What strategy?

Do you know your organization’s strategy?

When speaking at a conference this week, I asked those gathered in the room to raise their hands if they knew the strategy of their respective organizations.

Only a few people did so. Moreover, most of those people sought out the strategy on their own – it was not communicated to them by the leadership team. How unfortunate. Apparently, based on this quick survey, leadership teams are often ineffective in communicating organizational strategy. 

Communication is the first step toward an effective implementation plan that, in turn, leads to successful achievement of strategic goals.

Research from The Brightline Initiative indicates that including staff in strategy discussions and development bolsters an organization’s overall success in implementing that strategy. The overarching principle? People are more likely to be engaged if they are included in the discussions about their company, their roles, and their contributions to meeting the company’s goals. 

If your organization does not have a plan for communicating strategy, first ask the leadership team, “What is our organizational strategy?”

After learning the answer to this primary question, here are some ways you can help your organization meet its goals.

•  Speak with your manager about how your role and responsibilities tie in to the overarching strategic plan.

•  If you are a manager, incorporate some of the strategic elements – vision, mission, core values, and strategic goals - in your staff meetings, and discuss how projects that are underway align with those elements.

•  Determine which projects in the portfolio are directly aligned with the strategic goals and ensure that those projects are appropriately prioritized.

•  Initiate a team discussion about the metrics associated with the prioritized projects to ensure that everyone understands what is being measured, how and when those measurements are being captured, and the impact of those measurements on the strategic goals.  

It can all start with one question. Ask the question. Ask today.