Communicating and Educating. Implementing
a strategy begins with educating those who
have to execute it. Whereas some organizations
opt to hold their strategy close to the vest, most
believe that they should disseminate it from
top to bottom. A broad-based communication
program shares with all employees the strategy
and the critical objectives they have to meet if
the strategy is to succeed. Onetime events such
as the distribution of brochures or newsletters
and the holding of “town meetings” might kick
off the program. Some organizations post bulletin
boards that illustrate and explain the balanced
scorecard measures, then update them
with monthly results. Others use groupware
and electronic bulletin boards to distribute the
scorecard to the desktops of all employees and
to encourage dialogue about the measures. The
same media allow employees to make suggestions
for achieving or exceeding the targets.