Why Everyone Is Invited to Our Strategy Meetings

The strategic direction of an organization is often something that is determined mostly in a vacuum by only the highest levels of executive leadership. While this may be true for many businesses, it’s not necessarily the most effective way of arriving at the overall best strategy.

One of the things I’m passionate about and have found profoundly effective in my own organization is the application of widespread inclusion. We’ve even found ways to include everyone in the organization in our strategy planning. I believe that no matter how uncomfortable it may be, this type of comprehensive employee involvement yields progress and squashes stagnation.

Today, I’m going to dive into just a few of the many benefits of being highly inclusive in your strategy planning process.

The Message Is Not Just Heard, It’s Understood

One of the shortcomings of executive-exclusive strategic planning is that everyone else in the organization often has little to no insight into the reasoning behind the final decision. If team members don’t understand the reasoning behind the strategy being implemented, they aren’t likely to uphold it in the long term.

On the other hand, if employees at all levels have a hand in creating the strategy, they already have a foundation of understanding to build upon once the plan is set. By clearly seeing how their role fits, they will be more inclined to stay true to the strategy.

This individual understanding of the “why” behind the plan effectively relates daily tasks to the big-picture goals. By demystifying strategic planning, you maximize the potential of all teams within your organization.

The Experts Get a Say

While leadership at the top can see the 30,000-foot view of an organization, those immersed in the daily operations are the on-the-ground experts. They have their finger on the pulse of how things are currently functioning within their department and what could be addressed in order to improve or streamline the process.

Without tapping into these invaluable resources, executives could be totally missing the mark with their sweeping plans for improvement. Ultimately, your frontline staff knows best what their environment will look like tomorrow and likely even a few years down the line; therefore, they are best positioned to be innovators.

Criticisms Turn From Negative to Positive

While criticism is often thought of as negative, the truth is that growth and innovation couldn’t exist without it. After all, identifying what needs to change in your organization is the first step in making it better.

Part of including employees at all levels in strategy planning is gathering and processing feedback. Leadership will undoubtedly receive a myriad of thoughts about what’s working and what’s not. While that might seem formidable, it can actually be harnessed as a secret weapon.

By opening the floor to feedback from everyone, you create an environment where team members feel safe to share their honest thoughts about the state of the company. Keep in mind they are the frontline experts! Gathering this information makes it easier to catch potentially huge issues before they have time to truly take root.

A Network of Stakeholders Is Created

By including team members in the planning process, you are demonstrating to them that they are valued, that their opinions matter, and that they are an important part of the future of the organization.

The best employees are the ones who take pride in their role. These high performers possess a sense of ownership not only for their individual contributions but also for the success of the organization as a whole. They want to do good work and hit their milestones because they know what that means for the company’s long-term success.

I’d like to mention that being this inclusive in planning the direction of an organization can be extremely daunting. I’m the first to admit that our first few attempts were indeed complicated and messy. I urge you to trust the process and revise as necessary.

Finding a way to harness the incredibly valuable insights of those who keep your organization going will create positive change and innovation that you would’ve never achieved in a vacuum.