How can you overcome obstacles to strategic alignment?

One of the most common challenges in creating alignment is that the focus is on the outcomes, without acknowledging the humans in the room. Each individual is being evaluated—often differently—on their work and impact. Have you created space for this awareness and tension to exist? If you don’t, it often shows up anyway but in less explicit ways. This is often the “politics” people refer to, instead of real human needs in team strategy development and decision-making.

Most executive officers have a clear Vision of where they want to go, but lack alignment from the Vision to Actionable Objectives. As an executive coach I work with clients to take a four step approach to ensure the Vision is aligned to outcomes. 1) Secure across the organization a clear Value Proposition on what is important in business and ethics. 2) Set a 5 year Vision and 3 year Mission and cascade that to EVERY employee. 3) Turn your Vision and Mission into Actionable plans for the next year. Set your goals by function and personnel to hold them accountable to the success. 4) "Rinse and Repeat" annually to adjust to shifts in the marketplace.

Incorporate periodic strategy reviews into your coaching process. Help your clients set up a routine for reviewing and adjusting their strategic plans.

When organizational strategies require change, transformation, or new forms of collaboration across departments, existing silos or cultural elements can become a barrier to progress. Getting human resources aligned across departments in an organization to buy into a new vision and strategy often requires carefully planned, strategy and change management tactics. Tactics should include a deep look at organizational culture, social dynamics, governance structures, behaviors, and performance behavior that leadership need to bring success.

Clarity matters. Every word matters. When you come together and co-create a vision and a purpose statement, create a short supplementary document that describes with no ambiguity exactly what you mean by each word. Is 'best' number one by value, by membership, by profitability, by reputation? Is 'future' 1 year, 5 years, 100 years? Only when you have perfect clarity and alignment will you get the maximum impact from your work on a common vision and purpose. Once you have that clarity, share it clearly, frequently, consistently and accurately. Put it on screensavers, mousemats, posters and notepads. Make the alignment of vision, purpose and strategy so intuitive that people don't have to take action to be aligned - it will happen naturally.

The coaching I give to my clients is when you and your team have decided that you will undertake a significant organizational change, make sure that everyone knows they have no choice but to go along. The term I use is "irresistible case for change." Not irresistible as in a delicious piece of chocolate cake. Irresistible, as in, resistance is futile. If you leave the door open that there is a possibility you will reverse your position about the change; a wave of resistance will rise and crash upon you. However, it is essential, critical, and vital (I think you get the idea) that you also pair this idea with a vivid, compelling, and exciting future that the change will bring. People need to see how the change will positively impact them.

Facilitate resilience building workshops to empower leaders and teams to navigate change effectively. Equip clients with strategies to address resistance, foster adaptability, and embrace innovation.

Resistance to Change not only hinders a company but the people that work for the company. Change is inevitable- You as a coach need to find out why and how - There is a resistance to change. What emotions are associated with change are they positive or negative? How do theses emotions effect the behaviour, performance and attitude of everyone in the company? Asking questions like : What is the culture of the business? How long have they been in business for ? How have they tried to change in the past- Why did it work vs why didn't it work ? What do you view as a coach as the main barriers to change and why ?

Communication, communication, communication. Organisations run into issues of resistance when the reasons behind change are not articulated properly to stakeholders. It is important that a communication plan is drawn up, indicating what comms need to go out, who to, how and when. When communication is strong, a culture of trust and openness is fostered.

When conflicts arise from misalignment or change resistence, coaches can help facilitate conflict resolution strategies and foster consensus-building among leadership teams, ensuring cohesive and unified progress toward organizational objectives.

I often cover the concept of high-performing teams when coaching leaders. Building a greater understanding of why you need many different skills, personalities and viewpoints to achieve is helpful. The power of different parts working together far outweighs working in silo's. It is great to break down and unpack what causes silo's in the leaders organisation, so you can create a plan to cross the silo's for higher performance.

