The way messages are communicated determines how they are received and responded to by audiences. This statement is applicable in a wide range of communication situations – personal, corporate, political and strategic. The success of corporate strategy rests partly upon the strength of its communication. If strategy is poorly communicated, expected outcomes are unlikely to be any better than what has been communicated. Communication serves as a metaphor of strategy and plays a significant role in generating commitment to organisational strategy and rallying people to activate its elements. This article highlights five aspects of strategy as communication which leaders and strategists should take note of.
Destination
Leaders must be able to clearly communicate the destination and vision attached to the strategy. Answers to basic strategy questions such as “where are we headed?” and “why have we opted to go in this direction?” should be neatly crafted and sent out with precision to all stakeholders. It is said that people don’t go on a journey unless they have clarity about the destination. While destinations may not always be known with certainty, leaders should communicate in ways that suggest certainty to the hearers.
Clarity of vision provides people who are on board something to look forward to instead of having vague concepts before them. Painting the picture of the destination also entails functioning like a GPS which is able to redirect its user if a wrong turn has been taken.
Inspiration
Communication should be blended with inspiration not bland messages. Inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. Yet, inspiration is not only what we receive in those eureka moments or flashes of brilliance. It is also how leaders can propel renewed thinking in others about ideas or courses of action. Communication of strategy that lacks inspiration will not reach into the hearts of people. Inspiration generates commitment and speaks to hearts not just brains.
Being able to inspire people is not the exclusive preserve of certain types of human beings. Rather, it can and should be learnt and practiced as part of strategy as communication. It is well known that the human neural systems that direct emotion and intellect are separate. Inspiration focuses on the emotions which can trigger action towards set objectives. Leaders are not to be manipulative but they ought to be aware of how emotions affect organizational outcomes.
Implementation
Implementation is a notably difficult aspect of strategy but this is commonly the result of inadequate communication. In communicating strategy, leaders have to give stakeholders specific direction about what needs to be done and how it is to be done. They know what is different from the knowhow and there cannot be knowhow without the know what. Strategy communication focuses on generating concise and simple messages about what the company wants to do and how it will be achieved.
When employees fully understand the what and the how, they ultimately produce a high level of execution success. People cannot act effectively on what they do not understand. Psychology professor, Mihaly Cziksentmihalyi suggests that if an organization creates rules and goals that are deeply compelling and properly matched to available skills, the likelihood of frequent high performance is elevated.
Repetition
Strategy as communication recognizes that the content of human memory fades without emphasis and repetition. Consequently, repetition is an important component of communicating strategy. Indeed, strategy communication should be so strongly repeated that stakeholders can make it like a corporate song or words that echo across the organization.
Leaders should not hesitate to repeat yesterday’s message today based on the feeling that they have said enough of it. Strategy, like teaching improves through emphasis. To reduce perceived boredom with repeated strategy messages, they can be articulated with different patterns and media channels. Fortunately, leaders are fully assisted today with technology to convey images, words, stories, and analogies. The communication can be in audio, video, social media and many other possible formats.
Exemplification
The German theologian Albert Schweitzer said: “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing”. Schweitzer’s words are relevant to communicating strategy. Exemplification is the most personal side of strategy communication and it is what leaders do which is demonstrated by their personal conduct and observable example. It measures how well the leaders exemplify the various facets of the strategy.
Constituents observe how leaders are personally connecting to the strategy by their actions. For instance, if the company is emphasizing a cost reduction strategy and the leaders are consistently acting to the contrary, such a message will not have a positive impact on its recipients. In addition to verbal messages, non-verbal communication, tone of voice, facial expressions and physical posture also tell of leaders’ convictions about strategy especially if matters are not going according to plan.
Closing note
To express strategy as communication, leaders should convey destination, provide inspiration, foster implementation, repeat messages and exemplify behaviours. These actions are not talking points but action points.
Weyinmi Jemide
