Strategy into Everyday Action: How Wipak Engaged 1.800 Employees in Europe and Asia

Why involve everyone?

Employees had already been involved in shaping the strategy, so it was important to continue that involvement in the implementation phase.

The goal was to help people understand what the strategy means in practice: how it connects to their own work, what it changes in everyday life, and what each person can do to contribute. At Wipak, the thinking was clear: strategy only becomes real when people across the organization can see their role in it.

A more engaging way to discuss strategy

To support implementation, Wipak introduced a dialogical Horizon 2030 Strategy game and discussion concept.

The response has been highly positive. Employees have appreciated the chance to engage with strategy in a more interactive and enjoyable way than through traditional presentations. The format has sparked discussion, laughter, and reflection, while still allowing for meaningful depth.

It has also created opportunities for employees to share the realities of their own work and better understand the perspectives of colleagues across functions.

Reaching the whole organization

One of the most significant aspects of the process was the deliberate effort to engage both white-collar and blue-collar employees.

In many organizations, strategy conversations are still largely limited to office-based staff, while production teams are seen as harder to involve. Wipak challenged that assumption. From the outset, the process was designed to work for all employee groups, regardless of role. Blue-collar employees were included in the planning and testing, and their input helped ensure that the final Horizon 2030 Strategy game was understandable, relevant, and easy to use independently in everyday settings.

Diversity strengthens dialogue

A particularly valuable insight has been the impact of diverse small groups. The more varied the group, the richer the discussion.

This kind of dialogue helps turn strategy from abstract ambition into something concrete and relevant. When people hear how strategy connects to their colleagues’ work, it becomes easier to understand what it means in practice.

Leadership and managers matter

The process also highlighted the importance of leadership and managers.

Senior leaders sent a clear message that this work mattered, that time should be allocated to it, and that all employee groups had been considered in the design. Managers played a key role in the internal rollout and were supported with training and practical guidance. A CEO video helped introduce the initiative and explain why it mattered.

Together, these elements gave the process credibility and momentum.

Keeping the strategy alive

Wipak will organize follow-up discussions to keep the strategy alive. The aim is to continue team discussions at a steady pace, to ensure that strategy remains visible as priorities evolve. Team-level actions and their follow-through are seen as especially important in follow-up discussions.

Conclusions

One of the clearest lessons from the process is that strategy becomes meaningful only when people can discuss it, challenge it, and connect it to their own work.

Discussions should not end when the strategy is launched. It needs to continue in teams, where ownership and accountability are built through shared understanding and concrete actions. Wipak’s experience offers an important reminder: strategy execution is about inclusion. When people are genuinely included, strategy has a much better chance of becoming part of everyday decisions and behavior across the organization.

Dazzle was Wipak’s partner in co-creating the engaging and practical Horizon 2030 Strategy game, follow-up dialogue tools, and support materials for internal facilitators. This text is based on an interview with Elina Falander, who was in charge of internal communications and served as the project manager during implementation. Thank you, Elina, for sharing your thoughts and experiences! Read more about Wipak here: https://wipak.com/