The ability to communicate your vision is another essential skill for teams that want company-wide buy-in. Keep your vision simple by using minimal jargon, and try to explain it with a metaphor or analogy. These verbal pictures are a much better way to illustrate your goals than a long, technical description. Startups use this tactic all the time when explaining what they do: “Airbnb for boats,” ”Netflix for college books,” “Birchbox for dogs.”

Leverage your grassroots evangelists to help deliver the message in multiple formats, and be willing to explain the mission over and over. People will need to hear a your vision many, many times before it starts to sink in. But communication is more than what you say – make sure you’re also leading by example, because how you act is just as important as verbal reinforcement.

Lastly, be aware of any inconsistencies. If you talk about being nimble and agile; yet demand requirements that are exhaustive and unchanging, you need to address why this specific situation runs counter to the vision. Don’t forget communication two-way street, so these types of conversations should be receptive to your teammates’ positive and negative feedback.