We live in an instant gratification world.
Do something fast. Do something once. Expect immediate and lasting results.
What is very concerning is the “instant gratification” mindset has crept into strategic communications, and it is killing business performance.
Sure, CEOs and C‑suite executives are moving so fast that they rarely have time to catch up on email. They have so many balls in the air, they touch each one for about 5 minutes — each week, each month. I get it. Their world is complicated.
However, we have worked with business leaders at Fortune 100 and high-growth companies across the globe for more than 18 years. And we have discovered one thing separating executives who lead high-performance, focused organizations from others…
When it comes to organizational communication, they don’t buy into instant gratification. They stay the course because these leaders know firsthand the impact intentional and sustained communication has on business performance.
More importantly, they recognize that nothing less will actually deliver lasting results. No matter how busy or complicated their worlds are, these executives are very focused on delivering sustained messages that matter. Messages that drive clarity, alignment and performance.
- Vision, mission and values
- Go-to-market strategy and priorities
- Brand promise and purpose
- Core value proposition
- Key points of difference
Market-leading executives know that these messages need to be omnipresent. Not just through their own communication but within the communication that comes from every leader across the organization.
They also realize for messages to translate into meaningful results, an intentional communications plan must be activated. Not for a few weeks, or even a couple of months, but for a sustained period of time. Enough time for thousands of employees across the organization to convert these high-level concepts and priorities into action and, ultimately, measurable results.
But the problem is – most CEOs and C-suite executives often forget: Communication that drives results in large organizations is like turning the Titanic. It takes persistence and time for the ship to start moving in the direction you want it to go.
So, don’t let the instant gratification world we live in distract you from staying the course. Buck the trend. Be an intentional, sustained communicator and you will outperform your competitors every time.
