You’ve got the business vision, and you can see it so clearly. It’s bold, brilliant…maybe even a little genius. But the problem is, the rest of the team doesn’t seem to care.
As a business owner, you know you need your team on board and invested in the vision because if you’re the only one carrying the torch, it’s going to be a long, lonely march. So what can you do?
Figuring out how to get employee buy-in isn’t about hype or handing out buzzwords (if it was, it would be much easier). It’s about getting your people to genuinely care. And that is what this article is all about.
If you don’t have employee buy-in, business growth will stall, so here is how to get your team invested in the success of your business (and the most common mistakes to avoid).
How to get employee buy-in (5 things you should do)
1. Give them something worth buying into
If your vision sounds like it was written by ChatGPT on a sugar crash, expect people to tune out. Make it relevant, make it real, and make it something that inspires people. Your team should know why the business exists and how they fit into that story. If they don’t, your vision needs work.
Ask yourself: “Would this inspire me if I were in their shoes? If not, rewrite it.
2. Start with the why
No one wants to just blindly follow orders; they want to know what it’s all for. So always think about the why, explain what’s at stake if something isn’t done, and what’s possible if it is. When people understand the reason behind a goal or the bigger purpose for an action, they’re far more likely to commit to it. Not only that, but they will also take initiative and actively help to reach that goal.
Tip: Connect everyday actions to something bigger than this quarter’s targets.
3. Let them shape it
If you present your vision like it’s finished and flawless, people will treat it like a policy:ie, nod, smile, ignore. If you want to know how to get employee buy-in, however, you will need to involve your team in crafting it. Once you have a business vision you like, test it. Share it with your team, ask for their opinions, encourage questions, and let them poke holes. Involvement creates ownership, and ownership creates action.
Ask yourself: “Would I be more invested in a vision that I helped craft?” I think you know the answer.
4. Make it visible
A vision no one sees is just a slogan collecting dust, so make it an integral part of the business. Build it into your interviews, your onboarding, your meetings, and your one-to-ones. Tie it to performance reviews. Make it something people bump into regularly, not something you bring up once a year at the company away day.
Tip: the more you can integrate your vision into the day-to-day, the more it will become a part of the culture.
5. Give them room to try (and fail)
When talking about how to get employee buy-in, rewarding actions and results that align with your vision is a given. What many business owners don’t do, however, is reward efforts when someone makes a mistake or fails.
Risk is a big part of growth, so that means creating space for people to take risks, to mess up, and learn. Show them that how they work is just as important as what they achieve. This is especially important if your vision talks about innovation or leadership; your culture has to back that up.
Remember: if people are punished for trying, they’ll stop trying, and this will impact your growth.
What businesses get wrong (5 mistakes to avoid)
As we said, getting employee buy-in is not easy. If it were, everyone would have it! However, there are common mistakes that business owners tend to make when trying to get their team on board, so it’s smart to avoid these if you want your team to stay with you for the long haul.
Mistake 1: The vision is vague or forgettable
“Deliver excellence” and “put the customer first” don’t mean anything as they could apply to any business on earth. Your vision should be specific, memorable, and sharp. It needs to resonate with your team and be something that they are proud to work towards.
Mistake 2: Only mentioning it when things go wrong
Don’t treat your values like the fire alarm, only pulled in emergencies. If the only time your team hears about your vision is when someone screws up, it becomes a warning sign, not a rallying cry.
Mistake 3: Expecting change overnight
Getting employee buy-in takes time; it’s not a switch that can be flipped. So if you’re expecting full alignment after one meeting, you’re going to be very disappointed. Repetition, consistency, and clarity are your tools here, so see this change as an ongoing effort.
Mistake 4: Leading with contradictions
Say one thing, do another, and your team will clock it fast. For example, if your values say “transparency” but decisions happen in the dark, your credibility dies, so make sure to lead by example. Talk the talk AND walk the walk, and people will follow. People don’t follow words, they follow actions.
Mistake 5: Making it all about the business
If the only person winning is the business owner, motivation fades fast, so show people how their career, their role, and their future get better when the business succeeds. Buy-in happens when people see how the vision helps them grow, too.
Get your team on board
You can’t drag a business over the finish line on your own; you need a dream team. That’s why having them on board and fully invested in your success is so essential. If your team doesn’t care, the wheels will fall off. Whereas, when your team is fully in, you’ll fly.
Remember, genuine buy-in isn’t about hype. It’s about trust, relevance, and showing people where they fit.
| Want help turning your vision into something your people believe in? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. We can help you with everything from crafting your vision and business plan to getting the most out of your team. |
