Best ways to communicate your organizational strategy effectively

Do you know that most employees generally fail to remember the strategy of the organization they work for? Even CEOs and managers in charge of strategy had difficulty, with one study finding that just 28% of them could name three strategic priorities. As alarming as this statistic appears, it is not at all surprising. Many organizations have way too many strategies, while others find it tough to communicate their strategy to their workforce effectively. So how does one ensure that they communicate their organizational strategy in the most effective manner? Let’s find out!

Creating an organizational strategic plan is no easy undertaking. It requires a lot of time and works from many people and teams. So, it’s critical that you don’t fail to communicate and explain that plan to your workforce and start the execution with the right method. 

Many businesses make mistakes when it comes to communicating their strategy. It can mean the difference between having a strategic plan and successfully executing it. If you get it right, your staff will understand exactly what you want to accomplish, why it’s important, how you’re going to accomplish it, how they can help, what they need to do, and when. It will give them a clear picture of where to direct their attention, energy, resources, and talents. So, the following are the most effective ways to ensure that your business strategy is communicated in the most effective manner.

Make your people a part of the process

This is definitely something to consider before you think of communicating the strategy. You need to involve your people as you develop and establish your strategy.  It’s about involving as many individuals as possible from across the organization in the process of developing your strategic plan itself. 

However, experts do not advocate involving everyone at every level. So, ensure to identify certain aspects of the strategy-building process that could be opened up to additional people from across the organization. This will also help you gather more understanding on how to convey the business strategy best so that every departmental team of your organization understands it.

Establish specific and measurable objectives

One of the most common mistakes businesses make is failing to set defined, quantifiable goals. It will be difficult to tell whether or not you achieved your aim if the output of a project is not measurable (even if there are no precise means to assess it). The best way to do this is to incorporate OKR software in your organization, as it enables you to establish certain objectives with measurable key results. 

For instance, the financial objectives can be the returns on the capital invested, sales targets, and revenue increase. At the same time, the objectives of the business can be launching a new product and expanding the size of the team. The marketing objectives can be boosting engagement on social platforms and increasing the awareness of your brand. Make sure to inform your people about certain metrics against whom the project’s success will be gauged.

Establish a culture of ownership 

Everyone participating in the strategy’s execution must have a clear picture of what their roles and responsibilities are. Individual contributors on your team are more likely to rise to the challenge when they have a strong feeling of ownership. Confusion regarding who owns what can lead to overlooked opportunities, productivity stumbling blocks, and a general absence of efficiency. 

One of the most effective ways to do this is by OKR software. As mentioned, it allows you to establish objectives and key results and assign them to a certain owner. Not just that, it will also help your employees understand why they are being given ownership of those certain objectives. The more information you can provide right away, the easier it will be for your team to get started.

Use transparency to empower your employees

The duty for communicating your strategy is frequently limited to only a few, based on two misconceptions: strategy is only the job of the top team, and strategy is too complex for others to communicate. Information is also limited due to two main misconceptions: too much detail would distract the people, and competitors can get an edge if they become aware of the plan.

This approach limits employees’, partners’, and other stakeholders’ ability to participate in, support, and deliver on the strategy. They want to hear from those with whom they work closely, not just the top staff, and they want to comprehend the big picture. One of the easiest ways to add transparency to your organization is through OKR software. An interactive dashboard helps you translate your strategy into goals and put it out there for everyone to see and work towards achieving.

Don’t miss out on the context

Another significant step for effectively communicating your strategy is to offer background context. Take people on a trip, tell a story, and demonstrate how you arrived at this specific set of strategic decisions. This will help them understand why this strategy is and stress its significance.

Displaying how you arrived at these strategic judgments will make the strategy feel less top-down and more like an order. You’re not simply asking folks to follow the plan blindly; you’re taking the time to explain why you’ve made these decisions. Just remember not to go too technical at this level; instead, stick to the most effective tools that are easy to use, such as OKR software that allows you to communicate your strategy effectively. 

Need more insights on communicating your strategy and ensuring it is executed in the most effective manner? Book a call with the experts today!