The Strategy Overview – Your Strategy at a Glance

The difference lies not in how beautiful something is, but in how our brain retains information. It has been proven that people remember images better than text—this is well-documented as the “Picture Superiority Effect” and stems from Allan Paivio’s dual-coding theory: An image is stored twice, visually and linguistically, while plain text is stored only once. A slide with six bullet points is usually forgotten by the next day; a scene in which the strategy is spatially integrated sticks in the mind. One interesting caveat from the same research is that if images are too similar to one another, the effect disappears. Only a distinct, unique image sticks in the mind. This is precisely why a custom-designed strategy image is more effective than a generic, off-the-shelf stock image—it is unmistakably linked to your company.

And the effect is more than just a mnemonic device. Most strategies fail not because of the plan itself, but because of a lack of understanding: In a widely cited study by Robert Kaplan and David Norton, about 95 percent of employees were unable to name or understand their own company’s strategy. A visual representation bridges this gap because it makes the strategy accessible to everyone at the same time—from the executive board all the way down to the production floor.

A powerful strategic vision isn’t an illustrated organizational chart, but rather a narrative landscape. It consists of the following elements: - Starting point: Where are you today? An honest picture of the present creates a connection—people need to see themselves in it, otherwise the goal will seem out of touch.

- Goal: The state toward which everything is moving. Specific enough to be visualized, not just a slogan.

- The path: The two or three crucial stages in between—not fifteen. The real art here is knowing what to leave out.

- Key Areas: The strategic focus areas, each anchored in a fixed location within the image so they can be easily identified.

- People: Who contributes? A strategic vision comes to life when the workforce sees itself reflected in it—in its roles, not just as extras.

- A reading path: A guiding thread that the eye follows, usually from the present to the destination.

What’s intentionally left out: walls of metrics, every exception, every detail. The image provides an overview—the depth remains in your documents. A strategy image that tries to show everything ends up showing nothing.

It’s just as helpful to be aware of common mistakes: - It’s overloaded. So crammed with information that no one knows where to look. Then it’s an infographic, not a strategy map. - It’s generic. Generic symbols that would work for any company—and therefore don’t stick with any of them. - It lacks a path. Just a pretty vision without the steps to get there. Then it’s missing exactly what makes a strategy a strategy. - People are missing. An image made up of arrows and boxes, in which no one can see themselves, won’t move anyone. - It isn’t dynamic. Presented once, then never shown again. A strategy map only works if it remains present in everyday life.

A strategy map isn’t a one-time event for the big stage, but rather a tool that comes up time and again. Typical situations: - At company-wide and management meetings as a common thread through which the strategy is communicated—instead of a new set of slides every time. - During onboarding, so that new colleagues understand from the very beginning where the company is headed. - In team meetings, where each department explains what the strategy specifically means for them. - On the intranet and on the walls, as a permanently visible point of reference—not as a forgotten file. - In customer meetings, when you want to explain your direction to external stakeholders.

Repetition is what really makes the difference: An image that appears regularly becomes ingrained—one shown only once fades from memory, just like any slide.

A strategy map is available in several formats. As a large poster, it makes an impact in a room and during discussions. As a digital image, it can be used on the intranet, in video calls, and in presentations. And as an interactive, clickable image, it allows users to explore individual sections in greater depth—with a single click, details, figures, or a short video open up behind each section. This keeps the big picture front and center, with the in-depth information just a step behind.