Your guide to effectively share what your team does and why you do it
Whether you are a team of one or 100, successfully describing your impact through a purpose statement can help you gain visibility, create connections, secure funding, and more.
Within your team
Does each member of your team have an understanding of the work happening across your team and the reason it is happening, also known as a purpose statement? Some teams might have their purpose displayed on an office wall, while others may have never talked about it at all. Most of us are somewhere in the middle.
The most effective purpose statements are specific, yet concise and understandable by anyone outside of your team. Your first step is to create, update, or confirm your team’s purpose statement.
- Create: If your team has never documented your overarching priority (for example, responsible for global human resources communications), now is the time to discuss and agree on one focus.
- Update: Some teams use a purpose statement that is several years old or does not make sense to their most important work. Consider a “Stop, Start, Continue” exercise (tip: try templates within Miro or Microsoft Whiteboard) to determine what is working and what needs to be revised.
- Confirm: Maybe you have an excellent purpose statement already in place. Make sure everyone else on your team agrees (tip: use an anonymous survey by not recording respondents’ email addresses through a platform such as Google Forms) before proceeding.
Team purpose statement example: “Our team of nurse practitioners provides high-quality preventative care for people experiencing food allergies to promote a healthier community.”
Now that you have created a value statement for your team, the next step is to reinforce the message within your team. Coach teammates on how to organically describe your team’s purpose statement within their everyday conversations. This might look different at a holiday party versus a corporate networking event, but the underlying message remains the same. Tip: The purpose statement is most effective when your team is reminded of it, such as on an automatic screensaver or stickers.
Within your department
With your team in agreement about your purpose statement, it is time to start building your reputation and what you want to be known for within your department. Frame your team’s purpose in context with departmental goals. Your team’s purpose statement should be closely related or contribute to departmental goals. Example: a team’s purpose is to manage the annual ESG report and is part of the compliance department.
Explore channels within your department to share your team’s purpose, such as:
- Building a page within your department’s intranet
- Publishing a campaign on the department’s internal social media (such as an employee app)
- Hosting a “meet the team” event and recording it for departmental teammates who cannot attend live
- Share stories and testimonials from team members and other employees about how your team’s purpose positively impacts their work
- Partnering on large projects, and collecting quotes about how your team’s purpose impacted the workstream
- Displaying recent wins and upcoming priorities on a bulletin board or within your department’s newsletter
Tip: Plan for consistent communications to your department about your team’s purpose.Try a mix of channels and make sure your message is repeated more than once.
Within the company
Being a well-known team at your company can take time and specific efforts. Think ahead to planned, company-wide opportunities. Every company is different but offers unique methods to carefully construct a reputation you and your team are proud of. Small interactions, like being easy to work with, can add up to a greater impact for your team.
For larger, planned interactions, consider your strategy early. Think about the next 12 months. What opportunities might you have to share your team’s purpose statement?
Popular, large-scale internal communication ideas:
- Participate in a company-wide Town Hall, such as a question and answer or a “team 101” segment
- Feature your team’s purpose statement on our company’s intranet homepage or enterprise newsletter feature, like a team spotlight
- Display digital boards to spotlight your team across your workplace, including factories, offices, or laboratories
Tip: When you talk about your team’s purpose on a larger scale, connect your message to company goals and specific benefits to the organization.
Congratulations! You have built a purpose statement for your team, validated it among your team, and engaged with colleagues across your department and company. When your team’s purpose is clearly defined, it can be easier to make decisions about the future. Tip: Regularly analyze the response to your purpose statement among your team, department, and company. Remain flexible and make adjustments as needed and at least once a year. The best is yet to come!
Need help? Pivot Strategies specializes in internal communications and change management. We can partner with your organization to create purpose statements, develop communication plans, and drive organizational change. Don’t let your team’s impact go unnoticed. Reach out to discuss how we can turn your team’s purpose into powerful results.
