Successful implementation of strategy requires changing many individual actions every day. For that everybody in the organization needs to understand what the strategy means for her/him, to believe the strategy can be successful and be energized and committed to act accordingly.
Our Strategy Game Process offers participants a forum and efficient method to form a shared understanding about strategy and why and how it will lead to the shared vision.
Participants also discuss what the strategy means for their own unit, their team and for them individually. In this way, the high-level strategy becomes a strategy for the employees, with goals and responsibilities. The process not only creates shared understanding and employee buy-in for the strategy, but it also motivates and energizes participants to act according to the strategy – it motivates for hands-on implementation.
The Strategy Game can, for example, be used in the early phase of the organization’s strategy process with a small group. In that situation the goal of the game project could be to offer participants a structured method for discussion about the most important topics relevant for strategy formulation. The discussion themes could be, for example, future changes in markets, technology and competition as well as the organization’s products and service offerings, customer experience management or knowledge management.
In the implementation phase of the strategy process the Strategy Game can be played by all management or even all personnel. The game workshops promote shared understanding on what needs to be done for a powerful implementation. The game also helps participants to communicate the strategy in a better and more hands-on way in their own organization.
At the end of the game workshop we summarize the next steps, produce an action plan and every participant makes a personal strategy promise aligned with the key areas of the strategy. This is an efficient way to improve commitment in the strategy implementation.
The Follow-up Workshop 6 to 12 months after the Strategy Game workshop is essential to guide the strategy implementation further and re-energize the process. The Follow-up Workshop is preceded by an evaluation questionnaire on how well the strategy has been implemented and the extent to which promises have turned into actions.
We have designed and facilitated Strategy Game processes for groups from 7 up to 250 participants at the same time.
For more information please contact:
Sami Sarén
+358 400 353 652