By Andrea Bruneau

Do you know how your team would answer this question?
“If our team disappeared for a week, what part of the mission would go unmet?”

If the answer isn’t clear—to them or to you—that’s a signal that your team may be missing the vital connection between purpose and practice.

Organizations spend significant time and money crafting mission statements and strategic plans, yet many employees still feel disconnected from what really matters. In fact, only 58% of employees believe senior leaders provide clear direction, and just 56% feel their voices are heard, according to a July 2025 report from Training Magazine.

When leaders hold tightly to vision and values but don’t bring their teams along, the result isn’t just a communication gap—it’s a missed opportunity to align motivation with performance. The issue isn’t a lack of care—it’s a lack of clarity. Leaders often struggle to translate vision into the day-to-day reality of their teams.

That’s where authentic engagement comes in.

Authentic Engagement

Authentic engagement isn’t about having an open-door policy or sharing inspirational quotes. It’s about showing up with clarity and consistency . It means helping employees:

Understand how their work connects to something larger
Feel seen and supported by their manager
Know that their input shapes the future

Tangible Actions Leaders Can Take

Realignment doesn’t require a reorg or rebrand—it requires everyday leadership behaviors that make mission and meaning visible and real.

Here’s how leaders can ensure employees understand the bigger picture and how it connects to their role:

1. Repeat the Vision—Often, and in Context

Open team meetings with a reminder of how current work ties into the mission.
Share real stories that illustrate the mission in action.
Use consistent language and accessible phrasing to reinforce key messages.

2. Cascade Priorities into Team-Level Goals

Translate company strategy into team goals during planning sessions.
Help employees set personal goals that directly map to those priorities.
Visualize how tasks connect to organizational strategy.

3. Lead Purpose-Driven 1:1s

Ask questions like:

“Which part of our mission feels most real to you right now?”
“How do you see your work contributing to what we’re building?”

Encourage two-way dialogue that explores purpose, not just progress.

4. Close the Loop on Strategy Shifts

Share the "why" behind changes, not just the "what."
Involve teams in interpreting what shifts mean for their day-to-day work.
Collect and act on employee feedback to maintain alignment.

5. Recognize Aligned Behavior (Not Just Results)

Spotlight behaviors that reflect core values.
Reinforce how specific actions support the mission.
Embed recognition rituals into meetings or internal channels.

6. Make Work and Impact Transparent

Use simple tools to show how team tasks ladder up to big-picture goals.
Highlight completed work in weekly recaps and connect them to strategic outcomes.

7. Train Managers as Culture Translators

Provide practical tools like coaching prompts and alignment guides.
Measure and develop their ability to engage teams with clarity and purpose.
Reinforce that every manager is a messenger of mission and culture.

The Bottom Line

The greatest threat to engagement isn’t apathy—it’s disconnection. When employees can’t see how their daily efforts connect to the mission, you don’t just lose productivity. You lose momentum, morale, and meaning. Leaders who consistently communicate mission and reinforce values in practice—not just in presentations—build stronger, more resilient teams.

The DMC Workforce Success Team has more than 20 years combined experience and provides sustainable solutions to the complex social issues that affect large, medium or small businesses. Building authentic relationships is at the heart of DMC’s work, developing trust and honesty with employees to get to the root of issues and include them in the design of solutions.