I agree with you that when you’re able, the more collaboration you have with your team during the strategy design stage, the more on-board they’ll be from the get go. On a department/product/or small firm basis I believe this is a feasible option and definitely the way to go. Thanks for pointing it out.

When dealing with a larger organization and strategies that cover an entire enterprise, getting everyone who will have to change the way they work, or serve the customer differently involved during the design phase can be close to – if not – impossible.

Examples that were on my mind as I wrote this post were a new Customer Service Strategy for a Fortune 500 or the renovation of a business function like IT across multiple business units.

It’s in these circumstances that the steps in this post become critical. Often, when strategies are implemented on this scale, chances increase that the majority of associates who will be impacted don’t receive the information they need to perform to the strategy.

I think your call-out regarding collaboration can be extended once the communication plan is rolled out to each business unit. Once leaders translate the strategy for those who have to make it happen, they have a great opportunity to work directly with associates in determining how best to implement.

However, do you think the steps are aided or simplified if you collaborate with your team while developing the strategy? That’s just natural for me because I like to formulate strategy with the team, and I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I just find that building the strategy from the team up simplifies those first two steps.

Mike…