Strategy, Alignment, Effective Execution of such and what it all means!

Strategy, Alignment, Effective Execution of such and what it all means!
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What is a strategic alignment tool?

 

This question was recently raised by a CEO colleague and although they truly understand what concepts of vision and strategy are, they were unsure what a strategic alignment tool was and more importantly what, how and why they should use it!

This question is not dissimilar to that raised by many C level individuals – today or in other more prevailing economic times. The concept of alignment is not what is necessarily unclear, yet the purpose and thus measuring and managing against your vision and strategies can be unclear.

When people think of alignment they can think of the part of putting two forces together so that the end result is that of something resembling a straight line. What becomes difficult, is the translation of this straight line into the business world, the business and more specifically your individually organizations, and of course how to do it. By first clearly defining alignment we are able to then explain an alignment tool.

Alignment, by its purest definition is (http://www.answers.com/topic/alignment):

1. Arrangement or position in a straight line or in parallel lines.
   
2. 
    
   1. The process of adjusting parts so that they are in proper relative position: A set of gears needs periodic alignment.
      
   2. The condition of having parts so adjusted: Binocular lenses that are out of alignment will yield a double image.
      
3. A ground plan: Blueprints for the building included an alignment and a profile.
   
4. The act of aligning or the condition of being aligned.
   
5. An arrangement or alliance of groups: a new alignment of factions in the party.
   
6. Sports.
   
   1. An arrangement or positioning of players: a defensive alignment.
      
   2. The grouping or positioning of teams, as in a conference or league.
      

We simplify the word alignment to mean assimilating your organizations vision, strategies and activities so that all parts – finances, operations and people – are working in synchronicity.

The ability to measure and manage alignment thus becomes the use of strategic alignment tools. We have created a series of simplified strategic solutions – the alignment tools. The first begins with an online Strategic Alignment Questionnaire.

• The questionnaire provides an alignment snapshot of your business against 5 core business dimensions – vision, strategy, business processes, organizational outline and messaging & meetings – see the theme – vision, strategy, alignment – SIMPLICITY!
  
• For 5 minutes of yours and your direct reports time, respectively, you will receive this alignment snapshot depicting graphically where you are aligned and where you may have opportunities, in addition to a written synopsis of alignment and opportunity.
  
• If you do nothing more and then you have received an alignment snapshot tool.
  
  • If you decide to proceed you move to an onsite alignment suite of offerings to further define and implement measurable results of the above online Strategic Alignment Questionnaire.
    
  • If you do nothing more from the onsite suite of implementing measurable results of alignment, then you have the next step toward measuring and managing where you may or may not be aligned.
    
  • If you decide measuring and managing your organizations alignment is vitally important to your ongoing successes, then with the above you move toward an on-demand Strategic Alignment Scorecard. The Scorecard provides ongoing metrics, in a snapshot, toward your organizations alignment as they compare to your finances, operations and people.
    

So what is a strategic alignment tool? It is simply a onetime diagnostic or a series of diagnostic on-demand instruments that allows you the ability to measure and manage your most important entity – your business – by visualizing your finances, operations and people in a set of standardized snapshots of on-demand alignment tools!

An alignment tool provides the positioning for the intersection of all the lines we all do deal with in our businesses to come together into a clear format or as the definition says – "relevant positioning".

After many years of toxicity within the business world it was time to create a series of tools that allows you the ability to be in charge and work independently or inter-dependently, resulting in measuring and managing against your organizations vision, strategies and activities – positioning of the intersecting lines of finances, operations and people into relevant position of the strategic alignment tools/series – simplified strategic alignment (S3). This is what we have accomplished for you!

Business takes simplicity, then why shouldn't your ability to manage with and against it do the same? A very simple story on a very large organization, can provide some simple insight here - http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/100/beauty-of-simplicity.html.

Business Simplicity

Simplified Strategy Solution! Fact or Fiction; Complexity or Simplicity – you decide? Read - Entremaneur™ - Business Solutionists! The new Strategic Solutions Process.

After too many years of amending over-complicated and toxic business models, I have worked tirelessly to create the “secret sauce” of simplicity in business. It is anecdotal, fun and a simple piece which is part of the larger CNC, Inc. “business pie” known as Entremaneur™ – Business Solutionists, www.cncstrategy.com.

In this time of change and uncertainty, simplicity, ease and cost effectiveness are certainly a welcome reprieve! CNC Strategy, Inc. along with the release of the book, Entremaneur™ –Business Solutionists, has released the revolutionary alignment piece of the online suite of Strategic Alignment Snapshots - diagnostic online tools and services - Strategic Alignment Questionnaire, Strategic Alignment Consulting and Strategic Alignment Scorecard.