State of the Company

Author

Mike Jones
April 30, 2026

State of the Company

Read time - 8 minutes

How to Hold a Great State of the Company Address

I work with high-growth companies every day, and one of the core things I teach them is to establish a shared vision for the organization.

We spend multiple days together laying out:

  • Who they are at the core

  • Why they exist

  • Who their customer is

  • What their long, medium, and short term plan are

  • What issues they need to resolve

We do this at the executive team level first, and after a few days together I get them 100% on the same page with where they’re going and how they’re going to get there.

It’s awesome.

The only problem? This is just the first part of a shared vision. The next, and maybe most important part?

They need to share the vision with the rest of the company!

This is where the magic happens, and surprisingly is where leaders sometimes get hung up:

  • Do they need to know all this?

  • Should I share my financial information to everyone?

  • Do they care about the plan?

  • They’re busy, is it worth taking their time for this?

These are all questions I hear when I push teams to share their plan with the whole company. They’re understandable fear based questions most people face.

And the answer is simple - everything will go better if everyone shares your vision.

There are many reasons this works, but the most simple is - if everyone knows where the company is going and can see themselves as part of it, you’re more likely to get there.

This is where the State of the Company meeting comes in.

The State of the Company (SOC) address is a quarterly meeting designed to align your entire organization, celebrate wins, and communicate the Vision and progress toward achieving company goals. It's a key touchpoint for keeping the team engaged and on the same page.

This is meant to be conducted every quarter, immediately after setting the next 90 day plan in your company. It’s a short and efficient way to get everyone together and reinforce culture, celebrate wins and learn from losses with transparency and vulnerability, reinforce the company’s vision, and share the plan, so everyone can internalize who the company is, where it’s going, and want to be part of it.

Below is a short layout of how it works.

Most teams overthink this. While a big event is fine, it doesn’t need to be a massive undertaking and the key is to just get started. People won’t internalize anything the first time around anyways, but after a few quarters things will start to click.

Timing & Duration:

  • When: Every 90 days

  • Duration: 60-90 minutes

Who Should Attend:

  • All employees – Full company alignment comes when everyone is present.

  1. Welcome (5-10 minutes)

    • Thank the team for their hard work.

    • Energize with opening remarks from the Visionary or Integrator.

  2. Review the Previous Period (20-25 minutes)

    • Quarterly Meeting: Discuss progress on last quarter’s Rocks.

      • What was achieved and what wasn’t?

      • Key wins and Scorecard results.

    • After the Annual Meeting: Review progress toward 1-Year Plan objectives.

  3. Review the Vision (15 minutes)

    • Walk through the Vision/Traction Organizer (VTO), including:

      • Core Values and Core Focus

      • 10-Year Target

      • 3-Year Picture

      • Updated 1-Year Plan (if applicable)

  4. Introduce New Rocks and Goals (15-20 minutes)

    • Communicate Rocks and key company priorities for the upcoming quarter.

    • Set expectations for measurable targets on the Scorecard.

  5. Issues and Q&A (10-15 minutes)

    • Discuss challenges the company is facing or key issues that require attention.

    • Provide time for open Q&A to address concerns and build trust.

  6. Celebrate Wins & Close with Inspiration (10 minutes)

    • Recognize key contributions tied to Core Values.

    • Visionary or Integrator wraps up with a message of motivation, tying progress to the long-term Vision.

Pro Tips:

  • Maintain transparency: Be honest about both wins and challenges.

  • Incorporate storytelling: Share personal stories tied to the company’s Core Values.

  • Don’t skip celebrating: Acknowledge successes, big or small.

Doing this is one of the most effective tools for building a great company.

If you don’t do this, I highly recommend making it a priority in the next 90 days to get started.

Your team and your performance will thank you.