There can be no strategic planning without strategic people.
Your strategic plan will always measure the strategic readiness of those responsible for its ideation-to-implementation the fulfillment chain. This load is not spread evenly or equally in every proposal or project. Practicing intentionality in the shape of teams, tasks and even the timing of sequence of events has a profound effect on your results.
Whenever there is a strategic planning process, there must also be an accompanying leadership orientation, if not development process. It cannot be left to chance that the capacity of the people in your fulfillment process are equal to the magnitude of the strategic task in your plans.
There’s nothing worse than leaving your mission aspirations in the hands of a flawed system, or an immature team that cares less about the outcome than you.
But who are these people? On whom must you rely for the fulfillement of your plans? Some say, "Its the staff's job." Others, "the strategy belong to the board!" Still others, "The strategy is the responsibility of the executive director, the CEO." Who's right?
Well, everyone is right in some respect. Each play a part. MAking clear who does what, when, how and why makes all the difference in the world as to how to ensure the mission does not suffer while we work out job descriptions.
My answer, the fulfillment of the mission belongs to a action team -- The strategy core.
Let’s talk about that thick line that separates the three "jurisdictions" of the strategy core. These Strategy Core Stakeholders include:
(1) The Authority of the Board. A board "author-rizes." Consider the meaning of "author," how ownership of the origins and destiny of a effort is implied by this word.
(2) The Focus of the Executive Staff (and it’s titular leader the Executive Director or CEO). Consider how competing demands for the time, energy and resources of the team must be sequenced for maximum impact. "Execution" is fundamental to the name of this person/team. Both technical and adaptive know-how come together.
(3) The Expertise of the Programs Implementation Teams. Technical experitse lays with the programming staff and team members of the organization. This crew needs the time, energy and resources at the right time, amounts to keep the promise which was authorized by the board and driven by the exectives. This team is the steward of your Service Map Stakeholders.
Alignment is the core competency of this collaborative team of the Strategy Core. On this fulfillment chain, a promise-keeping process is built.
But whose job is alignment? If an organization's culture is not honed to achieve alignment, then each day is a miissed opportunity. Who’s responsible for this alignment?
The answer simply, everyone who carries a bucket from the hydrant to the fire. Is there anyone we would not want included with high intentionality, when we knew, and know that their role is critical to achieving the mission? Distinctions must be made between governance authority and mission participation. In order to more consciously manage, these jurisdictional distinctions, we propose the language of “core.“
If your organization could use help getting alignment in its Strategy and its Strategy Core, reach out to us. We would like to help. We work with boards, exective directors and program teams to make sure their is a well-honed process between a mission-centered promise made and promise kept.
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