We all know the importance of a solid business strategy. Knowing what you want to achieve and how you plan to get there is fundamental to success. 

Yet, especially in smaller businesses or those with a start-up mentality, it can be more common for the business plan to be stored safely in the brain of the MD or founder instead of written down and, if it is documented, how many people have access to it? 

Key here is whether or not your employees are aware of the medium to long-term goals of the organization. Do they have the information they need to share in your vision and goals? If not, there’s small chance you’ll achieve them. 
Covid has presented leaders with a host of new challenges, and immediate ones at that, so thinking about how a business strategy is communicated may be lower on the agenda right now. But in a world where maintaining regular face-to-face contact is more difficult and teams are working in isolation, not focusing everyone’s goals on one core vision could be asking for trouble. 

Your organisation’s purpose, its vision and its values define your culture - whether that’s in-office or remote - and these are the pillars for which success are built. And this is where internal communications have become so important PC (post-Covid). 

But how do you go about sharing your strategic plan? Here are five things to remember:

Know your audience

How you communicate your business plan will likely depend upon the size and scope of your audience. The level of detail shared with a management tier may be different to entry-level workers, and it’s also worth remembering that changes can be received negatively and some reassurances may be required. Using a comms plan can help strategise how you communicate with different audiences within your organisation. 

What’s the story?

Storytelling is powerful across all forms of business, from marketing and sales to, of course, internal communications. Sharing the history of your organisation, where it started, how it got to where it is and the lessons learned along the way will add credibility and connect your people more closely to the future goals your organisation has.

Seek meaningful connections

People don’t like to feel lectured to, especially if they’ve taken part in pulse surveys or appraisals and don’t feel like their voice is being heard of suggestions acted upon. Your business strategy is more likely to land with your people if you show exactly how their interventions have contributed to the goals and visions of the future and any changes that are being made. This will turn employees from innocent bystanders or casual observers into invested and committed people. 

The detail matters

As noted in the first point, the level of detail conveyed may change depending on the audience. Do you need all those fancy business acronyms or technical terms? Detail in the case of a business strategy also includes additional depth to your plans. What are the potential barriers and likely challenges? How will outcomes be measured? What timelines are involved? 

Maintain the flow of communication

Communicating your business strategy shouldn’t be a hand grenade moment. Don’t fire the email and run! Look to gather feedback and schedule meetings to specifically discuss the plan in person, perhaps with line managers or team leaders. Doing this helps clarify plans, enables employees to seek clarification and ultimately, helps the strategy be absorbed and actioned. 

But most importantly, maintain the flow of information. We have the plan, so how far along the strategic road have we got? Let your people know daily efforts are contributing towards long-term success.