A strategy that no one understands is just an expensive PDF.
Too often, strategic plans get made in silos, packed with vague buzzwords, and dropped onto desks and online without context. But when done right, your strategic plan can be the ultimate alignment tool, one that connects vision to action and strategy to communication. If you can achieve organizational alignment through your strategic planning, you create a foundation where every team member understands not just what the goals are—but why they matter and how to move them forward.
A strategic plan should be more than a polished document—it should be a living framework that guides decisions, inspires teams, and drives measurable progress. When organizations treat strategy as a shared language rather than a top-down directive, they unlock alignment across departments, roles, and initiatives. That alignment doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built through intentional engagement, clear translation of goals, and ongoing storytelling that connects the dots between vision and daily work.
The most effective plans are co-created with the people who will carry them out. That means involving diverse voices early, defining what success looks like in practical terms, and embedding the strategy into everyday conversations. Whether it’s through internal newsletters, team huddles, or leadership updates, repetition and relevance are key. Strategy becomes real when people see themselves in it—and when they understand how their work contributes to something bigger.
Where Plans Go Wrong:
- Created for funders, not internal champions
- Communicated only once (often in a boardroom and/or not to everyone)
- Written in language no one actually uses
How to Build Alignment Into the Process:
1. Co-create, don’t dictate: Involve staff, stakeholders, clients/members, and community voices from the beginning.
2. Translate into behaviours: Define what the strategy means for different teams day-to-day.
3. Tell the story, repeatedly: Reinforce goals through newsletters, town halls/presentations, webinars, social media, and other unique opportunities.
Strategy lives when it’s repeated, shared, and reflected in how people show up to work every day.
Let’s bring the big picture down to earth, where people can actually see themselves in it.
Chris
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