Strategy Check-in: 10 Questions to Keep Your Business on Track
Question 1: Are we all moving in the same direction?
- Are we aligned around a clear and urgent purpose?
- Do our values, culture, customer promise and employee actions reinforce each other or work against each other?
Question 2: Is our outlook strategic?
- Are we utilizing strategic planning to keep our eye on the future?
- Are change initiatives systemic, are they coordinated with each other and do they have a clear business purpose?
Question 3: Do we have some problems that just won’t go away?
Learn alternatives to “solving” unsolvable problems:
- Determine if it’s a “problem” to solve or a “polarity” to manage?
- Discover and build on what you do well.
- Uncover systemic elements that work for and against you.
Question 4: Does everyone know what it takes to succeed here?
- Are job descriptions and expectations clear?
- Have we defined the right competencies to support our purpose?
- Do people know and live the company values?
- Do we act with integrity?
Question 5: Are we keeping the people we need and helping them grow?
- Do we know what our top people want from their jobs?
- Are we growing our leaders of tomorrow?
- Are we giving future leaders the experiences they’ll need?
- Are retention strategies in place?
- Are we paying attention to succession planning?
Question 6: Are we measuring the things that make a difference?
- Are we using the metrics that make sense for our business?
- Are we using metrics that measure the past—or point us towards the future?
Question 7: Do we know where we stand at any given point in time?
- Do we measure with regularity?
- Do employees know where the company is and where we need to be?
- Do individuals know where they stand?
Question 8: Does everyone have the information they need?
- Are we telling our stories?
- Are the communication pathways in the company clear?
- Does information flow up as well as down?
- Do people know how the company makes money–and how they can make a difference?
- Do we have the right training?
- Are we using internal, external, social and other media appropriately and effectively?
Question 9: Are we responsive to our market and conditions?
- Are we able to cope with change?
- Are we using our “front line” employees as “watchers”?
Question 10: Are we taking full advantage of multiple viewpoints, learning styles and cultural backgrounds?
- Do we know the business case for diversity?
- Do we maximize the advantages of a diverse workforce?
- Does everyone feel welcome?
- Do we understand and utilize differences in personality and learning styles?
Call 847 266-2677 and ask for Neesa Sweet to discuss how your business can benefit from working with us.