When was the last time you felt truly engaged and committed to a strategic plan at work?
Many leaders struggle with team alignment with strategic goals, leaving employees disengaged or unclear on how their work connects to the bigger picture.
Chances are, if you were fully engaged, you had a clear understanding of how your team’s goals connected to the bigger organizational picture. Maybe you were directly involved in creating the plan, shaping its direction, or providing crucial feedback. You likely felt a sense of ownership because you saw your ideas, hopes, and dreams for your team and the organization reflected in that plan. You had the context, your voice was heard, and you understood how the plan evolved.
But how often does that happen for everyone in the organization?
Bringing Your Team Along the Journey
How do you ensure your team feels engaged and committed to the plan, even when they weren’t directly involved in shaping the plan? Getting employees to care about strategy requires more than just a well-written document—it’s about connection and clarity. It comes down to three key elements:
Time, Good Questions, and Good Translation.
1. Give Your Team Time
We’ve all seen it: the leadership team spends months crafting a strategic plan, perfecting a presentation, hoping to generate excitement and engagement—only to be met with silence when they ask, “Any questions or feedback about the plan?” They wait for a few seconds, hear nothing, and then move on, eager to fill the uncomfortable silence. They might even end with, “My door is always open if you think of any feedback or questions later,” but often hear nothing in return.
The reality is, if you don’t give your team enough time to absorb the strategic plan, they won’t be able to engage meaningfully. How to communicate a strategic plan to employees isn’t just about presenting it—it’s about creating space for dialogue and ownership. Here’s a different approach to consider:
- Provide a copy of the strategic plan ahead of time so those who need more time to process can review it in advance.
- Give your team multiple opportunities to engage with the plan. For example, you might introduce the plan in one meeting, then follow up in the next meeting with a quick summary and more time for discussion. (See the next section for some questions to facilitate that conversation.)
- Let next-level leaders process the plan with their own teams. They can gather feedback and address questions in smaller, more comfortable settings. Sometimes, people feel safer speaking up in a smaller team meeting than in a big town hall with senior leadership.
- If you’re a middle manager or frontline leader, recognize the critical role you play. Make space in your own team meetings for these conversations, and ensure you’ve done your part to become fully engaged and committed to the plan. Resolve any lingering questions or doubts you have by talking to your own leader about them first.
- If you have next level leaders reporting up to you, take the time to help them process, interpret, and understand the plan and how it applies to them and their team specifically. They are the connective tissue of your organization. They are the connective tissue of your organization. Investing time and energy to ensure they are fully engaged and confident in supporting the plan can make a huge difference.
2. Use Good Questions to Spark Conversation
Instead of the typical “Do you have any questions?”—which can feel vague and intimidating—try these prompts to foster a more thoughtful discussion:
- “What do you notice in the plan? What stands out to you?”
- “How do you feel about this plan? What emotions come up when you review it?”
- “What does this plan mean for your work? How might it impact your day-to-day?”
- “What support would you need to implement this plan? What questions do you have about your role in executing it?”
Consider using tools like live polling apps (e.g., Slido) to allow anonymous input or break your team into smaller discussion groups led by members of your leadership team. This can enable more candid feedback and conversation.
3. Translate the Plan to Your Team’s Context
Good translation is key to making strategy actionable for teams. Your employees need to understand not just what the plan says, but how it connects to their daily work. Here’s how to make that happen:
- What language resonates with them?
- What specific examples can you provide to make the concepts real?
- How will the plan impact their work in concrete ways?
If you were involved in shaping the plan, share that journey with your team. Explain how their insights influenced the final version and what considerations were weighed to arrive at key decisions. Making that connection helps your team see the plan as something more than an abstract directive—it becomes a shared vision they can rally behind.
Give your Strategy the Best Chance to Succeed
It’s not about making sure everyone is involved in every detail, but about creating opportunities for your team to see themselves in the plan. This way, they can contribute more meaningfully and feel a deeper sense of commitment.
Have you found effective ways to align your team with strategic goals? What challenges are you facing in getting your team to care about strategy?