A good friend texted me the other day saying that some people on the team felt like they didn't understand the company vision and direction--when not 2 months ago the CEO had just stood up at an all-hands and talked about--yes--where the company was going and why it was going there. Basically vision and direction.
These are smart people, they're not idiots, they're not trying to be difficult, they just have lost the plot mere weeks after hearing it from the top dog. So what to do as the CMO?
Chalk part of this up to our culture, part up to the mindset of millennials--it could be a lot of things. But it made me remember that we honestly cannot be too deliberate these days with ensuring our teams are not only on track with their daily tasks, but that they understand how those tasks align to what the company is doing and where it is going. And then--and this is the important part--that they still know the answers to where it IS going and doing.
Just like forming habits over 21 days, repeating and checking in regularly with your team, especially early on, is fundamental to achieving the desired results you're after while keeping your team motivated. It's obviously possible to drive your team like race horses coming down the stretch to finish a project or launch a product and to get a good result. But often times the flip side of this is a team that's burned out or not as invested in the result and what it means.
Spend the time to ensure they know not only what they're doing, but WHY they're doing it--it will make for a stronger and more motivated team that will not only get the result you're looking for, but be able to pivot and get to the next project which helps them get closer to achieving the company goals.
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