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How to Align your Corporate Strategy
| Guest post by: Joe Evans |
Article Overview: A recent article covered the symptoms of corporate strategy misalignment and 3 common causes of strategy misalignment. Take a look back at those articles to understand what happens when corporate strategy becomes misaligned and what causes it to go out of whack in the first place. When corporate strategy is aligned throughout the entire organization, operational initiatives are working in sync with strategic goals and desired outcomes are much more likely to result. Thus, understanding corporate strategy misalignment is critical for any business leader and knowing how to correct a misalignment is essential.
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How to Align your Corporate Strategy
A recent article covered the symptoms of corporate strategy misalignment and 3 common causes of strategy misalignment.
Take a look back at those articles to understand what happens when
corporate strategy becomes misaligned and what causes it to go out of
whack in the first place.
When corporate strategy is aligned throughout
the entire organization, operational initiatives are working in sync
with strategic goals and desired outcomes are much more likely to
result. Thus, understanding corporate strategy misalignment is critical
for any business leader and knowing how to correct a misalignment is
essential.
Correct Corporate Strategy Misalignment with these Actions:
First, let it be known that strategy
misalignment isn’t something that can be fixed overnight. It requires
time, work, and discipline to regain alignment throughout the
organization. The following actions and planning philosophies will begin
to get things back on track:
1. Plan Your Corporate Strategy Bi-Directionally
1. Plan Your Corporate Strategy Bi-Directionally
One action an organization can take to correct strategy misalignment is to begin bi-directional strategic planning.
Strategy begins to veer off course when organizational “strategists” and “operationalists” are disconnected. In other words, those setting the strategy and those who are responsible for day-to-day decisions and tactical execution are not working toward the same direction. Typically, we find this disconnection when organizations fail to plan bi-directionally and instead focus only on top-down planning.
Bi-directional planning creates a bond between goals and tactics and brings strategy and execution together in a shared direction – this is the alignment we’re talking about. Bi-directional planning offers the following:
2. Implement a Plan Governance Office
Strategy begins to veer off course when organizational “strategists” and “operationalists” are disconnected. In other words, those setting the strategy and those who are responsible for day-to-day decisions and tactical execution are not working toward the same direction. Typically, we find this disconnection when organizations fail to plan bi-directionally and instead focus only on top-down planning.
Bi-directional planning creates a bond between goals and tactics and brings strategy and execution together in a shared direction – this is the alignment we’re talking about. Bi-directional planning offers the following:
- A hard link between planning and execution
- Helps to overcome “us against them” mentality that can form between executives and managers
- Involves operational managers in the process of planning
- Leads to more realistic goals since operations are being considered upfront
- Buy-in at all levels of management
2. Implement a Plan Governance Office
A second action we recommend for any
organization with a strategy misalignment problem is to institute a
strict plan governance function. To stay aligned, corporate strategic
goals and plans need effective oversight from top to bottom. Proper
governance (oversight) enables organizations to manage the details of
and relationships between all operational initiatives. Programs and
their underlying projects can be managed and harvested for metrics and
progress reporting to the plan remains aligned.
The graphic below illustrates a governance model showing the major components of strategy alignment and strategic key outcomes (goals) that become “vertical stabilizers” against which organizational initiatives will be filtered. All manner of projects, initiatives, optimizations, innovations, etc. must be filtered through the strategic key outcomes “sieve” to make it into the active portfolio. The program execution management and initiative management functions serve as “horizontal stabilizers” in this governance model. This model shows that plan governance is the string that must thread through the many beads of planning elements.
Conclusion
The graphic below illustrates a governance model showing the major components of strategy alignment and strategic key outcomes (goals) that become “vertical stabilizers” against which organizational initiatives will be filtered. All manner of projects, initiatives, optimizations, innovations, etc. must be filtered through the strategic key outcomes “sieve” to make it into the active portfolio. The program execution management and initiative management functions serve as “horizontal stabilizers” in this governance model. This model shows that plan governance is the string that must thread through the many beads of planning elements.
Conclusion
While strategy misalignment can be a serious
problem and is likely to exist on some level in nearly every
organization, bringing it back under control can greatly improve the
likelihood that your organization will accomplish its goals and function
at a high level.
* * *
Join the Strategic Planning Xchange group.
Request a meeting with our corporate strategy consultants to find out how the Plan4 strategic planning approach can deliver results for your organization.
Related ArticlesJoin the Strategic Planning Xchange group.
Request a meeting with our corporate strategy consultants to find out how the Plan4 strategic planning approach can deliver results for your organization.
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Article Tags: business leader, misalignment, operational initiatives, strategy misalignment, understanding corporate strategy
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About the Author: Joe Evans RSS for Joe's articles - Visit Joe's website Joe Evans serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Method Frameworks. Method Frameworks provides management consulting services to commercial enterprises with strategic and operational planning solutions using the firm’s proprietary Plan4 process. Visit Method Frameworks at www.methodframeworks.com. Joe is a published author, frequent speaker and recognized expert in co rporate strategic planning. To contact Method Frameworks about scheduling Mr. Evans about an upcoming speaking engagement, visit www.methodframeworks.com/business-speaker or email requests to media_relations@methodframeworks.com. Want more corporate strategic planning insights? Read Joe's blog. Also, request to join the "Strategic Planning Xchange" now by following this link to the Strategic Planning Xchange. Click here to visit Joe's website   Strategy Business Decisions and Sabertoothed Tigers Is Groupthink Damaging Your Organization The Definition of Strategic Planning A White Paper A Lesson in the History of Strategic Planning Whats Wrong With Your Corporate Planning Process |
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