First of all, invest in strategy communication. Understanding the company strategy is a prerequisite for executing it − 95% of all employees do not understand their organisation’s strategy! Here are some tips:
1. Capture the imagination
Start with an inspiring vision to really capture the imagination. There is a big difference between explaining and ensuring that people understand. Summarise the vision in an elevator pitch, enabling everyone to re-phrase it and to tell the story to friends and family. An inspiring vision will create a sense of ownership, commitment and energy among your people.
2. Systematic + mix
Continue to communicate in a systematic way and use a blend of communication methods. Organise bottom-up feedback. Personal communication has the most impact.
3. Involve all management levels
Make sure all management levels participate in the communication process. 85% of executive teams spend less than one hour a month discussing and communicating strategy.
4. Communicate about the progress
Communicate progress on a continuous basis. Connect with reality. Share best practices, but do not mask bad messages.
A second lever is making the vision a reality at all levels of the organisation. Unlock strategic potential. How?
5. Translate strategy
Ensure that employees know what is expected of them by translating overall strategy into concrete objectives and actions for their business unit.
6. Create involvement
Invite participation and create involvement. Strategy Execution is based on a process of empowering and creating ownership throughout the organisation. Make sure people get real development opportunities. Stimulate learning and enable people to grow when executing strategy. Encourage initiatives and allow people to make mistakes.
7. Answer the question “What’s in it for me?”
Make sure that everyone understands his/her contribution. Show how individual work contributes to the execution of the strategy. There must be a fit between organisational goals and personal goals. Here comes the question: what’s in it for me? No answer, no action.
