Effective strategy communication is the engine of an organization and a force that enables cultural change. Implementing strategy requires constant translation into everyday practice – from team level all the way to the executive table. A clearly articulated strategy gives meaning to daily work.
To prevent strategy from gathering dust in brochure stacks or disappearing into PDF links buried deep on websites, it must be translated into the language of employees and stakeholders: why this matters specifically to us, how it guides what we do, and what it means for daily work.
Vision plays a key role in making strategy tangible. A compelling vision – a picture of the future – motivates employees to implement the organization’s strategy. An inspiring vision directs action in the right direction and makes it easier for employees to work independently and take responsibility for their work.
Strategy gives meaning to action. It guides the organization through clear objectives and by monitoring progress toward them. When people understand why the organization exists and what it seeks to achieve, they can connect their own work to that purpose.
“I personally base my communication choices directly on the organization’s strategy – what is important to communicate, which topics we should talk about, and how we present ourselves. The more decisions can be justified through strategy and the more it is visible in everyday work, the better strategy guides action and comes alive from paper”, says Marja Jokinen, Director of Communications at the University of Oulu.
A good strategy pushes the organization forward and helps it stay on course. But this only happens if the strategy is articulated in an understandable way and communicated so that it resonates with different target groups — staff, leadership, stakeholders, and partners.
According to Jarkko Karvinen, a good strategy makes operations transparent across the entire organization, enabling everyone to follow progress. Keeping strategy alive requires strategic key results and systematic monitoring. Metrics make change concrete and enable continuous development.
Good strategy communication is not a separate campaign, but an integral part of leadership. It is not merely informing, but continuous dialogue that links strategy to everyday work. According to Terttu Sopanen, the role of communication leadership in strategy work is essential.
According to Taru Tujunen, strategy does not take root without staff participation. Participation creates ownership and willingness to commit. Participatory strategy work and implementation draw their strength from dialogue. Of course, an open strategy process is not always easy. It is also a promise that staff can genuinely influence decisions.
At universities, strategy work takes place on many levels. Units develop their own strategies aligned with the university-wide strategy. Representatives of the entire community should have opportunities to participate in shaping and implementing strategy. Faculties, research groups, independent units, administration, communication teams, students, and partners can take part in facilitated workshops. This strengthens ownership and builds a sustainable culture.
Participatory strategy work is a sign of trust. Trust, in turn, is a critical prerequisite for commitment and successful change. It fosters a strong employer brand, satisfied employees, and staff retention.
It is often said that organizational culture eats strategy for breakfast. Strategy work cannot be separated from organizational culture. If culture does not support strategy – or if strategy does not enable change – even the most sophisticated strategy will fail.
A university’s strategy covers a broad spectrum of research and education fields. According to Jokinen, this requires compromises when crystallizing the strategy:
“In a multidisciplinary university, so much is happening that the strategy cannot be a list of everything. It must be an understandable and engaging synthesis of what the university community aims to achieve and what kind of community we want to be. If something is easy to explain, it is usually clearly thought through.”
“Making choices is sometimes difficult. When certain things are highlighted in the strategy, others are not,” Jokinen notes.
The university is a unique organization where strategy functions more as a unifying background factor than as a strict steering mechanism:
“A university is perhaps more like a bazaar than a knowledge factory – there is a lot of autonomy and freedom,” Jokinen says.
In shaping strategy, organizations must balance two tensions: long-term consistency and responsiveness to change. According to Jokinen, the university’s strategy is based on long-term strengths in research areas, but it must also respond to societal expectations and changes, such as the impact of artificial intelligence on teaching and research.
In a university community, strategy concerns not only the quality of teaching and research, but also the organization’s public role and societal impact. Strategy work creates a shared language with partners. Messages must be tailored to different audiences – researchers and staff, students, funders, and partners.
Strategy is not just an internal guideline. It is also a tool for building trust and partnerships through stakeholder communication.
“When I meet partners, I often look at their strategies and search for common ground. It makes conversation and collaboration easier,” Jokinen explains.
