Strategic Alignment

When an organization is well aligned around a particular vision and strategy, things move forward. When that is lacking, performance tends to oscillate – two steps forward, two steps back.

I work with core planning teams to design the strategic alignment process from inception through implementation. A good process includes:

  • Getting the right breadth of participation and consultation at each step
  • Doing fresh research to ensure the entire planning group is clear about critical aspects of current reality
  • Designing meetings that provoke fresh thinking
  • Converging the universe of possibilities into a clear and compelling plan
  • Cascading the plan out into the organization, and attending to the tactical requirements
  • Measuring performance
Like raising a child, the first steps are really critical to a successful change effort, and the reputation of “strategic planning” rises or sinks on those key steps.

To read a short article I wrote about the ebb and flow of strategic planning, click here.

One way I help clients align strategically is to help them discover alignment with their clients. This document, which is a summary report for a one-day sustainable-housing conference, demonstrates how a colleague and I helped get over 100 people to identify five action areas in record time.