The strategic intent is part of the business plan and includes the vision, the mission, the values and the objective of the company. It is semi-permanent and indicate where the company is going to be in the future.
The strategic intent should be part of the training for all new employees so that they will work to achieve the same goal as the organization.
An image that explain the role of the strategic intent. Think of an organization as a body. The stratgy will be the brain. The strategic intent is the heart.
According to Gary Hamel og C.K. Prahalad («Strategic intent», HBR 1989) the strategic intent should give.
Direction – It should make assumption about the future and give a direction towards a future position that the company will take.
Discovery - It should be unique and give a promise to discover a unique position and market.
Destiny – It should trigger emotions and give the journey towards a destiny meening.