Strategy comes out around the coffee machine.
First rule of politics, kiddo: never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Nucky Thompson
There is a lot of cynicism in this quote from the Boardwalk Empire character played by Steve Buscemi, but it highlights two important things:
There is no Truth in the human story (nor is there in our memories of past events).
That being said, nothing is more powerful than a (good) story.
I studied engineering: a subject in which exactitude is paramount and proofs are, well, proof. If only I had known that I would spend my days helping other people craft stories! At The Family, I help entrepreneurs elaborate stories to convince clients, investors, employees... sometimes even to convince themselves. People follow stories, and money does, too.
The greatest businesses in the world are built as movements. It's the founder of Nike celebrating athletics, it's Steve Jobs celebrating the creative mind, it's Elon saving humanity by making us multi-planetary. Like in other disciplines, you only become Bowie, Picasso or Jobs if you're incredibly good at creating and incredibly good at communicating.
The world of business prides itself on strategy, but communicating strategy is even more important.
Every step of the funnel that leads to a strategy being executed is necessary:
crafting a strategy through careful analysis
communicating that strategy to your employees, your clients...
ensuring every action is measurably impacting your strategy
guaranteeing every stakeholder belongs in that strategy
It's the alignment of all these steps that becomes increasingly difficult as your organization grows.
The very best organizations become like cults, with employees being totally committed to the cause. Their founders:
become master storytellers: writing books like Andy Grove, memos like Jeff Bezos, shareholder letters like Warren Buffet, or tweeting like Elon Musk;
consider internal communication a must-have;
use frameworks like OKRs to align everyone.
Staying on top of your story is critical because at the end of the day, what people are saying at the coffee machine is your strategy. That’s the story your employees live by, it’s what guides their actions. Always keep your ear to the ground and adjust your messaging when needed.