The System of Alignment

Align the Vision
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.

FREQUENCY: Define annually

INSTRUCTIONS: Every team member to create a mission for role.

Add your 7-12 word mission statement to the top of your SWOT Analysis, Plan, Retro.

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.

Align the Strategy
SWOT

+ Create SWOT

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

FREQUENCY: Perform quarterly

Complete 3 weeks before quarter start

INSTRUCTIONS: Every team member to perform a SWOT Analysis against their role.

Force rank all items in your SWOT sections in order of importance, drag and drop.

Make sure to write out a conclusion based on what you need to focus on next to make the most amount of progress vs your 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.

Align the OKRs
PLAN

+ Create OKR Plan

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

FREQUENCY: Build quarterly

Roll out to team first week of each quarter.

INSTRUCTIONS: Every team member to build an OKR Plan for their role.

Use your SWOT Conclusion to drive your Plan objectives.

Define initiative based key results that are measurable, outcome based -ex: deliver ##, Launch ## by ## date, Complete ##.

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.

Align the Feedback
RETRO

+ Create Retro

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

FREQUENCY: Complete quarterly

Complete at quarter end.

INSTRUCTIONS: Every team member to complete a Retrospective.

Force rank all items in your RETRO sections in order of importance, drag and drop.

‍
‍

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.

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.

WEEKLY
TEAM
TOP 6

Each week discuss each team members Top 6 most important priorities for the week, as mapped to the high level strategic plan objectives.

Create TOP 6 Weekly Top 6 Goals

WEEKLY
OPERATING
MEETING

Each week meet as a leadership operating team to discuss progress, blockers, and perform group deep dives on key related topics.

Operating Deck

MONTHLY
ALIGNMENT
REVIEW

First week of each month we have a 90 minutes review of just the alignment plan, no slides. Results and color forecasts are all up to date.

Alignment OKR Plan

QUARTERLY
BUSINESS
REVIEW

Two weeks after quarter start each team holds a QBR [quarterly business review] with their leadership team and extended leaders.

Alignment QBR Deck

Strategy Sessions

THE SYSTEM OF ALIGNMENT: PLATFORM OVERVIEW

Join us for a live group zoom session to learn the fundamentals of The System of Alignment and how to apply it within your team:
‍
‍
Learn how to Align the Mission
‍
Learn how to Align the Strategy
‍
Learn how to Align the Quarterly Plan
‍
Learn how to Align the Weekly Execution
‍
Learn how to Align the Learnings
‍
‍
Everyone is welcome.

View schedule

The Alignment Rhythm

Learn how to empower your team to make the best strategic decisions to achieve your vision.

Breaking down the operating silo challenge

Make your workflow consistent across all teams

Alignment Playbook

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.

SWOT Analysis on a Product or Service

‍What is a Product SWOT analysis and why should you do one periodically? View SWOT Analysis examples and try the #1 free SWOT Analysis Template. Get started now.

Alignment.io Playbook Strategic Planning Guide

The Alignment.io Method strategic planning playbook for aligning teams to make the best decisions to achieve their visions.

New Release: Automations 1.0

Simplifying Your Strategic Planning Process

Ivy Lee Daily Routine

The Ivy Lee framework is one of the most powerful productivity routines leveraged by leaders. Created back in 1918 by Ivy Lee, a productivity guru. Use the #1 Free Ivy Lee Template to boosr your productivity.

Strategic Frameworks for Every Situation

Use strategic frameworks to write a strong product press release. View this product press release example. Helping Teams Make the Best Decisions and Achieve Ambitious Goals. Start now.

Ideas that Stick

This online template is inspired by Chip Heath and Dan Heath's book "Made to Stick".

New Release: Introducing Compass and Create 2.0

New Release: Alignment Workspaces 1.0

Alignment.io launches workspaces to help empower teams across the enterprise to make the best decisions and achieve brilliant visions

Introducing Alignment.io Real-Time Chat Collaboration

Introducing Real-Time Chat Collaboration: Elevate Your Strategic Conversations with Alignment.io

New Release: Introducing Compass and Create 2.0

BCG Matrix

BCG matrix: Helps companies analyze their portfolio of products or business units, and determine which ones to invest in, which ones to maintain, and which ones to divest.

37 Inspirational Leadership Quotes

Over the last ten years I’ve created a collection of leadership quotes that moved me, that got me thinking in a new direction.

Business Model Canvas

The Business Model Canvas is one of the most used tools to help businesses look at the current state of their business in a strategic way. Customize for Business Model Canvas template headers, colors, and design. Get started for free.

Warren Buffett's 5/25 Rule

Write down your top 25 career goals.

Daily Standup Done Right

The #1 Free Daily Standup Template. Discuss your accomplishments, to do, and blockers. Get started now.

Team Building Exercise, 42 Rules to Lead By

Use this list and score your team against the 42 rules created by Jonathan Rosenberg (Google Product Strategy)

Align the Vision MISSION

Align the Strategy SWOT

Align the OKRs PLAN

Align the Feedback RETRO