Strategy Development & Alignment
Charter
Purpose:
To align all transformation initiatives with the organization's strategic objectives, ensuring that each effort contributes directly to the overall goals.
Scope:
Strategic planning, alignment of projects with strategic goals, strategic review sessions.
Responsibilities:
Develop strategic plans, ensure strategic alignment of projects, facilitate strategic review meetings.
Key Activities:
Conducting strategic analysis, developing alignment frameworks, hosting strategic alignment workshops.
Expected Outcomes:
A strategic roadmap that is fully aligned with transformation initiatives, improved strategic decision-making.
Governance Activities:
Quarterly strategic review meetings with senior leadership to assess alignment and adjust strategies as needed.
Example Objectives and Key Results (OKRs):
1. Ensure Strategic Alignment Across All Levels of the Organization
• Align departmental and team objectives with the overall strategic goals of the organization
• Encourage cross-functional collaboration to ensure strategic initiatives are comprehensive and encompass all areas of the business
2. Drive Effective Strategy Execution
• Ensure that strategic initiatives are implemented within the set timelines and budgets
• Increase the agility of the organization in responding to changes in the external environment
3. Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement
• Promote an organizational culture that values and seeks continuous improvement in processes, products, and services
• Encourage innovation as a key component of the strategy development process
4. Enhance Strategic Decision-Making
• Capabilities
Improve the quality of data and insights used in the strategic planning process
• Increase the involvement of key stakeholders in the strategy development process to ensure a diversity of perspectives
Example Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
1. Ensure Strategic Alignment Across All Levels of the Organization
• 90% Alignment Rate between departmental objectives and overall strategic goals
• 85% Customer satisfaction quarterly survey on perceived clarity and alignment on strategic priorities
2. Drive Effective Strategy Execution
• 80% On-time, within budget, and all benefit objectives realized
• 10% Improvement of organizational agility index, measured by Speed-to-change, Speed-to-Deliver, Product Diversity, etc.
• 85% Customer satisfaction quarterly survey of perceived sustainability of benefits realized
3. Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement
• 50% Participation rate of implemented innovation program(s)
• 10% Improvement in operational efficiency derived from new transformation initiatives launched
4. Enhance Strategic Decision-Making
• 20% Increase in data analytics for decision-making
• 20% Increase in stakeholder engagement scores, led by inclusion of more diverse participant members
People
Leadership Team: Comprised of C-suite executives and senior leaders who provide direction, approve strategic plans, and champion the transformation across the organization.
Transformation Office Leaders: Individuals responsible for overseeing the Transformation Office, ensuring strategic alignment, and facilitating the execution of strategic initiatives.
Strategy Analysts and Managers: These professionals are tasked with conducting market research, competitive analysis, and internal assessments to inform strategic planning.
Cross-functional Teams: Teams from various departments such as Finance, HR, IT, Operations, etc., who provide insights and support the implementation of strategic initiatives.
Change Management Specialists: Experts in managing organizational change, ensuring stakeholder engagement, and minimizing resistance to change.
Enterprise Architecture / Business Technology Specialists: Facilitate changes to current and future business process, technology, application, and data architectures at the enterprise level; often own relationships between Business and IT.
Processes
Strategic Planning Process: A structured approach to developing, reviewing, and updating the organization's strategic plan. This includes setting strategic objectives, identifying key initiatives, and allocating resources. Can be in encompassed in, or partnered with, a robust Demand Management capability.
Alignment Workshops: Regularly scheduled workshops or meetings designed to align departmental and organizational objectives, ensuring everyone is moving in the same direction.
Performance Monitoring: A process for tracking the progress of strategic initiatives, including setting up key performance indicators (KPIs), conducting regular reviews, and adjusting plans as necessary.
Change Management Process: A systematic approach to dealing with change, both from the perspective of the organization and the individual, ensuring smooth transitions and effective implementation of strategic initiatives.
Continuous Improvement Process: An ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes through incremental and breakthrough improvements.
Tools
Strategic Planning Software: Tools that facilitate the strategic planning process, including goal setting, strategy mapping, and progress tracking.
Collaboration Platforms: Software that enables team collaboration, document sharing, and communication across the organization, such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Asana.
Project Management Tools: Applications that help manage the planning, execution, and monitoring of strategic projects, like Trello, Jira, or Microsoft Project.
Data Analytics and BI Tools: Technologies that support data analysis and provide insights for strategic decision-making, such as Tableau, Power BI, or Google Analytics.
Change Management Tools: Solutions designed to support change management activities, including stakeholder analysis, impact assessments, and communication planning, like Prosci’s ADKAR Model or the Change Management Toolkit.