If You’re a C-Suite Executive, Chances are Change is on Your 2018 Agenda.

Here we are. The first week of 2018. If you’re like most executives, you have a short-list of strategic changes that you need to execute in the coming year. With that said, now is a great time to ask yourself what you’re going to do to ensure these initiatives:

One critical factor in the success or failure of your strategic initiatives will be your:

Messaging and Communications Strategy

In business, especially when it comes to strategy and execution, communication can be the root of all evil or the true reason for success.

If your message is poorly crafted and delivered — it will produce chaos and confusion.
If it is intentionally shaped and communicated — it will increase efficiency and effectiveness.

And let’s just say, having worked with hundreds of executives over the last 16 years, we’ve seen our fair share of train wrecks and tragedies when a messaging and communication strategy has not been the core driver behind critical change initiatives.

Reoccurring Themes of Change

Every year, we also see reoccurring themes of change in business. Strategic changes which executives focus on at this time of the year. Below are a few that you will likely be executing in 2018 and, all of which, will require disciplined messaging and communication strategies to be successful.

Corporate Repositioning / Differentiation
Competitive movement, shifts in buying requirements, category disruptors and more, demand that executives reposition their companies and / or offerings to compete in changing business environments. The degree by which employees, partners and customers understand and embrace the new positioning can make the difference between success and failure.

Product / Service Introductions
Many companies will launch new products and services this year to say ahead of the competition and meet ever-changing customer requirements. The degree by which executives prepare their employees, partners and other stakeholders to execute product / service introductions will determine the short- and long-term success those offerings have in the market.

Market / Industry Expansion
Many executives will look to enter new markets and industries in the coming year. To effectively penetrate and capture market share — your leadership team must have a complete and cohesive plan of attack. How you position your offerings, the story you will tell in these markets, and the communications strategy you execute internally and externally will have a direct impact on your ROI.

Vision / Strategy Changes
Being a new year, many companies have made or will be making changes in leadership, the vision for the company and / or their go-to-market strategy. These significant shifts in the business require disciplined and persistent communication up and down the organization. Executives must ensure the message is understood, embraced and activated if they want these changes to produce greater organizational clarity, alignment and performance.

Mergers / Acquisitions
Many executives have M&A transactions on their mind as the year begins. The key word being “transaction.” But, what happens when the deal is done? Don’t forget “integration communication” will ultimately determine your ROI. So, the question you should be asking is, who’s going to define and execute the communication strategy that is required to shepherd employees, partners and customers through each phase of the M&A integration process to ensure it is a success?

Employee Recruitment / Engagement
A big theme this year is employee experience. How can companies create a superior experience that can be used to recruit, retain and engage high-performing talent? One critical part of the journey is the story you share with current and future employees. Executives must develop an authentic, compelling story that attracts, inspires and engages today’s diverse workforce. A story that employees will want to share with others.

These strategic change initiatives can make or break a company’s year. And, their success depends heavily upon effective messaging and communication strategies. In the end, only those executives who translate these and other strategic initiatives into meaningful stories will win. They will win because they will have created meaningful, material connections with customers, employees and their brand.