Alignment LEARNING

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.

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Playbook
New Releases
Leadership
New Feature

Introducing Alignment.io Real-Time Chat Collaboration

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

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5 min
New Feature

New Feature: Copy and Paste Images in Chat

Use the shortcut Shift+control+command+4 to copy any screen image and past directly into Alignment Chat.

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2 min
New Feature

New Release: Introducing Compass and Create 2.0

We're excited to introduce Create 2.0, a major step forward in delivering an organized and efficient data handling experience. This significant upgrade introduces a sophisticated framework for managing workspaces, teams, cycles, and projects all from the project experience. The system enhances collaboration, offers greater visibility, and promotes seamless operations across teams.

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7 min read
New Feature

New Feature: Copy and Paste Images in Chat

Use the shortcut Shift+control+command+4 to copy any screen image and past directly into Alignment Chat.

Read post →
2 min
Business

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.

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5 min read
New Feature

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.

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13 min read
Business

Ideas that Stick

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

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2 min read
New Feature

Introducing Alignment.io Real-Time Chat Collaboration

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

Read post →
5 min
New Feature

New Feature: Copy and Paste Images in Chat

Use the shortcut Shift+control+command+4 to copy any screen image and past directly into Alignment Chat.

Read post →
2 min
New Feature

New Release: Introducing Compass and Create 2.0

We're excited to introduce Create 2.0, a major step forward in delivering an organized and efficient data handling experience. This significant upgrade introduces a sophisticated framework for managing workspaces, teams, cycles, and projects all from the project experience. The system enhances collaboration, offers greater visibility, and promotes seamless operations across teams.

Read post →
7 min read
New Feature

New Release: Introducing Compass and Create 2.0

We're excited to introduce Create 2.0, a major step forward in delivering an organized and efficient data handling experience. This significant upgrade introduces a sophisticated framework for managing workspaces, teams, cycles, and projects all from the project experience. The system enhances collaboration, offers greater visibility, and promotes seamless operations across teams.

Read post →
7 min read
Business

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.

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3 min
Business

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.

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18 min read
Business

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.

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12 min read
Business

Warren Buffett's 5/25 Rule

Write down your top 25 career goals.

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4 min read
Business

Daily Standup Done Right

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

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3 min read
Business

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)

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3 min read
The System of Alignment

Align the Vision
MISSION

Mission Template+ 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.
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

SWOT Analysis Template+ 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

OKR Template+ 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

Retrospective Template+ 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.


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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.
Alignment Operating Rhythm

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:
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Learn how to Align the Mission
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Learn how to Align the Strategy
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Learn how to Align the Quarterly Plan
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Learn how to Align the Weekly Execution
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Learn how to Align the Learnings
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Everyone is welcome.
View schedule

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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.

Each team should execute the system of alignment quarterly to make the best strategic decisions to achieve their vision.
1: Align on purpose, vision, values, and a key metric for your team, project, or role.
BHAG
ALIGN PURPOSE+VISION
1
+ Create BHAG
Set annually, review quarterly
1: Align on purpose, vision, values, and a key metric for your team, project, or role.
SWOT
ALIGN THE STRATEGY
2
+ Create SWOT
Perform quarterly
2. Analyze your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
PLAN
ALIGN OKRS+METRICS
3
+ Create OKRs
Build quarterly
3. Use your SWOT conclusions to drive your strategic objectives OKR plan.
RETRO
ALIGN THE LEARNINGS
4
+ Create Retro
Complete quarterly
4. Review what went well, not so well, learnings, and action items.
TOP 6
ALIGN WEEKLY EXECUTION
+ Create Top 6
Execute weekly
3. Use your SWOT conclusions to drive your strategic objectives OKR plan.
KANBAN
ALIGN PROJECT TASKS
+ Create Kanban
4. Review what went well, not so well, learnings, and action items.
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