Every January, executives distribute goals and KPIs, expecting their teams to execute flawlessly. Yet, by mid-year, many leaders will be frustrated by missed targets, disengaged employees, and stalled initiatives.
The problem? Goals alone don’t inspire action. Vision does.
The Hidden Crisis: Why Employees Don’t Care About Your Goals
Most leaders assume that setting clear targets means their teams will naturally align and perform. But research tells a different story:
- Only 33% of U.S. employees are engaged at work. (Gallup, 2023)
- 20% of employees don’t identify with their company’s mission. (Agility PR, 2023)
- Disengaged employees cost businesses $8.8 trillion globally in lost productivity. (Gallup, 2024)
The Core Issue: Most employees don’t see how their daily work contributes to something bigger. When people don’t feel connected to the company’s vision, goals become nothing more than checklists.
What Does “Disengagement” Really Mean?
Engaged employees feel connected to their work, take ownership, and understand how their efforts contribute to the bigger picture.
Disengaged employees do the minimum, view their job as just a paycheck, and don’t feel invested in company success.
Actively disengaged employees resist company initiatives and may even undermine progress.
The Reality Check: Disengagement isn’t about laziness—it’s about lack of purpose. If employees don’t see the bigger picture, they disengage. And when they disengage, your goals won’t be met.
The Real Reason Goals Fall Flat: No Connection to Vision
Most companies set goals without first establishing a compelling vision. As a result:
- Goals feel random. Employees are handed KPIs, but they don’t know why they matter.
- Goals feel uninspiring. A target like “increase revenue by 15%” means little if employees don’t connect it to a greater purpose.
- Goals feel like pressure instead of purpose. Metrics alone don’t inspire—people need a reason to care.
The Hard Truth: KPIs measure progress, but they don’t create motivation. Vision does.
How to Fix It: Transform Goals from Tasks into a Movement
To drive true execution, leaders must bridge the gap between goals and vision. Here’s how:
1. Start with the Story, Not the Numbers
Before rolling out KPIs, leaders must reinforce:
- Why does this company exist?
- What impact are we trying to make?
- How does each person contribute to that impact?
Instead of saying: “We need to reduce churn by 10%.”
Say: “This year, we’re focused on delivering an experience so valuable that more customers stay with us long-term. Here’s how you help make that happen.”
People don’t rally behind numbers. They rally behind a mission.
2. Make Employees the Heroes, Not the Metrics
- Employees must see themselves as active participants in the company’s success, not just cogs in a machine.
- Shift messaging from “Here’s what the company needs” to “Here’s how your work makes a difference.”
- Ask your teams: What excites you about what we’re trying to achieve?
Reality Check: When people see their work as meaningful, they don’t need motivation—they create their own.
3. Connect Every KPI to an Emotion, Not Just an Outcome
Numbers don’t inspire. The impact behind them does.
- Instead of “Increase revenue by 15%,” frame it as:
- “Every sale we make helps small businesses solve [a critical problem]. Our job is to help them succeed.”
- Instead of “Improve retention by 5%,” say:
- “We want more employees to love working here. Let’s figure out how to make that happen.”
The Secret to Success: When people emotionally connect to their work, KPIs take care of themselves.
The Challenge for Leaders: Are Your People Inspired to Execute?
Your company doesn’t have a goal execution problem—it has a vision alignment problem.
Ask yourself:
Do my employees know why we set these goals?
Can they explain how their work contributes to something meaningful?
Are they excited to be part of this mission?
If the answer is no, then your vision isn’t clear enough. And until it is, your goals won’t drive the results you want.
Final Thought: The Leaders Who Win Get This Right
“Your people don’t lack motivation. They lack a vision worth working toward. If your 2025 goals aren’t making employees feel something, they aren’t connected to something meaningful. Fix that, and execution will take care of itself.”
The Co-hesion Approach: Aligning Vision, Goals, and Execution
Companies that master execution don’t just set better goals—they align their teams behind a vision worth pursuing.At Co-hesion, we help organizations rediscover their mission, align their values, and build a vision that unites employees while driving success. Because when people believe in the mission, execution follows.
