people strategy implementation cash understand the organization's environment

When partnering for progress with an organization, I try to follow some processes so I can understand where they are, where I am, and what next step is useful:

Organization Development Frame
  1. frame the boundaries
  2. understand the environment
  3. determine what is working
  4. determine what is not working
  5. respect each person as an expert in their domain
  6. cooperation and resistance cannot be perceived at the same time
  7. progress and solutions are co-constructed

I use a series of questions that move us together toward progress and understanding.

The headings are borrowed from Gazelles consulting, and the questions were co-constructed with an executive team I consulted. I hope you use some questions within your Organization Development, executive team coaching, or business development work.

People Strategy Implementation Cash … Understand the organization’s environment.
To-Do
  1. Take time to meet 1 on 1 with each of the executive management team, key employees, and other stakeholders vital to progress within the organization.
  2. Ask them questions from each of the categories (people, strategy, implementation, cash)
  3. Take notes from their responses.
  4. Develop a consistent method for scoring each category. This score is grossly subjective and will supply you with some way to look at each category and question to determine what is working to increase and what is not working to decrease.
  5. Send the raw data and responses to each person and ask for their feedback
  6. Share the raw data and responses with the executive team and ask them to decide on the next step

People

  1. Role clarity?
  2. Accountability & authority?
  3. Managerial competence?
  4. “Big enough” for the role?
  5. Value the work?
  6. Skilled-Knowledge?
  7. Wisdom for the role?
  8. Any extreme personality concerns?

Strategy

  1. Mission and knowledge of Mission Vision Values?
  2. Knowledge of external threats? Internal threats?
  3. Realized, unrealized, emergent?
  4. How is it documented and tracked? Show me!
  5. Integration into decisions and workflow?
  6. Who are Producer, Administrator, Integrator, Entrepreneur? How do they work together?
  7. Org lifecycle (Adizes) … showing normal vs. abnormal?
  8. Within Stratified Systems Theory, where does the strategy fit?

Execution (implementation)

  1. Who does the work?
  2. Tracking & feedback process aligned with strategy?
  3. How does execution affect strategy?
  4. Delegation of what to do – how is it done?
  5. Cross-functional-role definitions?
  6. Interface team? How does one dept affect others?
  7. Time to make a decision and then get it done within the org?
  8. Duplication of work … how does that happen … what causes it?

Cash

  1. Where does it come from?
  2. What is your cost-per-unit? Could you walk me through your formula?
  3. Amount of discretionary vs. fixed cash?
  4. Where are you losing $$? Is that a choice?
  5. Where are you making $$? Is that a choice?
  6. Does finance work as a strategic partner with all areas of the org? Give me an example.
  7. Share all information you know about changes to rates & reimbursements.
  8. Share finances quality improvement process?