How to Bridge Strategy to Execution:
Bring the Diverse Elements into Confluence—Rapidly!
A number of years ago I read a very interesting article in the Scientific
American on confluence, which is the “bringing together or
flowing together of elements into one.” I began to think how
organizations and projects all really have three parts that need to flow
together for success and impact:
·
Overall organization: how resources are utilized,
prioritized and what “big rules” guide the unit or project—and the
extent to which steering mechanisms and coordination tools are used and
followed.
·
External customers and stakeholders: who must be
served, understood and focused on and targeted into plans and initiatives.
·
Internal customers and stakeholders: who must be
properly channeled, supported and deployed.
These three
elements form complex supply and communication chains. The simplest way to
manage this complexity is viewing the extent to which WHAT and HOW work
together coupled with continuously working on alignment and performance.
Our approach for rapidly
building agreement and commitment for both the “what” and the
“how” leverages four key concepts:
1.
Deep, reflective, individual thought from multiple perspectives
2.
Small work teams focused on one of the three major areas:
a.
Overall organization,
b.
External customers and stakeholders
c.
Internal customers and stakeholders
3.
Focus on defining the What then the How
4.
Working the relationships and fit among the three major areas
above. Alignment and coordination are key.
How
its applied – Success Stories
The opportunity to
use confluence initially came 1998 from a pro bono
assignment to bring together a fragmented all-volunteer, non-profit that
was barely operating at break-even and starting to loose its base of
support. The mission of this organization was still intact—the
“what”. It was the “how” that no longer supported its
“customers—both internal and external.” There were 25 Board Members
who needed to become committed to what the executive board had agreed must
happen.
Our goal was to
agree on what would meet our customer needs so the various committees
could then determine “how” to best deliver.
To achieve a
common mindset I used the simple analogy of a jigsaw puzzle –and asked
if individuals knew anyone who worked them anymore? Long story,
short—people no longer have time was the answer. I asked how this was
like “our members?” From that I provided the “rules” and questions
for working in a non-facilitated team. We divided the groups into the
committees that dealt with organization and resources, external community
communications and internal communications and services. Each person
answered the questions within a certain time limit; then worked within
their teams to achieve consensus, and provided a 5-minute report.
I could have never
anticipated how well the reports “flowed together.” The 25 people were
off on a mission! One year later, monies began to build in an educational
fund. Two years later, eight $1,000 scholarships were provided—with the
fund growing. Membership attrition stopped. In 2002, fifteen $1,000
scholarships were provided and the organization held its first big event,
sponsored by a major department store.
The power of
flowing together!
I have now used
this device with even greater success in for and not-for profit
organizations. We’ve combined Board, Community and Staff with first year
audits showing all confluence implementation plans way ahead of schedule.
Most are achieving 3-year plans within 2 years.
I’ve now had a
colleague, Byron Streitz of Synchros Consulting [www.synchrosconsulting.com], replicate the method with a group of management
consultants, a group hard to impress. They gained the same high level of
commitment, energy and enthusiasm plus an action plan within six hours!
If your projects
are lagging or your strategies are not resulting in execution, multiple
symptoms can exist. These normally result from complexity, ineffective
people processes and/or reward systems. The confluence session is a proven
approach that can help. It is a low investment, high return involvement
method that has helped others power and execute change quickly and
effectively.
Janice Scanlan
helps leaders power change when they don’t have much time to get it
right. If you have a strategy you wish to execute, contact Janice to learn
if a confluence session might work for you. Contact Janice at 281 261-2320
or email her at janicescanlan@earthlink.net.
Who is Janice Scanlan?
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