Executive Alignment Workshops
An Executive Alignment workshop is a highly structured series of meetings covering five critical conversations:
Goals: What are our prioritized, measurable goals for this project?
Today’s words for users: How do we think about users?
Wants and needs: How can we transition to thinking like users?
Persona creation: What are the key motivators that bring users to our product?
The magic sentence: Which personas do we have to delight to hit our highest priority goals?
All teams start conversations like these. This workshop enables you to finish them. In the process, we collaboratively create and prioritize “alignment personas” that reflect the wants and needs of your users and customers. Participants walk away with a new, user-centered vocabulary and a shared, well-articulated set of priorities that stick.
What’s an Executive Alignment Workshop?
How does it work?
Preparation
Goal articulation and workshop planning
Scheduling, usually six to eight hours spread over a few days
The Workshop
In person: we meet in a large conference room and work with basic supplies, including sticky notes, large easel sheets, markers, and a projector.
Virtual: we meet in a virtual whiteboarding tool, such as Miro, Mural, or a tool of your choice.
Timeline
Prep: several days
The workshop: as little as two days
Results discussion: typically one week after the workshop
Deliverables
Prioritized, measurable goals that will indicate your project’s success.
Alignment personas that capture key ‘differences that make a difference’ between the users (and/or buyers) of your product or service.
A list of key questions your team needs data to resolve (if any)
The “magical sentence’ or north-star statements: Our primary goal is X; if we don’t make <alignment persona name> ridiculously happy, we will fail.”
A new vocabulary around users, and laser-focus on their needs, that will streamline communication throughout your organization.
A fresh perspective on your value propositions and differentiators.