The word 'Strategy' and all the management jargon/presentations wrapped around it, can put many people in an organization to sleep. Here is an excerpt from "The Art of Engagement" by Jim Hauden ... a valuable insight for leaders who are responsible for communicating the strategy to win the hearts and minds of their people.
STRATEGY IS AN ADVENTURE; EVEN MORE, IT'S A PURPOSEFUL ADVENTURE.
Consider the difference in the answers you might get if you asked a business leader these two questions.
"What is your company's strategy?"
"What is your company's adventure?".
Let's face it: strategies, whether stated verbatim or some translated form, just aren't very stirring. Even worse, they're often couched in some jargon that makes them difficult to decipher unless you're in the select group of people who gave birth to the codes and nicknames. But as adventure? Now, that's exciting!. An engaging leader could tell you a story filled with drama, and you'd be able to tell from his animated comments and gestures how passionate he was.
Strategies, if shared correctly, are true adventures. There are good guys and bad guys, and the journey is rampant with struggles, setbacks, and barriers. There are accomplishments, disappointments, and refocused dreams ... all with consequences that have a real-life impact on the lives of people. A strategy story, told properly, is an adventure that invites others to join ... to be part of something bigger than themselves, to feel as if they belong, and to see clearly how everyone's efforts contribute to the organizations success.
