In a world where information and business strategies are becoming increasingly complex, it is essential to find methods that simplify and clarify messages.
Strategic visualization is a powerful method that combines visuals with strategic thinking, allowing companies to communicate complex ideas, processes and strategies in an easy-to-understand way and targeted to the relevant stakeholders.
What is Strategic Visualization?
Strategic visualization is the process of translating complex strategic concepts into simple, visual formats. By translating words into images, the message becomes more accessible and memorable. This method helps create a shared understanding among stakeholders, whether they are employees, management, or external partners.
The Role of Visualization in Strategic Communication
When we talk about visualization, we are referring to a wide range of methods that use graphic elements to convey information. It can be anything from simple drawings to advanced digital illustrations. By integrating strategy visualization into your company’s communication, you ensure that all parties understand the strategic goals and the planned direction. This is especially important when the message is to reach a broad target group that has different prerequisites for interpreting and understanding your content and message.
Strategic visualization of strategies is therefore important for a company. This is because the strategy must be understandable and implemented by the company’s employees. At the same time, the strategy must feel good in the stomach and be motivating.
Visualization of business strategy
Studies show that the most successful people visualize their ideas and goals, thereby creating a motivating energy for themselves and their employees. When your employees can “see” the strategy for themselves, you achieve the greatest success.
At Levende Streg, we collaborate with the individual company to visualize their strategies and goals in the best possible way.
Our customers provide their input on what their most important topics are in the strategy, and why it is important to communicate these particular points. We then outline our presentation, get it approved, and finally draw and color it.
Often, part of the process for this type of visualization is that our customers become more and more acute about their own visions, strategies and goals during the work.
Change management
Change management is an essential part of every manager’s everyday life. In a rapidly evolving market, companies must keep pace with the needs of customers and other companies.
Change management is the process that ensures that companies can improve and optimize internal and external processes as smoothly as possible. And most of our customers use their interactive visualized strategy as part of the change process and strategic work going forward.
Why is Strategic Visualization Important?
Simplifying the complex
In a busy world where information travels faster than ever, it is important to be able to break down complex messages into something that is easy to understand. With strategic visualization, it becomes possible to:
- Simplify complex ideas: By converting text and numbers into images, you can make complex concepts more understandable.
- Create a common frame of reference: Visual elements function as a universal form of communication that transcends language and cultural barriers.
- Increase engagement: When information is presented visually, the chance that recipients will retain the message increases.
Increased Clarity and Focus
One of the biggest challenges in strategic communication is ensuring that everyone understands the overall vision and the individual steps in the strategy. Live drawing is a type of strategic visualization. It is a technique often used in workshops and meetings where a facilitator draws ideas and concepts in real time.
This method makes it possible to create a common visual language where all participants can follow and contribute. When the company strategy is visualized, it becomes easier for employees and management to see the whole and the coherence of the strategic goals.
Better Decision Making
When making strategic decisions, it is important to have a clear overview of all the relevant factors. A visualized business strategy (or, for example, a customer journey) makes it easier to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This leads to better decision-making, as all aspects of the strategy are presented in a clear way.
Strategic Planning and Roadmapping
When a company needs to plan its future, business visualization can help create a roadmap that clearly shows the steps needed to achieve the set goals. By visualizing business processes and strategic steps, management can better prioritize and allocate resources. Examples of this are:
- Preparation of visual schedules.
- Outline of critical milestones.
- Illustration of dependencies and risks in the strategy.
Communication of Corporate Strategy
When presenting a company strategy to a broad audience, it is crucial that the message is clear and easy to understand. A digital visualization can help ensure that both internal and external stakeholders quickly understand the overall vision. This is particularly relevant when:
- Internal communication to employees.
- Presentations to investors and partners.
- Branding and marketing of the company’s strategic direction.
Practical Tips for Effective Strategic Visualization
If you’re considering implementing strategic visualization in your business, here are some practical tips to help you get started:
1. Know Your Audience
It is crucial to understand who your visual messages are aimed at. Is it management, employees or external partners? Tailor your visuals to speak directly to that target audience. Use simple and clear symbols, and avoid overly technical (or internal) language unless necessary.
2. Choose the Right Method
Depending on the situation, different methods of visualization can be more or less effective. Consider whether live drawing is best (if you have an event), whether it should be an animation (that can be sent to your recipient), or whether a detailed infographic is needed to explain a complex process. Having multiple methods available can provide a more nuanced and effective communication.
3. Focus on Storytelling
Good visuals tell a story. When working with strategic visualization, you should think about how each image can contribute to telling the overall story of your strategy. This helps create a common thread that your recipients can follow.
4. Include Feedback
Use feedback from your colleagues and stakeholders to continually improve your visual strategy. It can be useful to hold follow-up meetings where you discuss how the visual elements work in practice and what can be improved.
5. Be Open to Changes
Strategies evolve, and so should your visual representations. Make sure your visual tools are flexible and can be updated as strategic direction changes.
Moderne strategisk kommunikation
Strategisk visualisering er ikke blot et modeord – det er en essentiel del af moderne strategisk kommunikation. Ved at kombinere visuelle elementer med strategisk tænkning, kan virksomheder skabe en mere engagerende, klar og effektiv kommunikation.
Uanset om du vælger at anvende live tegning under workshops eller integrere virksomhedsstrategi visualiseret i dine digitale platforme som animationsfilm eller tegneserier, vil denne tilgang kunne forenkle komplekse budskaber og styrke den interne og eksterne kommunikation.