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:
What issues do you face in communicating strategy?Communicating business strategy can be a real challenge, yet some companies do it flawlessly. What issues does your firm face in communicating strategy and how do you deal with them? 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.
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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.
