Communicating Your Business Strategy
Who really gets it? According to research by Renaissance Solutions, 85% of management teams spend less than one hour a month on strategy issues, and only 5% of the workforce understand their company's overall direction. In a recent survey by Mercer HR, employees cited “lack of direction” and “lack of support” as the major barriers to change. If you could raise that 5% level of awareness to 20% or even 50%, what would it be worth -- in terms of productivity and efficiency, innovation or a sense of ownership? Could change in your organization be made any easier if employees were genuinely able to “get it, support it, and act on it?” Employee communication is a critical tool for enabling organizations of all types to gain competitive advantage. How? By managing information and learning systematically so that workers truly understand how to connect their day-to-day actions with business strategy priorities. This means that workers can say “yes” to these two questions:
Begin with a solid communication planEffective strategy communications can mean the difference between success or failure, whether your organization is involved in a major business expansion, acquisition of another firm, or a change in business focus. Headwinds Ltd.’s communication model illustrates a sound process for communicating business strategy.  I4 Communication Process Our business strategy communications are grounded in research, fortified through adult-learning principles, and driven through a proprietary model we call the I4 Process. The model is represented in four steps: 1. Investigating – We want to understand the direction of the business, the key priorities, and the learning needs of employees and managers before communication begins.2. Informing – Using adult-learning principles, we develop communication approaches designed to create maximum impact with employees and managers. 3. Influencing – Key influencers within the organization model change requirements and lead by example. 4. Involving – People are more likely to participate in a given change if they can influence the outcome. How Headwinds Ltd. can help We offer a wide range of communication services including:
Want to Know How Your Firm Employees who are well informed about your business direction can contribute more to your firm's priorities. Contact us today to arrange a time to schedule a no-obligation, confidential conversation to discuss how to better communicate your business strategy. Click here to contact us today. The Business Planning Process
Business Planning Step By Step |
Communicating business strategy to gain understanding and buy-in is essential to effective plan implementation. In the small to medium sized business segment, most firms only achieve about 65% of their annual plan. Generally the reason is ineffective strategy communication.
