The Alignment Playbook

To align every team to execute with a strong sense of purpose, with a bold vision, aligned on the right priorities, with clear goals, defined metrics, and with an inspiring high velocity rhythm.

CREATORS

Developed by a team of leaders and 2x venture-backed CEO, 4x Co-Founders, creators of over $2B+ in shareholder value, featured in Wall Street Journal, and a members of the Forbes Business Council.

JOIN A SESSION

The Alignment Rhythm - Building Iconic Teams to Achieve Brilliant Visions

Join Workshop

Drop by our weekly office hours

Join Office Hours

Schedule a 1:1 Advisory session

Schedule 1:1

INFLUENCES

PLANNING | Recommended CY Timeline

The Alignment Plan blends mission, strategy, team alignment, and execution all on a single screen designed to be easily presented and shared in slide decks for leadership meetings.

8.26.22Each team aligns on team MISSION

9.1.22Each team completes a RETRO

9.3.22Each team completes a SWOT

9.6.22Aggregate SWOT prioritization discussion [offsite]

9.17.22Each team drafts an Alignment Plan

9.20.22Aggregate team Alignment Plan discussion [offsite]

10.4.22Q4 Alignment Plan roll-out

11.11. 22Mission alignment

12.01. 22Each team completes a RETRO

11.18.22Each team completes a SWOT

11.29.22Aggregate SWOT prioritization discussion [offsite]

12.13.22Each team drafts an Alignment Plan

12.20.22Aggregate team Alignment Plan discussion [offsite]

1.10.23Q1 Alignment Plan kickoff

2.28. 23Mission alignment

3.01. 23Each team completes a RETRO

3.10.23Each team completes a SWOT

3.14.23Aggregate SWOT prioritization discussion [offsite]

3.21.23Each team drafts an Alignment Plan

3.28.23Aggregate team Alignment Plan discussion [offsite]

4.5.23Q2 Alignment Plan kickoff

5.30.23Mission alignment

6.01.23Each team completes a RETRO

6.06.23Each team completes a SWOT

6.13.23Aggregate SWOT prioritization discussion [offsite]

6.20.23Each team drafts an Alignment Plan

6.27.23Aggregate team Alignment Plan discussion [offsite]

7.11.23Q3 Alignment Plan kickoff

Create a Quarterly
Alignment OKR Plan

Each quarter every team creates an Alignment Plan based on the steps discussed below.

The mission drives the headline and values. The SWOT conclusion drives the core objectives of the plan. The RETRO provides perspective on performance and helps drive the key results.

View example plan

Follow this 4 step strategic alignment process to create your alignment plan. It starts by defining a purpose-driven mission with a bold vision.

DEFINE
MISSION

Create Mission

STEP 1: Align your team on a purpose-driven mission, bold vision, values, and a key metric for your org, team, project, or role.

Group Planning: Have each team member create a team mission and link each team member's mission to the "team missions" section. Make sure you are aligned. Review and reconfirm quarterly.

No items found.

PERFORM
SWOT

Create SWOT

STEP 2: Teams to analyze your current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to team mission?

Group Planning: Aggregate the top 3 items of each section of each Team SWOT into an aggregate company SWOT. Then, use the stars and have each person vote on top 4 items per section, discuss. Break into groups to draft conclusions.

BUILD
OKR PLAN

Create OKR Plan

STEP 3: Use your SWOT Analysis conclusions to drive your strategic objectives and key results on your Alignment OKR plan.

Group Planning: Have each team member create a team plan once the high level objectives have been set. Team member's top objectives typically roll up into the high level plan as key results. Link the Sub-plans from the company plan.

COMPLETE
RETRO

Create Retro

STEP 4: Perform a team retrospective. Look at what went well, not so well, what you learned. Define action items.

Group Planning: Aggregating Top 3 items of each section of each Team RETRO into aggregate company RETRO. Then, use the stars and have each person vote on top 4 items per section.

Mission

Reconfirm your bold, purpose-driven vision for your organization, team, project, or role

Group Planning: Have each team member create a team mission and link each team member's mission to the "team missions" section. Make sure you are aligned. Review and reconfirm quarterly.

Tags: Mission
Visibility: Team Edit
Title: Company Dept | Mission
‍

Create Mission

No items found.

Group Planning: Align the team around your core purpose, bold 10yr+ vision, values, strategy, and key metric. Review and iterate together in the template. View Examples.

Tags: Q3 2022, Mission
Visibility: Team Edit
Title: Company Dept | Mission

Group Planning: Have each direct report create a SWOT Analysis against their connected team mission. Aggregate the top 3 items of each direct reports SWOT Analysis sections into an aggregate team SWOT. Use the stars and have each person vote on top 4 items per section, sort by vote, discuss. Break into groups to draft conclusions.

Tags: Q3 2022, SWOT
Visibility: Team Edit
Title: Company Dept | Q2 2022 SWOT

Group Planning: Have each team member create a team alignment plan once the high level objectives have been set. Team member's top objectives typically roll up into the high level plan as key results. Link the Sub-plans from the company plan. View example.

Tags: Q2 2022, Plan
Visibility: Team Edit
Title: Company Dept | Q2 2022 Plan

Group Planning: Aggregating Top 3 items of each section of each Team RETRO into aggregate company RETRO. Then, use the stars and have each person vote on top 4 items per section.

Tags: Q2 2022, Retro
Visibility: Team Edit
Title: Company Dept | Q3 2022 RETRO

Alignment Plan: Starting Template

FEATURED EIR

STEIR Playbook

Jim Benton

Experiences: Co-founder & COO of ClearSlide, VP of Sales at Sequoia backed AdBrite, Ticketmaster, Evite, AT&T

Specialties:
- Go-To-Market (built tens of millions in recurring revenue bases, developed $1M+ ARR deals)
- Customer Driven Innovation (5 patents, 3 WSJ articles highlighting innovations)
- Strategic Leadership (leading with purpose, vision, & clarity through repeatable frameworks)
- Company Builder (raised $120M+ across 7 rounds, Greylock, Bessemer, Sequoia Capital)
- M&A (completed 4 acquisitions, developed multi-million dollar partnerships)
- Featured speaker (Chicago Techweek, CEB, AA-ISP, SMA, Forecast + others)

View on Linkedin

The Alignment
Operating Rhythm

The Alignment rhythm is the way we bring our alignment plan to life and drive execution and discuss success, blockers, to do across the teams.

We use google slides as our core for team wide communications and collaboration with our Alignment Plan added each week into the specific sections.

The blend of a system of record for strategy that fits to a single page, the alignment plan, and google slides for presentation is a magical combination.