Boardroom vision is one thing; getting that mission statement to resonate with everyone is another.

Most companies recognise the importance of developing a mission statement that gets to the heart of what a business is about. Creating that set of core values, company vision or brand identity is what sets your business apart in a crowded marketplace. It allows every moving part of an organisation – from investors, to managers, new employees and customers – to understand what it is that drives them forward.

But how to translate those core values to the frontline of your business? It’s true that, as Barry S. Saltzman writes at Fast Company, “If your own employees write off your shiny new mission statement as just another marketing trick, so will your customers.”

So how to ensure that once you’ve zeroed in on a mission that your executive team loves, the rest of the company not only shares in the sentiment, but gets behind it?

Experts across the board all come back with the same advice: An authentic sense of purpose is key. Business Consulting firm Gap International’s white paper on the topic  offers this clear directive: “When leaders leverage purpose, it creates a competitive advantage that’s difficult or even impossible to replicate.”

3 steps to help your boardroom vision make it all the way to the front line:

1. Hire with attitude rather than aptitude in mind.

There are tangible results from developing a hiring process that embeds company philosophy into the process. Whether this is a focus on world-class customer service, or workplace excellence, it’s essential that each new recruit appreciates from day one the values that they’ll need to embody at the company. For example, although Disney hires janitors to ensure their theme parks remain clean, it’s not uncommon to see any employee picking up rubbish.

2. Timing matters – and so does a holistic approach.

How does a brand, armed with a purpose, motivate its employees to also believe in that purpose – even when they aren’t as passionate about the idea as the top brass?  It’s all about timing. The problem many companies face is rushing to unveil a mission statement. When this happens, anyone not involved feels like it’s come out of the blue. Therefore,  it’s important to recognise that transparency, such as bringing all staff into the conversation, goes a long way in making sure that everyone feels that it belongs to them.

For businesses trying to regain or redefine a sense of purpose, embedding new values into their culture takes both top-down and bottom-up efforts. Practices such as gathering feedback and taking the time to have conversations with staff at all levels about the newly envisioned company purpose mean you’ll be able to craft a new mission statement that arises organically from within.

3. Tell real stories rather than creating myths.

In 2013, Southwest Airlines began using storytelling in order to speak to the company’s core vision. The airline published accounts of employees who were doing exemplary work in its monthly Southwest magazine – offering public praise for excellent customer service exhibited by employees. Simultaneously, the company flipped the effort back to its workers by circulating videos filled with real-life stories of customers having outstanding experiences. The result? Southwest was able to create a loop of storytelling in which their employees could see the cause and effect of their efforts.