5 Strategy Communication Tips to Avoid the Big Pitfalls

5 Strategy Communication Tips to Avoid the Big Pitfalls
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Strategy Communication Tips
What good is a sound business strategy if your people don’t get it?  Wouldn’t it be great if there were some proven strategy communication tips to help avoid the most common communication mistakes?

Organizational Alignment Research
These strategy communication tips are based on our organizational alignment research which found strategic clarity accounts for 31% of the difference between high and low performing companies in terms of revenue growth, profitability, leadership effectiveness, customer loyalty, and employee engagement.

The Responsibility of Leaders
It is up to company leaders to ruthlessly clarify and effectively articulate the organization’s business strategy

  • Where the company is going
  • Why that direction is important
  • The specific path to get there

How Do You Know?
You will know when your strategy has been effectively communicated when it is:

  • Understood by all key stakeholders
  • Believed by those who must implement it
  • Actionable throughout the organization

Five Strategy Communication Tips
We have spent two decades working with leaders who understand the importance of actively transferring the business strategy from the C-suite to the shop floor. We have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly and have come to recognize how so many leaders unintentionally do a poor job communicating and cascading their business priorities through their organization.

Here are five strategy communication tips on how to avoid the pitfalls of miscommunicating your strategy.

  1. Do Not Overcomplicate Your Strategic Plans
    This is not the time to impress with high-flying vocabulary and complex sentences. The simpler and more authentic, the better. To rally the troops, your strategy should be uncomplicated and easy to grasp.

    Your strategy should focus only on the critical few things that matter most.  We like to put strategies on one page.  To see examples, download our one-page Strategy Communication Maps.
  2. Do Not Dictate Your Strategy
    The top-down approach does not work well in today’s flatter and faster organizations. To be broadly understood and accepted, your business strategy should be created collaboratively, not in the executive ivory tower.

    Include employees from different levels and different functions within the company to get their input and build their sense of ownership.

    When stakeholders are actively involved in the strategy design process, they will become advocates and help cascade the message throughout the organization.
  3. Do Not Assume Once is Enough When Communicating Strategic Priorities
    You may have planned a company-wide town hall to unveil your exciting new strategy strategy. But you can’t just make the grand announcement and then walk away. The message needs to be communicated multiple ways and reinforced, discussed and debated over time.

    Think active discussions, not passive communications, if you want to increase strategy commitment levels.
  4. Do Not Ignore More Up-to-Date Communication Tools
    Use all means possible to reach your employees when you communicate your strategic priorities. Communicating your strategy should go way beyond email.

    Why not use social media periodically and in attention-grabbing ways? Or use online simulations and contests to get the word out and receive feedback.
  5. Do Not Hold Back Resources
    Until your business strategy is effectively understood and believed throughout the organization, your chances of successful strategy execution are poor. Investing in your communication campaign is important.

    Strategy communication is not the place to save money. Invest sufficient funds to see that employees get it. Only then can they do what you want them to and run full speed ahead.

The Bottom Line
A poorly communicated strategy has little chance to be successful.  Follow these five strategy communication tips to improve your ability to execute your strategy across your organization.

Want more strategy communication tips?  Download Whitepaper – Is Your Strategy Really Clear Enough to Act?

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