When strategy is shared, it’s often explained from a high level. It outlines where the organization is headed and what it hopes to achieve, but for most teams, the next question is simple: What does this mean for us?
That translation doesn’t always happen right away. Sometimes it’s delayed while plans are formed, sometimes it’s left for teams to figure out on their own. In both cases, the distance between strategy and short-term work starts to widen.
Priorities can fill that gap. A well-formed priority gives people something to act on, and something to say no to. It shows what matters now, as a part of the larger direction.
This translation work isn’t about simplifying the strategy; it’s about making it usable and connecting the dots. Teams need to see how their work connects to the bigger picture, not in abstract terms, but in choices they’re making today.
When strategy starts to shape priorities at the team level, it becomes easier to recognize alignment, and easier to see when it’s missing. That’s when people begin to feel that strategy is something they’re a part of, not just something they’ve been told.