Setting the strategic direction for an organization is one of a leader’s most essential annual responsibilities. Equally important is effectively communicating that vision to your team. That means both explaining the direction you want to take the organization in a given year and helping people understand their role in getting it there.
Another fundamental consideration when communicating your company’s current strategy and future aspirations: making sure employees are excited and motivated about what they can accomplish individually and as a team. A great way to do that is with a rallying cry, ideally two or three words that capture the essence of what it takes for your organization to win.
Coming up with the right rallying cry for your firm usually begins by assessing how the months ahead will likely look for the company. The first quarter of the fiscal year is a good time to do that by reviewing economic forecasts, industry data, workforce trends and business conditions. After going through that exercise, it was clear to me that 2023 needs to be all about getting back to basics.
There were three primary considerations — which will be familiar to any staffing and recruitment firm — that brought us to that conclusion. First, many companies (ours included) have made decisions about their post-pandemic business strategy and work model and now are focused on successful implementation. In addition, the ongoing uncertainty and unpredictability about the economy make it all the more important that companies excel at those factors that are within their control. Third, customer expectations and requirements of a firm like ours are greater than ever as they adapt to today’s environment. If there has ever been a time to focus on providing stability and normalcy for our clients, candidates and colleagues, it’s now.
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Given all that, we needed a rallying cry for our team that would provide a memorable platform for talking about the importance of routines, behaviors, processes and similar factors that go into a back-to-basics approach. So, for 2023, our rallying cry is “Get Fanatical.” We’re asking people to “get fanatical” about achieving performance excellence in everything they do by focusing on the basics.
As part of our communications, we provide a range of examples of what getting fanatical looks like. These include preparing thoroughly for a client or new business meeting, understanding each team member’s goals, holding yourself and each other accountable, turning the camera on every time for virtual meetings, answering calls by the fourth ring, checking in with each customer at least once a week, taking nothing for granted and setting KPIs for all major projects and activities to track progress and success. And we talk about those things in the context of how doing them will lead to growth and success — on multiple levels — for employees and the firm.
Leading, guiding and inspiring your team to achieve success require a number of different approaches. A motivating, memorable rallying cry that brings it all together can make all the difference.