Should the Strategy be Communicated? How Much? To Whom?

      
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			            	Karl Christensen
Strategy Consultant, Mexico
			            
Should the Strategy be Communicated? How Much? To Whom?

	          		Communicating strategy involves much more than talk. There are numerous pitfalls or issues which must be resolved for the strategy to be effectively communicated. For example, in some instances executives argue with good reason that to fully communicate the organization´s strategy is to court (Editor: ~attract) disaster. Thus, one CEO has a five year strategy which, when it is fully implemented, will mean severe disruption to a major subsidiary. He does not want to rock the boat prematurely. An energy company thought it wiser not to publicize its strategy because it would become a sitting duck for regulatory agencies.
Such reservations have merit. Discretion may indeed be the better part of valor. Fully communicating strategy may not always be in the best interest of the organization, especially where that strategy is sensitive. Each situation has its own constraints, There is no one formula guiding how much strategy to communicate. However, where limitations are put on communications, those limitations must be carefully considered. They may not only handicap a manager´s ability to keep decisions consistent with the overall strategy, but they may erode commitment to the organization.

Regardless of where you are on the strategy-communications continuum, from significant discretion to full disclosure, critical issues about communication must be allowed to surface and be resolved. What should be communicated about the strategy and where and when should it be said? How much should be said and to whom? Stockholders? Middle Managers? Supervisors? Employees? Union Leaders? Customers? Government? What forms should the communication take? Who should do the communicating?
These questions seem relatively straightforward, but recall the situation mentioned earlier in which a corporate strategy meant severe disruption to a major subsidiary.
				      
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						            	Erika Bellander
Management Consultant, Sweden
												
				                Strategy Communication

													I do not agree. I think the first issue is to HAVE (...)
				                
						            	Roman Walley
Management Consultant, United States
												
				                The Strategy Should Be Communicated. The 4Ps of William Bridges

													I disagree that you shouldn't communicate the stra (...)
				                
						            	Patrick Mulvey
Management Consultant, United States
												
				                Prudence is Appropriate in Communicating Strategy

													Karl, your premise is correct, in that prudence is (...)
				                
						            	Ted Garrison
Management Consultant, United States
												
				                Communicate the Strategy. No need for Secrecy

													@Patrick Mulvey: I agree, if you don't communicate (...)
				                
						            	Patrick Mulvey
Management Consultant, United States
												
				                Communicating the Strategy yes. But Prudently!

													Let's be clear: prudence means prudence. I don't b (...)
				                
						            	Alan Kennedy
												
				                The Focus of Communicating Strategy

													Maybe the point Mr Christensen is making is that a (...)
				                
						            	Tom Wilson
HR Consultant, United States
												
				                Strategy Should be Generally Broadcasted

													@Patrick Mulvey: As Lance Armstrong said: "our tra (...)
				                
						            	Makini
Business Consultant
												
				                Communication of Strategy in an Organisation is not Necessarily a CEO Job

													Following the discussion above, one feels that the (...)
				                
						            	Y Srinivas rao
Manager, India
												
				                When to Communicate Strategy (Timing)

													In my opinion TIMING is the determining factor for (...)
				                
						            	Albin Xavier
Manager, India
												
				                Generic and Specific Strategy Communication

													- Generic, basic tennets of the organization's str (...)
				                
						            	Dennis van der Spoel
Management Consultant, Netherlands
												
				                Communicating Strategic Positioning (Sinek's Golden Circle)

													You should discuss strategy with your own people.  (...)
				                
						            	GLADYS TIBALEKA
												
				                Communicating Strategy

													@Y Srinivas rao: I agree with you that communicati (...)
				                
						            	Frank
Manager, China
												
				                Internal Communication Plans Needed for Various Organizational Levels

													For such high level strategy, the company needs in (...)
				                
						            	RAKESH ARORA
Manager, India
												
				                Strategy Communication on a Need to Know Basis

													The answer does not lie in a Yes or No. Infact, th (...)
				                
						            	Pat Hannon
Lecturer, Ireland
												
				                Communicating a Strategic Plan is Critical for Foundations of Success

													In order to manage strategic change, communicating (...)
				                
						            	Olivier Riviere
Management Consultant, France
												
				                Communicating Only a Part of your Strategy is Often a Necessity

													By communicating a strategy, a set of tactics or p (...)
				                
						            	Wilf Marshall
CxO / Board, United Kingdom
												
				                Employees can also Provide INPUT for the Strategy

													Interesting debate but it is rather based on the i (...)
				                
						            	alonge
Teacher, Nigeria
												
				                Preparing the Communication of the Strategy

													Before actually communicating a strategy (or not!) (...)
				                