Everyone is familiar with SMART goals. As an executive coach, I work with clients to go beyond SMART to SMARTER and SMARTEST goals. These can be easily defined as: 1) SMARTER where the E stands for Exceed Expectations and the R for Really Exceed Expectations. Setting more measured goals let's the employees see how their hard work will be appreciated. 2) SMARTEST where the E now stands for Enterprise-wide. Help employees see how their actions impact the rest of the company. The ST now stands for Sustainable Transformation. Don't just keep the lights on, design a better light

Different functions do different things so different priorities emerge. They may compete for budget or resources, and their work is helped or hindered by different functions with different priorities. Silos are inevitable. Even collaborators between functions can be a zero sum game. There is an answer. Silo mentality is diffused by thinking beyond the silo. That bit is obvious. To achieve it think cross-contextually. When you think of each function in isolation you get clear intentions, behaviours and KPIs. But when you think of each function in the context of another, you get a much more expansive view of success.

An example I've seen is the success story of a major corporation that tackled the issue of silo mentality by creating cross-functional teams for critical projects. These teams brought together individuals from various departments, fostering collaboration and a broader perspective. As an executive coach, you can guide your clients in implementing similar initiatives and help them emphasize the benefits of teamwork, shared goals, and interdepartmental communication. Encouraging a culture where individuals see themselves as part of a larger whole rather than isolated silos can significantly enhance strategic alignment.

Promote Open Communication: Encourage open and transparent communication across all levels and departments. Foster Collaboration: Create opportunities for cross-functional collaboration and teamwork. Align Goals: Ensure that organizational goals are aligned and clearly communicated to all employees. Encourage Knowledge Sharing: Promote the sharing of knowledge and information across departments. Recognize and Reward Teamwork: Recognize and reward behaviors that promote collaboration and break down silos. Lead by Example: Leadership should model collaborative behavior and actively work to break down silos. Address Cultural Barriers: Identify and address any cultural barriers that may be contributing to a silo mentality.

This is a systemic problem and it runs deeper than alignment. In many contexts the words leadership and management are used interchangeably, but leadership and management could not be more different. Management is about today, leadership is about tomorrow. Management is about reliability, clarity, consistency, delivery whereas leadership is about vision, change, preparation and inspiration. In large organisations leaders are annoying because they question and want to change things, whereas a manager who is a safe pair of hands is celebrated. Consequently, organisations over-promote managers and a leadership gap appears. Throw away the 9-box competency framework and evaluate leadership abilities and management abilities separately.

Assess Leadership Skills: Conduct assessments to identify gaps in leadership skills and competencies. Provide Training and Development: Offer training and development programs to address identified gaps. Mentorship and Coaching: Implement mentorship and coaching programs to support leadership development. Succession Planning: Develop a succession plan to ensure a pipeline of future leaders. Diverse Leadership: Promote diversity in leadership to bring different perspectives and ideas. Performance Feedback: Provide regular performance feedback to help leaders improve and develop. Encourage Continuous Learning: Foster a culture of continuous learning and development for leaders at all levels.

At what point is a leader the problem they are trying to fix? Let's start with the first problem: sometimes it's you, and you have to recognize it. The good news is: if you are part of the problem, maybe you can be part of the solution! - Have a great conversation to thoroughly qualify what you are trying to do. - Assess your skills to understand what's in there. - Raise your awareness about what works, and what doesn't - Work daily to solve your 'habits' challenges - Be proactive by committing to coming up with questions every session if you are coached.

Most Western cultures put emphasis on the job itself and not the leadership. They promote good people to Management and forget that the skills to lead are not always inherently available to highly skilled 'doers'. As a coach I work with teams of all levels to build their leadership skills in addition to the tactical skills needed to drive transformation.

One valuable approach to addressing leadership gaps is to help your clients recognize the importance of leading by example. Executive coaching can include providing specific leadership training that focuses on behavior modeling. In your role as an executive coach, guiding your clients to lead with integrity, consistency, and a clear alignment with the organization's values can create a ripple effect throughout the company. Setting the tone at the top and showcasing the desired leadership qualities can significantly impact the organization's culture and overall alignment.

