A rallying call is like the Mingun Bell in Burma or a lightning rod that strikes and lights an organic fire. When rung, or the impact of the strike informs, it kick starts momentum, fuels inspiration and motivation and strengthens cohesiveness for vision, values, and actions to thrive in people, teams, and organizations.

Rallying calls make the best use of the organization’s talent and stakeholders, its processes, and systems. Most of all, rallying calls align and connect a company’s culture, products, and services to its targeted audience, which in turn, guides, aligns and triggers consumers to become loyal customers with the brand.

It is important to understand that a rallying call is a theme and not a goal. For the energy to create momentum, a rallying call must have the full agreement and commitment of all team members. If not, you need to go back to the drawing board.

How do you make use of the power a rallying call has to unify and motivate teams, employees, stakeholders, and consumers? Some say a rallying call is almost magical. It is that group of words, or a phrase, that magnetically aligns the right people, grabs the attention of the masses, and makes people adopt and accept it as a must-have, and most importantly, moves people to take action, change habits and create new norms. It cements the opportunity for lasting and positive change, maximizing things that really matter.

Five Questions to Formulate A Rallying Call

1. Why do we exist?
2. How do we behave (two to three behavioral values that make a good fit)?
3. What business are we in and know well?
4. How are we going to succeed (defining objectives and standard operating objectives)?
5. What is the most important thing we are doing right now (present to the next six months)?

These questions should lead your team to a “right-now” resolution. If you find your team struggling still, go back and spend more time discussing and debating the responses. Sort through the assumptions, wants, desires and the need to get to the one or two most important things. Sometimes it takes awhile to realize and agree. Give your team the time it needs until all members are stacking their hands and yelling “go team!”

Task the most creative talent on the team with designing your new rallying call poster. Share it, say it, remind your team of the one thing they need to be working on right now for success. The rallying call allows leaders and teams the change to focus on that one thing to make sure it doesn’t fail.

Five Benefits of A Rallying Call

1. Clarity and focus that directionally align to build momentum for success and to know what to say “no” to and what is not important.
2. Sense of urgency for expected results.
3. Shared and unified commitment, accountability, and responsibility.
4. Collective effectiveness, trust, and loyalty.
5. Solves the problems of silos and dysfunctional teams.

The cost benefit of energy and time spent getting your team unified, aligned, and motivated will be the advantage that will shift your team to enhanced employee engagement, more effective leadership, and improved organization cultural health.

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