When strategy is shared, the message feels clear at the top. It’s usually in the minds of executives for weeks, sometimes months. The direction has been discussed, refined, and aligned. They know what it means, and what they hope others will take from it.
But by the time that message reaches the rest of the organization, clarity can begin to blur.
People listen through the lens of their role, their recent experience, and what they’ve seen before. A statement about growth might sound like added pressure and a shift in focus might feel like something familiar is being left behind. The message may be clear, but the meaning isn’t always shared.
This isn’t a failure of communication, it’s a reminder that clarity takes time. The announcement is just the starting point; the rest comes after. It’s in how the message is revisited, how questions are received and answered, and how consistently the strategy shows up in decisions that follow.
What’s said at the beginning matters, but what people carry forward depends on what they continue to see and hear.