Blog: Creating a strategy that’s more than just words on a page

Lisa Morris Director of Communications

I’ve written a lot of strategies yet that first step, the blank page, still makes me stop and think.

Writing a strong strategy isn’t easy. It means cutting through the noise, making some difficult choices, and turning ideas into something practical that people can actually use. The hard part wasn’t the writing; it was deciding what to leave out.

Starting with the priorities, not the page

We had three clear organisational priorities to anchor to:

Reliable repairs
Efficient business
Professional services

So, I didn’t start with words. I started with those three priorities and worked backwards. What are we really trying to achieve, where does comms genuinely make a difference, and where are we falling short?
The data was clear. Improved communication is associated with higher satisfaction and confidence. The pattern was consistent: When communication is late or unclear, trust drops fast. When it’s simple and on time, perception shifts.

The role of comms is to be clear about what’s changing and set realistic expectations, not just share updates. At its core, improving communication is about doing the simple things well, being clear, timely and making it easier for people to engage with us. On efficiency, it’s about being more deliberate, using the right channels and supporting colleagues to communicate better, rather than just increasing the volume.

Testing the strategy with colleagues and residents

I shared rough drafts early — earlier than was comfortable. I encouraged my team to look at it through the lens of their own areas. Their feedback helped reshape sections, so it felt practical and relevant, not just high level.

I also spoke with colleagues across the organisation before committing to anything - because a strategy you can’t deliver is just a wish list.

It helped keep the strategy realistic and made sure we weren’t working in silos. We could also spot where things overlapped or where there was duplication of effort.

One of the most useful steps was sharing it with our resident communications editorial panel. Their perspective helped test how clearly the strategy landed. They challenged whether what we were saying would make sense in practice, not just on paper. They also pushed us to be clearer about what residents would see and feel differently as a result, not just what we planned to do.

Once the strategy was approved, the focus shifted to making it usable. Our design team played a big role here. They turned it into a document that feels accessible and easy to navigate something colleagues can actually pick up, understand quickly and come back to when they need it. It’s not just a strategy that sits on a shelf.

What I learned along the way

Working through this strategy brought a few things into focus again:

Don’t wrestle with the blank page. A simple structure makes everything feel less overwhelming.
Clear organisational priorities really do help. They don’t box you in; they stop you drifting.
Share early, even if it feels unfinished. A strategy lands better when other people help shape it.
Use data to guide the work. Having evidence behind decisions keeps the strategy honest and stops it drifting into guesswork.
Tone isn’t an afterthought. Being clear and honest in the writing sets the tone for how the work is delivered.
Residents will always shift things in the right direction. Their insight cuts through assumptions.