OK, so we’re considering how to best facilitate strategic dialogue. You may want to read part one of this series which is just below this one. This post has to do with what is often the missing ingredient in strategic dialogue: alignment. It’s easy to talk–but not so easy for teams to be honest in their dialogue. There are all sorts of reasons for this articulation hesitation, but know that it is important to not assume alignment. Alignment is earned in the process when it becomes part of the process.
Here’s a bit more…
Strategies fail, at one level, in organizations because authentic alignment is missing. Compliance to strategy is different than ownership of strategy. During a dialogue session, it is important that time is given to discover areas of mis-alignment or resistance that could jeopardize execution in daily work. It is important that the leader-facilitator appropriately and sensitively uncover mis-alignment and move the team toward collective ownership of newly emerging priorities. There is a delicate balance between allowing space to overcome mis-alignment and getting lost in unproductive conversation. Both the team and the facilitator play a role in ensuring that the team honor the process of ownership, but keep the mission of the sessions-the creation of a new and executable strategy-at the center of the dialogue. However, remember too little time spent on achieving alignment can create waste later—in time, money and energy.
Stay tuned…