Strategy Deployment: The dreaded "C" word

If any of us had a dollar (yes, or a loonie) any time we asked or were asked how we'd like ourselves, or our teams, to perform better, how often would the answer be that dreaded "C" word? I know I'd have enough for a nice meal.

Communicating company strategy effectively ensures employees understand it, align with it, and execute the company’s shorter-term goals. A well-communicated strategy will foster engagement, improve decision-making, and enhance performance at all levels. But that’s not enough! It must be understandable and relatable and give all employees direction on where they are going and how to provide support.

Various frameworks such as Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), Balanced Scorecard (BSC), and Hoshin Kanri provide structured ways to translate strategy into goals. However, how these goals are communicated determines their success. This article explores the most effective communication methods, their pros and cons, and best practices for reaching teams at different levels of an organization.

Key Communication Methods

Town Halls

Town hall (all hands) meetings are large-scale gatherings where leadership communicates strategy to the entire organization. They are an opportunity to share progress, address concerns, and reinforce company culture.

Pros:

· Allows leadership to communicate directly with employees.

· Encourages transparency and alignment.

· Provides an opportunity for Q&A sessions.

· Creates a sense of unity and shared purpose.

Cons:

· One-way communication if not structured well.

· Large audiences may make it difficult for everyone to participate.

· Employees may hesitate to ask critical questions.

Best Practices:

· Use a mix of presentations, Q&A sessions, and interactive elements; including games or trivia.

· Keep it simple!

· Record meetings for those unable to attend.

· Follow up with a summary and action items.

Team Meetings

Smaller team meetings allow for more interactive discussions on how the company’s strategy applies to specific departments.

Pros:

· More focused and relevant to team functions.

· Encourages discussion and feedback.

· Allows managers to clarify how strategy impacts daily operations.

Cons:

· Can become disconnected if not aligned with the overall strategy.

· Can introduce silos between functions and departments.

· Requires strong facilitation to remain effective.

Best Practices:

· Ensure managers are well-briefed on strategic messages.

· Encourage open discussions on implementation challenges.

· Schedule regular check-ins to track progress.

1:1 Meetings

One-on-one meetings between employees and managers offer personalized discussions on how the strategy affects individual roles.

Pros:

· Ensures clarity on personal contributions to company goals.

· Provides a private forum for addressing concerns.

· Enhances engagement through personalized guidance.

Cons:

· Time-intensive for managers.

· Strategy messaging may become inconsistent if managers interpret it differently.

Best Practices:

· Provide managers with clear talking points.

· Use these meetings to connect individual goals with company strategy.

· Document discussions for alignment.

Skip-level (/Birthday club) Meetings

Smaller cross-functional meetings, often with informal leaders who carry influence, allow for more interactive discussions on the company’s strategy and goals.

Pros:

· Provides for multiple perspectives from different departments.

· Encourages discussion and feedback.

· Allows senior leadership to clarify how strategy impacts daily operations.

· Can gain buy-in with these informal leaders to carry the message.

Cons:

· Can get one-sided if one or two people dominate the discussion.

· Can become too tactical, discussing day-to-day issues.

· Requires strong facilitation to remain effective.

Best Practices:

· Rotate amongst different staff to ensure a balance of feedback is heard

· Encourage open discussions on implementation challenges.

· Schedule regular check-ins and updates to share progress.

Internal Newsletters & Email Updates

Regularly distributed newsletters and emails inform employees about strategic updates, key milestones, and company initiatives.

Pros:

· Scalable and easy to distribute.

· Opportunity to have some fun with games and trivia.

· Provides written reference material.

· Allows for frequent updates.

Cons:

· Passive communication with limited interaction.

· May be overlooked among other emails.

Best Practices:

· Keep updates concise and engaging.

· Use visuals and success stories to reinforce key messages.

· Ensure a call to action for further engagement.

Company Intranet & Digital Platforms

A centralized intranet or digital workplace is a repository for strategic documents, updates, and discussions.

Pros:

· Accessible anytime, anywhere.

· Encourages self-service learning.

· Provides a structured way to document strategy.

Cons:

· Requires active engagement from employees.

· Can become cluttered if not well-organized.

Best Practices:

· Ensure a user-friendly interface with search capabilities.

· Regularly update content to keep it relevant.

· Encourage discussions through forums or comment sections.

Training & Workshops

Interactive training sessions help employees understand strategic frameworks and their role in execution.

Pros:

· Hands-on learning enhances comprehension.

· Facilitates discussions and real-world application.

· Encourages cross-functional collaboration.

Cons:

· Time-consuming and resource-intensive.

· Effectiveness depends on facilitator quality.

Best Practices:

· Use actual case studies and examples.

· Follow up with actionable steps.

· Reinforce learning with ongoing refresher sessions.

Visual Dashboards & Scorecards

Displaying progress through dashboards and performance scorecards (often resembling the deployment framework chosen) helps teams stay informed on strategic execution.

Pros:

· Provides real-time insights.

· Encourages accountability through visibility.

· Simplifies complex data.

Cons:

· Requires investment in technology.

· Can be ineffective if not actively used.

Best Practices:

· Ensure data is updated regularly.

· Align dashboards with team and individual KPIs.

· Make dashboards accessible and easy to interpret.

Informal Communication & Social Channels

Platforms such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or internal social networks enable ongoing discussions about strategy.

Pros:

· Encourages continuous engagement.

· Enables real-time feedback and discussion.

· Creates a collaborative culture.

· More apt to keep younger generations informed.

Cons:

· Risk of misinformation if not monitored.

· Can become noisy and overwhelming.

· Can miss some of the audience.

Best Practices:

· Create dedicated channels for strategic discussions.

· Use pinned messages and announcements to highlight key information.

· Encourage leadership participation.

Best Practices for Effective Strategy Communication

To maximize the impact of strategy communication, organizations should consider the following best practices:

1. Use a Multi-Channel Approach: Employees engage with information differently - multiple generations exist in the workplace today and for decades. Combining town halls, team meetings, digital platforms, and one-on-ones ensures broad coverage.

2. Ensure Consistency Across Channels: Strategy messages should remain uniform across all mediums to prevent confusion.

3. Encourage Two-Way Communication: Employees should have opportunities to provide feedback and ask questions.

4. Empower Managers as Communicators: Equip middle managers with the tools to translate company strategy into departmental actions.

5. Make Strategy Communication an Ongoing Effort: Avoid treating strategy communication as a one-time event. Regular reinforcement is key.

6. Measure Effectiveness: Use surveys, engagement metrics, and performance indicators to assess the impact of your strategy communication efforts.

   
   

Conclusion

Communicating a company’s strategy and goals requires a blend of structured frameworks and well-executed communication methods. You must be adaptable to which methods work the best and understand the dynamics and demographics of your employees. It will not be a one-size-fits-all solution for all companies or all departments. Reaching employees through diverse channels ensures alignment and engagement. Combining town halls for transparency, team meetings for context, 1:1s for personalization, and digital tools for accessibility creates a comprehensive approach. By fostering ongoing dialogue and ensuring clarity at every level, organizations can execute successfully and empower their teams to contribute meaningfully to business objectives.