When you have the right people in place, you need an internal brand to get them to buy into and support the vision. Mission Statements and operational plans rarely touch the hearts and minds of employees.
In order for your team to understand how to walk the talk of the business, you need to create a brand story about what the company needs to do in order to beat the competition. For employees to engage with it, it needs to be told in their language and touch on how they think and feel.
Here are some key tips to create an internal brand story.
Link the vision statement to a customer’s quality of life ie: what is it that we must do to create a difference in a customer’s quality of life. Focus on how you can deliver that difference in a way that is unique from the competition. Make the link back to individual’s jobs, each employee must be able to tell the story of how they create value.
Successful businesses, whether they know it or not, already have a clear story about how they create value. For instance my hairdresser keeps my business because they wax eyebrows better than any others. They do style in more ways and better than the competition. My accountant doesn’t just push paperwork around, he calls to ask how I feel about what is going on. He has had my business for over 8 years because he always demonstrates he has my interest at heart. In my mind, he cares more than the competition.
When you create the brand stories of how the business walks its talk, don’t just let live in people’s head, create some buzz, post the stories up in the staffroom or have employees stand up and tell a brand story at staff meetings
By Louise Kelly
Managing Director
Hearts and Minds
louise.kelly@heartsandminds.com.au
Thought Leaders Circle 