Strategic Alignment or Bust: Why Strategic Plans Fail Before Launch
Note: This white paper has been prepared for Business Leaders, Advisors, and Change Agents. Thank you for being brave enough to challenge the status quo and for doing your part to make the world a better place!
The modern organization is being challenged like never before. If you are lucky enough to read this blog post, that means you’ve somehow survived the barrage of forced change and technology coming at us at increasing force. Congratulations on making it to this level.
There is no doubt that agility is a skill that is at an all-time high demand. Especially for organizational leaders and owners. Today’s VUCA[1] world requires organizations to act more like living systems shaped by identity, constrained or propelled by their capacity to change, and judged by their ability to execute. Only the agile will survive.
If your organization is fortunate enough to be filled with happy people, advanced expertise, and a strong market position, you are likely still missing a key element for maximizing success in the next year or 5 – alignment.
‘To deploy without alignment is like sending an orchestra on stage without a conductor or a score - everyone plays, but no one’s in harmony. The result is noise, not music.’ – James R Thompson
Recognizing the need for holistic organizational diagnostics, my team and I have incorporated a new tool in our toolbox to revolutionize the way leaders align their teams, understand their current capacity to change, and realize the true capability levels of their core functions. The concept itself isn’t a breakthrough. What makes our new approach special is the innovative integration between our methodology and our technology. What previously took us 6-18 months can now be done in 6-8 weeks!
12 Tools + Journey System Platform (JSP): Although our methodology has constantly improved with every project, the game changer has been the integration with “Journey”. Journey allows us to streamline strategic engagements and provide unbelievable insights at 10x speed. Insights can be gained through one, two, or all three of the following assessments we conduct: Organizational Identity Index (OII), Organizational Change Capacity (OCC), and Operational Maturity Inventory (OMI). Used together, the outputs give us visibility and insights into organizations that we never thought were possible.
This paper outlines the process from identity (OII) to adaptability (OCC) to execution (OMI), showcasing how you can leverage this pathway for strategic alignment and sustainable transformation like never before.
Phase 1: Organizational Identity Index (OII)
Purpose: To identify institutional behaviors, decision-making norms, and strategic archetypes.
Framework: OII categorizes an organization into one of 16 business identity types based on how it allocates resources, approaches strategy, manages people, and executes initiatives. It simplifies the complexity of organizational behavior into actionable insights. We often compare the OII to a Myers-Briggs Test[2] for organizations.
Key Outcomes:
Identification of dominant business archetype
Strategic and cultural alignment map (via Team Alignment Report)
Recommendations for positioning, messaging, and leadership engagement
Use Case: Quick diagnostic for leadership alignment, M&A compatibility studies, and x-ray vision for newly appointed CXOs.
“Before the Organizational Identity Index, leading a business was like steering a ship through fog. Everyone had a hand on the wheel, but no one quite agreed on where the destination was or how we were going to get there.”
Phase 2: Organizational Change Capacity (OCC)
Purpose: To measure the underlying mindsets and beliefs that influence an organization’s ability to adapt and sustain change. To minimize friction, the ability and willingness to change must be understood prior to strategy deployment.
Framework: OCC leverages the CHIRP model (Collaboration, Horizon, Integration, Reliability, Proactivity), measuring 51 behavioral indicators that determine cultural adaptability and agility.
Key Outcomes:
Scored change readiness across CHIRP dimensions
Identification of positive and negative influencers (e.g., Role Models, Lone Wolves)
Capacity gaps that may hinder change initiatives
Use Case: Strategic planning preparation, cultural due diligence, team development engagements, and leveraging leadership strengths.
"Before the [Organizational Change Capacity] assessment, every change initiative was a gamble. What slightly bends one of my leaders might break another. As the owner, I was left guessing who would hold steady and who would crumble."
Phase 3: Operational Maturity Inventory (OMI)
Purpose: To assess the maturity of an organization's systems and behaviors across Strategy, Implementation, Money, and People (SIMP).
Framework: The OMI evaluates 47 principles of operational health using a 5-level maturity scale, enhanced by the CHIRP behavioral lens.
Key Outcomes:
Journey Readiness Score (JRS)
Detailed assessment of agility and gaps
Actionable insights for scaling operations and aligning execution with strategy
Use Case: Operational diagnostics, post-M&A integration planning/turnaround efforts, and process-based maturity level analysis for optimization of resource allocation
"Before the Operational Maturity Inventory, leaders often spent time and money fixing what looked like it was broken, not what actually was. Critical gaps went unnoticed while less urgent issues got all the attention."
Strategic Integration: From Insight to Action
Used sequentially, the OII, OCC, and OMI create a strategic narrative:
OII defines who the organization is.
OCC reveals how capable the organization is of evolving.
OMI measures what the organization can execute effectively.
Cross-referencing these tools exposes alignment gaps (e.g., high adaptability but poor execution, or strong maturity but cultural resistance) and generates a roadmap for transformation.
Conclusion
By first understanding your organization's identity (OII), then evaluating its change capacity (OCC), and finally assessing its operational maturity (OMI), your team can chart a more informed, strategic, and adaptable path forward. Doing so ensures strategic alignment prior to strategy deployment – a critical step in growing the right way while minimizing friction and fatigue caused by change.
For more information or to deploy the strategic assessment suite in your organization, visit: https://www.concentricglobal.co/hire-us
