Getting your strategy right is only the start, the real challenge is implementing the strategy, ensuring every person throughout your company is taking complete ownership of the strategy and is fully engaged in doing their best to implement it.
The first step in strategy implementation is communicating the strategy to the wider team. One of our clients has taken a simple and personal approach to this. This week the senior management team held strategy speed dating sessions with employees. Over a day the executive team spent about 5 minutes with each person or small group from different divisions and shared the company vision and 12 month strategy. What I like most about this approach is that it makes strategy simple and personal.
One of the challenges leaders have is to take a strategy that has more than likely taken months to develop and communicate it concisely within minutes to employees working at all levels of an organisation. When we use too many words there is a greater chance for the message to become unclear and you may lose the essence of the message. By keeping the initial message simple, the communication is more likely to be consistent with multiple people delivering the message and will ensure greater clarity and focus.
For an employee such an approach is a great opportunity to get to know the leaders of the company, share their thoughts and ask questions to help clarify what they can do in their day to day activities to help deliver the outcomes. For the Leaders it’s a great way to motivate and inspire employees, connect with people at all levels of the organisation and gain immediate feedback on strategy implementation.
Overall this simple approach increases ownership and accountability by role model behaviours, creating enthusiasm for the vision, demonstrating senior team alignment and gaining immediate feedback on commitment to the strategy.