						            	Belay Gezahegn
Director, Ethiopia
												
				                Disclosure of Strategy

													Strategy is a sketched map that leads to a vision. (...)
				                
						            	Conroy Fourie
Coach, South Africa
												
				                Sometimes Not Communicating the Strategy is Called For

													Some years ago I ran a business and we communicate (...)
				                
						            	Andrea Kelly
												
				                Communicating Strategy is Important

													The communication of strategy is important to buil (...)
				                
						            	Barry Schaeffer
Consultant, United States
												
				                Strategy Communication

													I think we may be confusing Strategy and Tactics.
 (...)
				                
						            	Ngwashu kelvine
Manager, Cameroon
												
				                Communicating your Strategy Could Help Develop Organisational Framework

													McKinsey didn't make a mistake to include 7Ses in  (...)
				                
						            	Patrick Cauley
Manager, United States
												
				                Communication of Strategy is Power Behind Change

													In John Kotter's book “Leading Change”, he describ (...)
				                
						            	Gandhi Heryanto
Management Consultant, Indonesia
												
				                Support Communication of Strategy with Easy Data

													Michael Birshan and Jayanti Kar, in McKinsey Quart (...)
				                
						            	Tom Wilson
HR Consultant, United States
												
				                Communicating Strategy Through Purposing and Action Research

													@Gandhi Heryanto: Peter Vaiil recommends meeting e (...)
				                
						            	HAIDER ANWAR RASHID
												
				                Without Communication, Strategy Will Remain Wishful Thinking

													@Pat Hannon: Yes, a strategy is only as good as ex (...)
				                
						            	Andrew Blaine
Business Consultant, South Africa
												
				                Strategy: to Tell or not to Tell

													@Conroy Fourie:  In my opinion, the step you took  (...)
				                
						            	Ofwono Willy Osinde
Project Manager, Uganda
												
				                Caution in Communication Strategy is Advisable

													I agree that every organisation must have a strate (...)
				                
						            	Alan Kennedy
												
				                To Communicate the Strategy we first Need to Understand it...

													Communicating the why's, how's, and what's of stra (...)
				                
						            	Arif ur Rehman
Professor, Pakistan
												
				                Upping the Communication of Strategy

													STRATEGY begs, nay demands, that it be based on si (...)
				                
						            	Tom Wilson
HR Consultant, United States
												
				                Upping the Communication of Strategy

													@Arif ur Rehman: Well, yeah. MBO is another term f (...)
				                
						            	LEAH LYNDA I. STA ANA
Student (MBA), Philippines
												
				                Communicating Strategy

													Strategy should be communicated. As to why how and (...)
				                
						            	Tom Wilson
HR Consultant, United States
												
				                COMMUNICATING STRATEGY

													@LEAH LYNDA I. STA ANA:  A mission statement is pr (...)
				                
						            	jorge anibal hoyos hoyos
Manager, Colombia
												
				                ... Then what About Coordination?

													If the strategy is not communicated clearly and cl (...)
				                
						            	anil aggarwal
Teacher, India
												
				                Communicating the Strategy- the Essential Step while Implementing Strategy

													The communication of appropriate information (stra (...)
				                
						            	Andrew Blaine
Business Consultant, South Africa
												
				                Vision ≠ Mission ≠ Strategy ≠ Tactics

													When describing the difference between strategy an (...)
				                
						            	Dennis van der Spoel
Management Consultant, Netherlands
												
				                Golden Circle is a Start

													@Dennis van der Spoel: The Golden Circle is a star (...)
				                
						            	Arif ur Rehman
Professor, Pakistan
												
				                Essentials of Communicating Strategy

													Top management must design the business plan and f (...)
				                
						            	Arif ur Rehman
Professor, Pakistan
												
				                Delivering the Mission Statement

													Dear all: a mission statement -- compact proclamat (...)
				                
						            	zulganef sutan sati
												
				                Strategy Must be Communicated

													@Erika Bellander: How could you differentiate betw (...)
				                
						            	Erika Bellander
Management Consultant, Sweden
												
				                Breaking Down Strategy Communication

													@Zulganef sutan sati: The breakdown will look at t (...)
				                
						            	Belay Gezahegn
Director, Ethiopia
												
				                Communicate the Strategy, Not the Tactics

													I think strategy and tactics are confused here. Th (...)
				                
						            	dev chandra
Management Consultant, India
												
				                Communicate the Strategy, not the Plan / Tactics

													Instead of getting into the semantics of strategy  (...)
				                
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