How many of your employees know your company strategy? According to research only 5% of the workforce understands.  Since today’s companies must compete in a rapidly changing, global climate, it is more necessary than ever to involve and inform all employees in the strategy development and communication processes. Why?  Because it is the workers who must execute on strategy.

To enable the execution of strategy, most companies use a framework to describe it.  A strategy map is an excellent tool for outlining strategy on a conceptual level, and showing the “big picture.” In the balanced scorecard world, the first editions of strategy maps looked rather terrible. I call them “spaghetti maps” since they contained cause and effect lines all over and they were poor at clearly communicating their intended message. The “next generation” of maps began to focus more on strategic themes.  These did not contain the strong “one to one” cause and effect lines. These kinds of maps are more clearly laid out and are more easily readable. Over the last few years I have observed the evolution of more artistic maps where creativity plays an important role in the communication process. For example, a university uses a chalk on blackboard design to describe its strategy. These modernized maps (which are often communicated via the web) can also be combined with audio and video media to further personify the communication process, resulting in a voice and face explaining and outlining strategy.

I have also seen how important it is to use strategy maps in combination with “strategic destination statements.” These are used to describe a desired state of where your company should be in the future (3, 5, 10 years). This is also a visioning process about future opportunities, capabilities, directions, and goals that is concrete, rather than comprised of hollow or fluffy words. If you involve your workers in this process, they will not only be informed, but they are more likely to take responsibility and to own the strategy. This greatly improves the success of strategy implementation.

Author : Tor Inge Vasshus

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