Why strategies are often difficult to understand

Many strategies are communicated primarily through presentations or documents. The problem with this is that strategies are rarely linear. They consist of various areas of action, initiatives, interdependencies, and developments. In slides or text documents, these connections are usually presented in isolation. Employees understand individual measures—but not the big picture. Especially when it comes to strategic changes, this leads to typical questions: • How are the initiatives connected? • Why does this project have priority? • What does the strategy mean specifically for my department? Without a shared overview, strategy remains difficult to grasp.

This is precisely where the potential of visual strategy maps lies: They make visible what would otherwise remain abstract. Visual strategy maps—often in the form of a “big picture”—take a different approach. They don’t focus on individual measures, but rather on the bigger picture. Instead of explaining individual initiatives in isolation, a strategy map shows the entire system at a glance: • strategic areas of action • key initiatives • connections between areas • development steps over time This allows teams to understand more quickly: • how their work contributes to the overall goal • what priorities have been set • how different topics are connected. This doesn’t simplify strategy—it structures it in a way that’s easy to understand. We describe how such a map is created step by step in the article 👉 How a Big Picture Is Created

When organizations use a strategic visual, it creates a shared point of reference for discussions. Leaders can explain connections more easily, teams can discuss specific scenarios depicted in the visual, and strategic topics become more tangible. The image serves not only as a presentation slide but also as a working tool for communication, workshops, and discussions. Strategy thus becomes something people can talk about together—rather than a document that is read once and then filed away. We show how such images are used in everyday life in the article 👉 How to use a Big Picture in your company

Strategies are complex—and that is precisely why they are often difficult to communicate. Visual strategy maps make a decisive difference here. They translate strategic relationships into a shared visual representation that both leaders and teams can understand. When people see the bigger picture, it leads to better discussions, clearer priorities, and a shared understanding of the company’s direction. This doesn’t just explain the strategy—it makes it tangible.