Since launching “The PATH to Strategic Impact,” I’ve been collecting results from the (anonymous) online self-assessment included in the book.
One of the questions is this:
“Can team members (at all levels) articulate the strategy in their own words without losing its essence?”
Less than 3 out of 10 participants answered “yes” to that question (28.6% to be precise).
Think about that. In the vast majority of companies, the team doesn’t know what the strategy really is.
It gets worse. Another question asks:
“Are team members able to independently translate the strategy into actions without having to consult leadership?”
21.4% answered “yes” to that one.
In 4 out of 5 companies, the team doesn’t understand what the strategy means for the everyday choices they need to make.
I bet that’s hardly a surprise for you.
But then again, if the gap is so obvious, why does it persist?
It’s certainly not because leaders don’t care.
Or because teams are incapable.
It’s because communicating a strategy to make it actionable actually takes more effort than most of us realize.
As leaders, we know the strategy inside out. It’s obvious to us. It’s tempting to assume that communicating it will be just as straightforward.
But it’s not. To the team, it isn’t obvious.
The language of the boardroom just doesn’t cut it.
We need to speak their language, make it actionable, and find heartfelt words that transcend the dry & corporate language of most strategy documents.
Here’s the good news: this is solvable.
It’s why I wrote “The PATH to Strategic Impact” … to give you the tools to bridge the gap and turn your team into a strategic force.
If you want 2025 to be the year your strategy finally makes an impact, the holidays might be the perfect time to give it a read. (It’s a short read and very actionable with plenty of case studies and extensive online resources to get you started.)
You’ve already done the hard part—building the strategy. Now it’s time to make it work.
PS: Want to quickly assess how your communication stacks up? Here’s the 2-minute self-assessment.
