There is often ambiguity between organizational goals and executive-level metrics and targets. Further, there exists a disconnect between high-level strategic objectives and the day-to-day operations, making it difficult to translate broad goals into specific, actionable metrics. While strategic objectives may be defined, it must also be complimented by a framework to effectively communicate, drive, and refine executive-level goals that clearly maps their relationship to corporate strategy.
Leaders surely want to maintain accountability and see how the metrics contribute to desired outcomes, but there is also a balance to strike of maintaining flexibility; as market conditions and organizational priorities evolve, metrics and targets may need to be adjusted, requiring a living and frequently updated approach to strategic alignment and associated goal setting.
McChrystal Group partnered with a leading Class I rail and logistics company to help the leadership team first create a common understanding of their top strategic priorities and then map each executive’s role in delivering them. Addressing this challenge meant not only defining strategic objectives but also creating a framework and agile process to effectively communicate, drive, and refine executive-level goals that link their relationship to corporate strategy. Without a technical solution that enabled consistent and transparent reporting on goal delivery, this effort would fall flat and could easily be forgotten a few months down the road, instead of the desired lasting change.
The company was embarking on a significant undertaking to enhance innovation and operational efficiency–and needed a roadmap to make it a reality.
Previously, the organization’s goal reporting system presented a significant obstacle, requiring a minimum of 21 days for any structure modifications to take effect. The rigid nature of this system stifled the organization’s capacity to iterate and refine its objective updating process in a timely manner to reflect shifting macroeconomic conditions and the challenges it poses to its business.
McChrystal Group’s team of digital infrastructure experts and strategy leads devised a solution that encompasses a dual approach, addressing both strategy and technical aspects of goal management.
Through tailored coaching and mentorship, we worked closely with their human resources performance goals team, guiding them in developing a structured cadence and methodology for goal updates and maintaining a continuous link to their 12 corporate priority metrics. Enabling this process with digital tools, we deployed a framework that includes a dedicated goals and updates database for archiving historical data, a user-friendly application leveraging Microsoft Power Apps for easy modifications and status updates, and a dynamic dashboard, built on Power BI, offering automated insights for leadership.
By marrying strategic guidance with effective communication and intuitive and user-friendly technology, leaders at the organization are empowered and feel comfortable enough to navigate their goals with agility, precision, and informed decision making. Every element of the process has been key to making this not just a platform implementation project, but part of a holistic one that ensures lasting change management.
The results of the partnership include:
The systemization of the update process reduced data input and presentation/report development time from 12 hours to 1 hour for the business admin each reporting cycle.
By aligning 94 VP-level goals of more than 30 senior leaders to the 12 organizational performance indicators, we highlighted how executive-level activities contribute to key metric success. This transparency has enhanced cross-collaboration among leadership teams and improved management and planning discussions.
Company leadership now has transparent, real-time updates on individual performance goals for all 4,200 non-unionized employees. These updates are discussed monthly in Management Committee Meetings, focusing on progress, challenges, risks, and resource needs.
Continued advisory support for priority initiatives and processes within the organization to ensure the system is scalable and adaptable to evolving executive goals and priorities.
The organization’s leadership team is now generating regular updates on their individual and collective progress toward the company’s strategic priorities. With defined processes and enhanced cross-team visibility, there is now heightened accountability for the quality of goals and the timeliness of updates.
Teams are now engaging in active discussions about roadblocks, challenges, and opportunities in alignment with organizational metrics, fostering a culture of greater transparency and collaboration. The technical enablement has not only streamlined administrative tasks but has also recouped valuable time for strategic advisory roles and in-depth report analysis. Overall, these tangible outcomes signify a transformative shift towards greater efficiency, alignment, and strategic focus, positioning the organization for sustained success.
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