Closing the internal ‘Why, What, Where and How’ communication gap

In a recent benchmark of fifty major B2B organisations we found more evidence that many businesses struggle to communicate their strategic foundations: purpose, vision, strategy, mission and values. In turbulent times the primal human need for clarity and connection is felt even more acutely by employees, which makes providing them with a crystal-clear understanding of your ‘Why, Where, What and How’ even more essential.

Not just a communication problem, but a leadership problem

Many organisations assume they have a communications problem when employees struggle to recall or explain the company’s purpose or strategy. However, it seems that the issue often starts further up the chain, with leaders themselves not having clearly understood or defined the meaning, value and role of the differing strategic foundations such as purpose, vision, mission and strategy.

Different organisations appear to use terms such as purpose, mission and vision inconsistently and interchangeably. We also see other terms introduced, such as ‘north star’ or ‘promise’, which are even more ill-defined and misunderstood. This confusion is surprising given that there appears to be strong academic alignment around the meaning and role of each of the core strategic foundations. Our work with organisations suggests a practical framework is needed to help business leaders clarify and articulate their ‘Why, Where, What and How’.

The business case for clear strategic foundations is strong

There is a robust body of research demonstrating that clear strategic foundations are associated with stronger organisational performance – see table below. A major analysis in the Journal of Business Economics found that vision statements provide direction, enable more focused decision-making, motivate employees, and support strategy execution when linked coherently to purpose and values. However, it’s important to note that the strongest predictor of value is usually not just the existence of purpose, vision and values statements but how meaningfully they are brought to life. Several reviews highlight that poorly articulated and implemented strategic foundations can create cynicism. 

Bridging the critical ‘triple communications gap’

Through our research and wider consulting experience we have identified a ‘triple communications gap’ in terms of how organisations struggle to articulate, express and embed their ‘Why, Where, What and How’. Any given organisation may have issues in one or more of the following three areas:

1. Clarity – They’re unclear, so employees can’t explain them.
2. Connection – They’re understood but uninspiring, so many employees don’t care.
3. Commitment – They’re understood and inspiring but not embedded, so employees don’t change their behaviour.

Your organisation may have challenges with ambiguity in how the fundamentals are articulated. It may just be a case of needing to make purpose, strategy and vision statements more visible, or there may be a gap in terms of relevance and credibility from an employee perspective. Identifying the problem requires you to ask a few straightforward questions, and to create a safe space for some honest answers. Leaders need to ask themselves the following questions , and they also need answers to the same questions from a representative group of employees:

• Can I define our purpose, vision, strategy and values?
• Can I explain them in my own words?
• Do I feel inspired and motivated by them?
• Can I describe a recent decision influenced by them?

In less difficult and more stable times, organisations can arguably get away with vague or inconsistent strategic communications. In times of greater volatility, you can’t. When it comes to hard-fought marginal competitive advantages, this is  a relatively low-hanging fruit that organisations can’t afford to ignore.