PPB August 2018

Your brand story canbe easily shared withnewhires and retold on an ongoing basis as a reminder. It gives employees something visionary that they can share with clients, no matterwhere theywork in the company. and honesty are key, then the CEO should exhibit behaviors that reflect that and ensure that those behaviors are reinforced through all levels of the team. 8 Cross-train for understanding. The more employees understand the entire business and not just their corner of it, the more valuable they are to the company. It is not just about being able to step in during a crisis. Employees should be trained to understand how different departments work and think so they have a better understanding of how the entire business operates and what’s important to its success. 9 Encourage interdepartmental meetings. Cross-departmental meetings are vital to helping people feel informed, and they allow for greater productivity and understanding between teams. Imagine if operations, sales, marketing, customer service and human resources were all on the same page and were aware of major shifts in the business before they happened? This would lead to greater productivity, less stress and better implementation across all departments. 10 Get rid of the mission/ vision statements and create a brand story. If you take away nothing else from this article, focus on this point: People do not read, understand or remember mission and/or vision statements. Why? Because they are just words on a page that are read once and then ignored by most companies. There is no long-term context, and people do not have a clear understanding of how they affect their day-to-day lives within the company. A brand story (see sidebar) describes what the company is, where it wants to go, who it serves and what problems it solves. Employees can relate to this. Your brand story can be easily shared with new hires and retold on an ongoing basis as a reminder. It gives employees something visionary that they can share with clients, no matter where they work in the company. A brand story gives people a reason to understand why the company does what it does, who it is trying to help and what problems it solves. This knowledge gives employees a clear sense of purpose, which leads to better engagement and longer tenure. Ben Baker is president of Your Brand Marketing, a strategic engagement marketing firm. He consults, teaches and speaks on how to stop being a commodity and how to become a brand worth loving. His new book, Powerful Personal Brands , will be available on September 5 on Amazon. Reach him at ben@yourbrandmarketing.com . 70 | AUGUST 2018 | THINK