Success is measured through indicators linked to everyday work: in the university context, research quality, impact, student feedback, and societal role.
Strategy should be reviewed continuously to allow rapid responses to changes in the operating environment. Regular discussion of strategy enables organizations to adapt in a complex world. This requires a strong feedback culture, where the meaning of strategy is openly reflected on a regular basis – for example, in annual strategy discussions, staff days, and alumni events.
“Strategy is living and reviewed annually, not a locked document. It’s more about consistency than a one-off event,” Jokinen says.
This means strategy cannot rely on a single launch event. It must be visible continuously – in decisions, communication, events, and conversations. According to Jokinen, this is clearly evident at the University of Oulu:
“For example, our values are encouragingly visible in many presentations and discussions across the university. That shows they have become embedded in everyday practice.”
Clarity is the core of strategy communication. A simple, understandable message enables consistent action.
Through communication, strategy can be transformed into an organizational asset that motivates, connects, and creates economic value. By articulating and condensing strategy, it is reduced to an understandable form and jargon is eliminated. Strategy visuals and graphics help crystallize complex ideas and create stronger memory traces. Storytelling also supports understanding. A strategy calendar helps link strategy to regular interaction – from annual planning to daily operations.
Clarity and comprehensibility
Strategy must not be filled with jargon. Simple language reflects clear thinking. If a message is difficult to understand, it is unlikely to be clear even to its creators. Strategy should be condensed into a few key themes.
Participation
Strategy is created through dialogue, not behind closed doors. When staff and stakeholders participate in strategy work, ownership and trust grow. Workshops, feedback rounds, and dialogue increase commitment.
Visualization and concretization
Strategy visuals, infographics, and annual calendars help turn strategy from talk into action. They make complex issues understandable and create lasting impressions. Shared calendars are also a powerful visualization tool, marking strategy-related events, seminars, training sessions, conferences, publication timelines, key communication actions, and even funding application schedules — helping teams work proactively toward shared goals.
Tailoring messages to audiences
Multiple audiences implement strategy, so messages should be adapted accordingly. For staff, the key question is how strategy affects daily work. For stakeholders, the focus is on shared goals, while funders are interested in how strategy supports impact.
Continuity, not a one-off launch
Strategy is not a single launch project, but an ongoing process. Repetition and integration into everyday work are essential. Build routines: refer to strategy in decisions, news, and events.
Read the University of Oulu strategy here and the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute strategy here.
Read more (in Finnish):
Read more:
Terttu Sopanen: Strategia tarvitsee toteutuakseen viestintää (Brunnen.fi)
Tero Luoma: Hyvän strategian ominaisuudet (Bstr.fi)
Strategiasta viestiminen (Ideapakka.fi)
Jarkko Karvinen: Hyvä strategia on luopumista, ei haalimista (Palveluna.fi)
Matti Remes: Hyvä strategia kirittää parempaan ja helpottaa suunnassa pysymistä (Kela.fi)
Jenni Fredriksson-Bass: Strategia arkeen – 5 vinkkiä (Softwarefinland.fi)
Taru Tujunen (podcast): Vaikuttava strategiatyö perustuu dialogiin (Pelastetaanstrategia.fi)
Anne Laajalahti ja Terttu Sopanen: Kohti vaikuttavaa strategiaviestintää (ProCom.fi)
Inspiroiva strategiakuva muuttaa strategian sanoista teoiksi (Designinspis.fi)
Martin Reeves, Roeland van Straten, Tim Nolan and Madeleine Michael: Your Strategy Needs a Story. Harward Business Review, 2023.
Elisa Juholin ja Henrik Rudenfelt: Strategiaviestintä. ProComma Academic, 2025.
Author: Minna Kilpeläinen, M.A., M.Ed., Communication Specialist, University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute
Photo: University of Oulu
In Kerttu Saalasti Institute's blog we write about the topics of the Institute's research groups, micro entrepreneurship education and the Institute's general topics. The authors are researchers, experts and members of networks.
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