I can't begin to tell you how many for-profit and nonprofit businesses I have worked with that can't answer that one simple question. Nine times out of ten I will get one answer from the CEO, a different answer from the CFO, an entirely different answer from each person in marketing, etc.
Forget outside research. Here's the most important poll you can do: Run a poll with every employee (and volunteer if you are a nonprofit) and ask the question: "What are our three most important strategic messages?" I bet you'll be shocked at the answers you get.
The solution? Start at home. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Every meeting, every internal message, repeat the three key strategic messages until everyone gets it to the point where they believe in the messaging and can add their own stories to explain why those messages are so important.
Messaging doesn't start with a brochure, or on Facebook, or in a newsletter. It starts with your entire staff and needs to be repeated until it's a mantra.
(c) Joseph Barnes, www.Digital3000.Net
