Translate Strategy into Relevance for Every Role

At a global tech firm, a new strategic thrust into ‘customer obsession’ rang hollow for support engineers fixated on tickets per hour. Leaders rolled out glossy slides but saw no change on the frontline. Then a director asked the engineers directly, ‘Which part of ‘obsession’ challenges your daily work?’

One engineer replied, her eyes lighting up as her monitor’s fan hummed low: ‘I want to know what happens after I close a ticket. Do customers still struggle?’ That simple question spurred a rapid redesign of their internal dashboard to include customer satisfaction scores next to support volumes. Suddenly, ‘obsession’ wasn’t a corporate slogan but a live data point in every engineer’s workflow.

Relevance research in organizational psychology shows that people engage deeply when they see how abstract priorities tie to their own context. By translating the big goals into everyday language and tools—complete with real-world examples—you tap into intrinsic motivation. And in that space, shared purpose and improved performance flourish.

Begin by asking your people what puzzles them about your strategy, then link each key priority to the specific tasks of each role so it feels personal rather than abstract. Next, illustrate the change with a concise, real customer story—names, situations, and emotions included—so the priority becomes something your team can see, touch, and strive for. Watch engagement rise as everyone sees how their day is part of a larger mission.