The strategy map is a visual tool for defining, planning, and communicating the overall strategy of an organization. It provides a clear picture of the overall objectives or goals of the organization (Where are we going?), the actions that are planned to achieve those goals (How are we getting there?), and the means by which the achievement of those goals will be measured (How will we know we are there?).
A strategy map can be created at different levels of the organization, and each level’s map can be defined with the overall strategy map in mind. Using the strategy map as a reference, all members of the organization can make decisions that align with the overall strategy.
The strategy map starts from a clearly defined vision statement that describes the long-term future state for the organization. For example, an airline might have a vision statement that says "Our company will be the leading airline for short-haul flights in North America in the next five years".
The strategy is the means by which an organization plans to achieve its vision. The strategy map describes a set of goals that will help achieve that vision. Each goal has a set of actions that will help in the attainment of the goal, and measures to determine if the goal has been successfully achieved.
The strategy map can also describe the set of business factors that impact the overall strategy, either making the stated goals easier to achieve, or by presenting potential challenges to achieving the stated goals. Business factors can be classified as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats. For more information about business factors, see Mapping business factors.
For example, the following strategy map spells out a strategy for JKAir, a fictional airline company that is using the Business Leader widgets to communicate the strategic direction for the business. The goals that must be achieved for the strategy to be successful are outlined, along with the actions that will be taken to achieve these goals. Management will know that the specified goals have been achieved when the targets for the associated measures have been reached.
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Goal | ![]() |
Action | ![]() |
Measure | ![]() |
Strength | ![]() |
Weakness | |
Opportunity | ![]() |
Threat | ![]() |
Generic element | ![]() |
Strategy maps can link to other related maps or to elements within other maps. The linking between maps can be useful when cascading the overall strategy down to individual business units so that they can define their own strategy maps that build on the overall strategy map. For example, the Human Resources department might have their own strategy to address a goal, such as Inflight staff are best of breed, that contributes to the overall business strategy. The overall strategy map can link from this goal in the high-level strategy map to the department-specific map that expands upon this goal.
Similarly, an action such as Reduce Check-In Time might be linked to a process map that details an expedited check-in process.
You might also want create links between goals or actions in your strategy map and a related business factor in a separate map that documents the business environment.