The Lure of the Arrow

It is so easy for me to remember leaving an old employer’s large meeting room, gauging the reaction of my colleagues to “the launch of our new strategic plan”. It was easy because they all had the same response as I had to the CEO’s spiel: confusion and bewilderment.

“[With a giggle and shake of the head] Don’t ask me what that was all about. But, what I can tell you is that was an hour I will never get back.”

Even worse was the time I asked executive team members from another old employer about the posters placed around HQ communicating their strategic plan. I would point to different parts of the poster that highlighted different pillars of the plan. Obviously, they would know the key pillars – as they had developed it! “What does that mean? And what about that?”

“Um…I’m not really sure” [followed by awkward silence]

Can you relate to that? Being able to clearly communicate your organisation’s direction is critically important. ?As a leader or manager, if you can’t articulate it, how do you expect staff or external stakeholders to have buy-in and run with it?

Bullseye! All is Now Well

As a quick aside, some years ago, I came across the utterly brilliant metaphor of communication as an arrow.

Imagine you hold a bow and arrow; you draw the bowstring back, then launch the arrow. Bullseye! It’s hit the target. That metaphor conveys the way that so many of us communicate as well as the underpinning assumption, that, by presenting to staff about your strategy / strategic plan / [whatever] plan without seeking feedback, we often assume that the message has hit its target. We believe that what is clear to the leader will become clear to the receiver.

That form of communicating direction is dangerous at the best of times but is exacerbated if leaders and managers don’t understand organisational direction, themselves.

Can You Describe Your Compass?

I believe that you should be able to communicate your direction in two to three sentences, maximum. Yep, I mean it!

Organisations that I work with usually seek to include in such a statement description of:

·???????? The fundamental objective of the direction to be taken over the next, say, five years.? Where are we heading?

·???????? The scope. ?How will we get there? What we won’t do is just as important in defining as what we will do.

·???????? Depending on the sector worked in, what are the societal benefits or advantage obtained. Why are we doing this?

These aren’t sterile writings. They should be crafted to appeal, to inspire. They can be crafted for just about any situation - like setting direction for an amazing but remote community:

“Using our First Nations cultural heritage as a point of difference, we shall grow and sustain our economy by making the region an attractive and safe place to stop and through building skills in our businesses, ensure that they succeed and leave a positive impression”

For the sake of brevity, I won’t say any more about this example, other than to ask you if you can see how the above three dot points are included or inferred?

Learning to Dance

One final point. Don’t treat “comms” as the metaphorical arrow. Treat it as a dance!

Sure, the use of the direction statement can serve as the core of your communication. But communication is two-way, like a dance. Dancing involves patterns, movement, and creativity and subsequently, many styles. So too, communication involves coordinating patterns and meanings, and the orienting of one to the other, interpreting when to talk and when to listen.

That means being flexible in how you communication your organisation’s direction; have anecdotes up your sleeve to convey meaning. And listen….deeply.

And to ensure I minimise the lure of the arrow, reach out to me with your thoughts!

?

Can you (succinctly) say what your strategy or strategic plan entails?

How about staff?

Do you always have to take the lead in a “dance”? Or are you able to share control?