Most strategic goals are clear to the people who set them. The intent is outlined, the language has been tweaked, and the direction makes sense.
But as those goals move outward, across teams, functions, and levels, they start to shift. Not always in meaning, but in how they’re interpreted. One team might hear “growth” and think about product reach. Another might think about headcount or process speed. The words are the same, but the picture behind them varies.
While some variation is to be expected, what matters is whether those differences are brought to the surface or left unspoken. Over time, too much variation can lead to drift where people believe they’re aligned, when they’re moving in different directions.
Shared language helps hold things together.
It often starts in small conversations, teams confirming their understanding, asking how goals apply to their work, and naming the assumptions behind certain terms. In some places, it comes through regularly revisiting the goals together and noticing where interpretations are beginning to drift.
When strategic language is shared, not just stated, goals become more than targets, they become part of how teams think together.