Alignment: The Critical Link Between Strategy and Operations

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AlignmentThe Critical Link Between Strategy and
Operations

• Joanne L. Smikle
• Author ?Consultant ?Speaker

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Objectives

• To clarify the links between HR responsibilities,
  business strategy and operations
• To provide tools for creating meaningful
  strategies that will lead to operational
  alignment
• To provide tools for assessing current levels of
  alignment and their impact on the organization

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You are Warmly Welcomed

• Your cell phone is not
• God will not be calling for your advice during
  this session

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Key Terms

• Strategic Intent---where we plan to go
• Strategic Plan---expresses the who, what why
• Alignment---intentional congruence between
  people, policies, practices, services systems
• Operations---day to day implementation of
  policies, practices and systems that fulfill
  mandates of the mission and foster attainment of
  strategic intent

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Case Study

• Opis Management Resources is dedicated to the
  highest standards of care for all those we
  serve---our customers, their families and each
  other. By listening to our customers, our caring
  and compassionate team members are continuously
  improving operations and creating a warm,
  respectful, dignified, ethical and safe
  environment for the elderly we serve.

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Case Analysis

• New company
• New mission
• New values
• New approaches
• Old people

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Organizational Culture

• Baseline metrics
• Can reinforce or contradict strategy
• Often overlooked until crises strike
• Impacts operations in ways that strategic intent
  cannot

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Climate is

• Flexibility
• Responsibility
• Standards
• Rewards/Sanctions
• Clarity
• Engagement
• Reflected in norms

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Climate can

• Be at cross-purposes with strategic intent
• Sabotage mandates of mission and strategy
• Impede intentional congruence

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Creating Alignment

• Audit
• Ask
• Answer
• Agitate
• Anticipate
• Anchor
• Articulate
• Activate
• Assess

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Assessing Alignment

• Measure awareness and comprehension of strategy
• Measure functional and operational integration
• Measure effectiveness and efficiency of
  organizational communication

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Advantages of Alignment

• Clarity of purpose reduces uncertainty, wasted
  time, wasted energy and frustration
• Provides a competitive advantage in the industry
• Connects departments and divisions to each other
  and their customers

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Communication Plan

• Cross-functional, cross-level team
• Involve all stakeholders by using communication
  methods appropriate for different populations
• Implement communication strategy before taking
  action

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Obstacles

• Poor strategic planning
• Few, if any, implementation plans
• Inability to engage
• Focus on yesterday, not today and tomorrow
• Inability to reflect appropriately
• Gag a gnat

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Your Action Plan

• What will you use?
• Why will you use it?
• How will you incorporate it?
• What is your objective?
• When will you start?
• With whom will you partner?
• How will you evaluate progress?

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Additional Resources

• Articles
• Assessments
• smiklespeaks.com
• 301.596.3140
• Joanne L. Smikle
• Moving minds with consulting and organizational
  development