In one of my first jobs, I heard the story about how the Chairman and CEO of the company enjoyed random encounters with employees of all functions and levels. When he was visiting one of the multiple sites, he would engage with a couple of us and was always interested in this particular question.

We were provided with the tools to be effective at doing so (to answer the vital question). We were constantly reminded of the company’s vision, mission, values and key initiatives (we even had our personal laminated card), and we talked about them. Even if the chances to pitch directly to the most important person in the company were slim, we all practice for that moment, we mastered the art of understanding and communicating how our job contributed to customer satisfaction and how it related to the company’s goals.

The best next thing to have on top of a great strategy and a detailed business plan is a process where all your employees understand clearly how their jobs contribute to achieving your goals. I never got the chance to pitch to him, but I knew exactly what the company expected from me and what I could expect from the company. Customer satisfaction improves when things are this clear.