At times, C-suite executives and business leaders lose sight of this simple fact:

We live in a noisy, complex world.

While executives may spend hours thinking about the company’s strategy and story — customers, employees and partners don’t.

In fact, many business leaders are amazed to learn that 70 percent (7 out of 10) of all employees are unknowingly misaligned with their company’s strategic direction and just 55 percent of middle managers can even name one of their company’s top five priorities (Harvard Business Review).

These executives are even more shocked when they hear that 90 percent of their front-line employees don’t know what their company stands for and what makes it different from the competition (Gallup).

In the chaotic business world we operate in today, organizational clarity and alignment don’t happen by chance. Executive teams that run high performing organizations realize this. They acknowledge the critical role clarity and alignment play in business performance. They understand for the company’s strategy and story to drive optimal business performance, it must be institutionalized. To make this happen, smart C-suite executives are realigning their entire organization around a clearly defined and documented corporate strategy and story. And (most importantly) they are infusing that strategy and story into the fabric of their organization and customer experience.

Is your organization lacking clarity and alignment? Well, just answer these questions:

  • Has your vision evolved since the early years of the business?
  • Has your organizational structure changed dramatically?
  • Is your business model more complex?
  • Have you launched several new products or services in recent years?
  • Do you have new leaders and managers in place across the company?
  • Has your sales organization grown in size or experienced turnover?
  • Have you recently completed a merger or acquisition?
  • Has your leadership team grown or changed dramatically?
  • Are more than 30 percent of your employees new to the company in the last 3-5 years?
  • Are you losing top talent because they lack connectivity to your company’s purpose?

If you answered yes to even one of these questions, there is a good chance that “lack of clarity and alignment” exists within your organization. Growth, change and time create confusion. And this is costing you in more ways than you can imagine. Misaligned leaders. Wasted organizational energy. Disengaged employees. Confused customers. And so much more.

Perhaps the article, “When CEOs Talk Strategy, Is Anyone Listening?” in Harvard Business Review said it best…

“Just imagine, if the vision is unclear 70% of your company doesn’t know what they are striving toward and operating on false assumptions, your team will move slowly and defensively rather than swiftly and proactively. Worst of all, they might be off and running, applying valuable energy in the wrong direction.”

A clear and comprehensive understanding of the company’s strategy and story aligns the organization, increasing business performance. It serves as the connective tissue that holds the ship together and keeps it running at optimal levels.

Is lack of clarity and alignment negatively impacting your business? Is it causing leaders, employees and partners to underperform?

If so, it’s time to fix it.

Make 2017 the year you capture your true business potential.