Making a video about it, or
Posting about it
Encourage Employee Input
Your employees need to feel like they have a say in the company's direction. That will help them feel more invested in the company's success.
There are a few ways to encourage employee input, such as:
Asking for their feedback on company goals
Encouraging them to share their ideas for how to achieve the business purpose
Giving them a voice in decision-making, and
Involving them in the company culture
Allowing your employees a say will help them feel they're part of the company's success. It will also help you get great ideas from the people closest to the work.
Profit Reimagined can help women in business like you achieve this vital connection. We understand that you’re more than just a business looking to earn a quick buck — you feel that you want to make a change in the world. Profit Reimagined believes in a sustainable future, where corporations work for a better future. We also understand that to do that, a company needs to make a profit to serve its stakeholders. Book a call with us and let us help you create an impact in the world alongside your employees.