How do you assess and align your organization's key elements?

1 Mission, vision, and values

Your mission, vision, and values are the core elements that define your organization's purpose, direction, and principles. To assess and align them, you need to review your current statements and check if they are clear, concise, and relevant to your organization's context and goals. Involving your employees, customers, partners, and other stakeholders in the process of revising or developing your mission, vision, and values is essential to increase their buy-in and commitment. Furthermore, it's important to communicate your mission, vision, and values consistently across your organization by using different channels and formats such as newsletters, posters, meetings, and events to reinforce and celebrate your core elements.

2 Strategy and goals

To assess and align your strategy and goals, you need to analyze your internal and external environment, using tools such as SWOT, PESTLE, or Porter's Five Forces. This will help you identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Additionally, you should define your strategic goals using the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) and link them to your mission and vision. Make sure that your goals are aligned with your stakeholders' expectations and needs. Finally, develop an action plan with tools such as the Balanced Scorecard, OKR, or KPI to translate your goals into specific activities, indicators, and targets. Assign roles and responsibilities, allocate resources, and establish timelines and milestones. Doing this will help you focus your resources effectively while monitoring progress and adapting to changing circumstances.

3 Structure and systems

Your structure and systems are the key elements that organize your organization's activities, processes, and functions. To assess and align them with your strategy and goals, you need to evaluate their alignment and impact on performance and culture, using tools such as the McKinsey 7S Framework or the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument. Additionally, you should design and implement your optimal structure and systems with tools such as Mintzberg's Organizational Configurations or the Galbraith's Star Model. Finally, manage the change process with tools like Kotter's 8-Step Change Model or the ADKAR Model to plan, communicate, execute the change, and overcome any resistance or challenges that may arise.

4 Culture and behavior

Your culture and behavior are two essential components that shape the norms, values, and attitudes of your organization. These elements can influence how your employees think, feel, and act, as well as how they interact with each other and with stakeholders. To assess and align your culture and behavior, you need to first assess your current culture and behavior with tools such as Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions or Denison's Organizational Culture Model. Then you can define and promote the desired culture and behavior by using tools such as Collins and Porras' Core Ideology or Cameron and Quinn's Competing Values Framework. Finally, you can reinforce and sustain the culture and behavior by using tools such as Kotter and Heskett's Culture Change Cycle or Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Doing so will help to embed the culture and behavior in your structure and systems, while also addressing any gaps or issues that may affect your organization's cohesion and performance.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?