External factors are crucial for strategic alignment, as strategy inherently involves adapting to external conditions. However, the most significant challenge lies in ensuring alignment between external and internal factors. In simple terms, there are three major forces that need to be aligned: market needs (external), company direction (both external and internal), and individual values (internal). Altough undertaking worthwhile endeavors is seldom easy, this particular challenge is too daunting to tackle alone. A coach can provide essential supports, helping the coachee navigate through this never-ending story.

Regular environmental scanning allows organizations to anticipate shifts in the business landscape and proactively adjust their strategies. This includes: staying updated on market trends, customer preferences, technological advancements, and regulatory changes. An executive coach can help the client feel empowered and avoid blindspots in exploring scenarios based on the different external factors.

One thing I have found exceptional in managing External Elements is to regularly perform a STEEP Analysis. Simply put, you maintain an active review of the Sociological, Technological, Environmental, Economic and Political elements that are critical to your company's success. Easier said than done, but ultimately worthwhile.

Conduct Market Analysis: Regularly analyze market trends and industry changes to stay informed. Monitor Competitors: Keep an eye on competitors and their strategies to remain competitive. Adaptability: Be adaptable and open to change in response to external factors. Risk Management: Implement a robust risk management strategy to mitigate potential impacts. Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, and partners, to build strong relationships. Innovation: Foster a culture of innovation to stay ahead in the market. Regulatory Compliance: Stay updated and comply with relevant laws and regulations to avoid legal issues.

The question that starts this post feels flawed: "How can you overcome obstacles to strategic alignment?" Why? It quietly suggests that obstacles are a problem that annoyingly get in the way and strategic alignment is somehow pure and correct. I look at it differently. Strategic alignment is something great leaders crowd source from their people. They take their people's ideas and giving them color, substance, and life. They teach their people to think strategically and try to avoid making all the decisions themselves. As far as obstacles, they should be celebrated. This inspires our people to point them out rather than hide them away. And each obstacle is an opportunity to learn about our strategy and ourselves.

To overcome obstacles to strategic alignment, firstly, diagnose misalignments by conducting thorough organizational audits on the current strategy, structure, culture, and processes. Next, foster open communication, encouraging feedback and dialogue across all levels. Establish clear, coherent goals, ensuring they are well communicated and understood. Prioritize leadership development. Encourage adaptability, enabling the organization to respond to changes in the external environment. Ensure alignment of reward systems with strategic objectives, reinforcing desired behaviors and outcomes. Lastly, invest in training and development, equipping employees with the necessary skills and knowledge.

It’s essential to diagnose why misalignment occurs. Misalignment can stem from unclear communication, divergent departmental goals, or a lack of consensus on the organization's strategic priorities. By conducting thorough assessments and facilitating open discussions, leaders can pinpoint where misalignments lie and why they persist. One common obstacle is when different departments or teams have conflicting objectives. In my experience, aligning incentives to strategic goals can create a shared focus. For instance, rather than rewarding purely individual achievements, incentivize collaboration and collective outcomes that advance strategic priorities. Bear in mind strategic alignment is not a one-time fix but a continuous process.

Go back to the design board and reflect what you could do differently to engage stakeholders from the start. And be open and honest to admit a new approach is required. I believe in co-creating the change journey with people.

Fostering self-awareness and emotional intelligence is a vital aspect of leadership development. Encouraging your clients to understand their own strengths, weaknesses, and emotional triggers can greatly enhance their ability to lead, communicate, and adapt. Furthermore, executive coaching can serve as a continuous learning journey. As a coach, you can recommend ongoing leadership development programs, workshops, and peer mentoring, enabling your clients to stay ahead of the curve and maintain alignment in an ever-evolving business landscape. Executive coaching is a dynamic process that involves continuous improvement, and helping your clients embrace this mindset can be a game-changer.