Training Industry Magazine - November/December 2017 - 49

the strategy as departments look
to operationalize the priorities that
the division has chosen to focus on.
As with the other stages, it requires
leaders who are willing and able
to think ahead, see the connection
points, and be change agents.

STAGE 4
Stage 4 is often missed by
organizations, yet it is central to
this dynamic process. At this stage,
each leader and team within the
department needs to have a line
of sight to the strategies above.
Leaders must advocate and be a
voice for strategic transformation
as they determine how they
will map their work to the core
business strategy. As teams go
through their own alignment
meetings, the strategy begins to
pick up serious momentum and
penetrate all parts of the business.

STAGE 5
Stage 5 is arguably the most
exciting part of the process. This
is where each person defines
how they will contribute to the
strategic priorities of their team
and department by creating their
own "strategic road maps." It is
invigorating and motivating for
people on the front lines to know
how they fit, why they matter and
how they can contribute. People
bring strategies to life. Strategic
alignment ignites the energy
of
all
leaders
and
team
members, unleashing discretionary
performance and creating the
slight strategic edge businesses
need to compete and prosper.
Clearly, the engine of the cascading
process is the alignment meetings
that occur at all levels. But the
engine can't produce results
without monitoring and tracking

the performance of the interlocking
plans and agreements that flow out
of those alignment meetings. The
strategic plans, objectives and road
maps need clearly defined actions
and owners. This is how the strategy
becomes operationalized; without
a plan for operationalization, the
strategy is doomed to remain
nothing but a concept, hope, or
dream without legs.

FOLLOW-THROUGH
Once cascaded strategies are in
place, organizations should use
a "results forum" as a mechanism
for reporting on progress, getting
realigned as new opportunities
and threats surface, and holding
everyone accountable for results.
A results forum should occur at
every stage of the Alignment
Journey. During the forum,
individuals share their progress on
key initiatives and problems.
Accountability for the cascading
process flows in the opposite
direction, from bottom to top.
This "reverse cascade" continues
up and through the organization
until reaching the CEO and the
senior leadership team (the
ultimate owners of the core
enterprise strategy).
Unless there is a follow up at
regular intervals, you are unlikely
to see much progress. So, if the
alignment meeting is the engine of
the cascading process, the results
forum is the fuel that moves you
forward.
However, people can become
demoralized
and
frustrated
if there is a lack of leadership
courage or the discipline to
hold people accountable for
following through. Why does this
happen? Leaders get busy. Dayto-day responsibilities, short-

term demands, emergencies and
routine tasks all need attention,
and leaders often take care of
these items to the detriment of
their strategic initiatives. Unless
leaders are willing to tame these
demands, there will be little
room to operationalize strategic
intentions-and that puts your
future at risk.
This alignment process has been
used successfully with hundreds
of organizations and at all levels,
and it's a marvel to see it all come
together. Businesses have a lot
of moving parts; finding these
Strategic Connection Points is the
unifying mechanism that brings
focus, action and results.
Any organization can begin a
transformational journey if there
is leadership, determination, a
process to cascade the strategy
down to all levels, and the fortitude
to stay the course through the up
and down cycles of business-and
the chaos that inevitably comes
with daily operational life.
Remember, one of the most
important jobs a leader has is to
set direction and secure the future.
Cascading strategy and achieving
strategic alignment is one of the
best ways to make that happen.
Strategy can be electrifying,
and with this process, you can
proactively steer your organization
into the future and engage
the workforce in capitalizing
on the exciting challenges and
opportunities that await you.
Steven J. Stowell, Ph.D., is the founder
and president of CMOE. Stephanie
S. Mead, MBA, is the executive vice
president of CMOE. Email Steven
and Stephanie.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MA GAZ INE - BUSINESS OF LEARNING 20 1 7 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - November/December 2017