On my way into work this morning, I passed by a house that was being built and I was reminded and reinforced of something we learned a long time ago.

It's the boring stuff, the stuff you don't really see once the house is built, that allows the house to be what it is. It's absolutely critical to the house being what it is - but you don't really see or think about it on a day-to-day basis.

In other words: It's not paint; it's not decorative lights; it's not light switches; it's not plumbing fixtures; it's not a finished basement or a beautiful back deck with landscaping.

It's blue paper with lines on it. It's concrete. It's 2x4's. Boring stuff. Critical stuff.

Your organization is no different.

Twitter might be fun. Billboards might be a sign of how established your brand is. Facebook might show you quick response. TV ads might grow your recognition. But then there's the "boring stuff". The stuff you don't think about a lot.

Mission statement. Vision statement. Brand positioning. Customer support processes/policies.

The difference between your house and your organization though, is that the boring stuff in your house keeps doing its job even when you don't think about it.

In your organization, the boring stuff desperately needs your attention.

Andrew VanderPloeg Guest Blogger, Consultant

Andrew served at Bark for over 20 years before recently taking over the role of Vice President of Marketing & Communications at ShareWord, one of our favorite organizations.