Why Strategy Comms Often Fail

Many organisations develop thoughtful strategies but struggle to explain them clearly. In many cases, the problem isn’t the strategy itself. It’s more likely that the narrative behind it hasn’t been fully articulated.

You’ve invested weeks, maybe months, of leadership time and energy developing your strategy. The leadership team can recite the market analysis backwards, you’ve collectively defined strategic priorities, and you’ve all agreed on the right direction for the business.

When the time comes to communicate that strategy more widely, though, something often feels slightly off. You and your leaders have been steeped in the strategy for so long that you struggle to explain it clearly from first principles. Employees may hear the message but still feel uncertain about what it really means, particularly for them as individuals. To make things even more confusing, different parts of the organisation may begin describing the strategy in different ways.

This is a common experience in organisations, and it rarely happens because the strategy itself is flawed. More often, the issue is that the story behind the strategy hasn’t been fully articulated.

When the story isn’t clear, explanations vary

An easy way to test the clarity of your strategy is to ask several leaders to explain it. If the narrative behind the strategy is clear, the explanations will be broadly similar. Leaders may use slightly different language, but the core story will be consistent.

When leaders struggle to explain a strategy clearly, the issue is often not the strategy itself but the narrative behind it.

When the narrative hasn’t been clearly defined, however, the explanations tend to vary. One leader may emphasise growth, another may focus on efficiency, while someone else talks enthusiastically about innovation or culture. Each interpretation may reflect core elements of the strategy, but the overall picture becomes blurred.

Employees hearing about it for the first time could feel confused about what really matters. And over time, even small differences can create confusion about priorities and direction.

Strategy documents are not the same as strategy narratives

Many organisations communicate strategy through documents, presentations, or detailed frameworks. These materials are valuable, but they don’t always translate easily into the conversations leaders have with their teams.

A strategy deck might contain a set of priorities, initiatives, and metrics. What leaders often need, however, is a clear and coherent story that helps people understand:

• Where the organisation is going

• Why that direction matters

• What it means for the business and its people

Without that narrative, strategy communication can feel overly complex or abstract. Remember, you’ve been steeped in it for ages. Your employees have probably been hearing that a strategy or change is on its way, and they’re coming to it cold. 

Why narrative clarity matters

When the story behind a strategy is clear, leaders can communicate the direction much more consistently.

Instead of trying to interpret a set of priorities, they can explain a simple and shared narrative about your organisation’s future. That narrative provides a foundation for communication across the organisation, helping employees understand both the direction and the reasoning behind it.

This doesn’t replace the strategy itself. Rather, it helps bring the strategy to life in a way that people can understand and remember.

A shared story for the organisation

Strategy communication works best when leaders are aligned not only on the strategic priorities but also on the narrative they use to explain them. When that story is clear, leadership communication becomes simpler, more consistent, and more credible. Employees are better able to understand the organisation’s direction and how their day-to-day work contributes to it.

In many cases, the difference between a strategy that feels confusing and one that feels clear is simply the presence of a well-articulated narrative behind it.

If you’re working through a strategy or organisational change and finding it difficult to explain the message clearly, it may be worth taking a step back to clarify the story behind it.