The 5 Ways to Communicate a Strategy Effectively

The 5 Ways to Communicate a Strategy Effectively

Communicating a strategy can be just as important as developing it.

Its timely communication and the team’s proper understanding of it are what determine whether its rollout and execution will achieve the expected results.

If only the leadership team and their closest collaborators understand it, and it does not drive the desired change in employees’ day-to-day actions, it will end up being just more corporate content that fails to resonate in people’s minds and decisions.

At Komunika, we design internal communication strategies that align business strategy, promote a strong culture, strengthen team engagement, and support transformation processes through a human and strategic approach. Learn more here.

With that in mind, here are 5 ways to communicate a strategy:

1. Provide context

Context is king when it comes to meaning. For a strategy to make sense, people need to understand the rationale behind the most important decisions, the diagnosis and environment in which we operate, and the attitudes we want to change, the threats we want to avoid, and the opportunities we aim to capture.

This looks different across each area of the business. What does the goal of winning more clients mean for the maintenance team? What is IT’s contribution to the pillar of improving talent attraction? Each strategic pillar must be translated according to the degree of contribution expected from different areas.

estrategia interna

2. Simplify and make it practical

This applies to any communication, but it is especially critical when it comes to strategy—particularly if we are sharing it with broader employee groups, including operators, sales teams, customer service staff, and others.

Avoid jargon and translate the message into simple language that everyone can understand.

“Avoid waste” is far clearer than “Maximize the use of raw materials and ensure compliance with circularity and waste recovery targets.”

3. Contrast it with what will not be done

A very useful way to help people understand strategic decisions is to contrast them with the decisions that will not be made, as Constantinos C. Markides and Andrew MacLennan note in Harvard Business Review.

For example: “We are not going to pursue institutional clients because we will leverage the customer service capacity we have recently built for small residential customers, who generally generate greater returns for the company.”

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4. Link it to a purpose

Understanding the why behind each pillar of the strategy is key to ensuring employees’ motivation and commitment to it.

Why do we do what we do? What are we seeking beyond generating higher revenues and lowering costs? Where are we headed?

This is especially important for younger generations in a highly competitive labor market for professionals who place greater value on an organization’s commitment to principles such as sustainability, quality of life, and social responsibility.

“We will achieve a clean operation with no impact on water sources if we [insert strategic pillar here].”

5. Involve employees

And finally, the queen of employee communication is to proactively and transparently seek employees’ involvement in the development, rollout, and feedback around the strategy.

Feeling part of something greater than their day-to-day tasks—and knowing they are contributing, as part of a group, to the achievement of broader goals—builds commitment and loyalty.

And you, what other actions would you suggest to improve how strategy is communicated within a company?

Fidel Salazar
Consulting Director
fsalazar@komunikalatam.com
LinkedIn: Fidel Salazar

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