Driving Strategic Alignment: Influencing Executive Priorities Through Fast-But-Comprehensive Analysis
A senior executive running a major business division faced a steep decline in sales in a vital category and had only three weeks to develop a compelling strategy for the following year to present to the executive leadership. The urgency was clear.
Tackling this head-on, I adopted a multifaceted strategy to uncover deep insights and actionable solutions. This involved meticulously walking through our platform’s onboarding process via video to reveal subtle yet significant conversion issues. I engaged with over 20 stakeholders across diverse teams to gain a holistic view of varying perceptions and inconsistencies. I also swiftly analyzed our competitors to pinpoint customer attrition causes and reassess our platform’s value proposition. Throughout this process, I regularly updated the key stakeholders with interim reports, dynamically refining our strategy based on fresh insights and feedback.
Our efforts culminated in a strategy that not only resonated with but also topped the executive team’s list of over 100 initiatives proposed for the following year. This validation confirmed the effectiveness of our approach, significantly influencing the organization’s strategic direction and enhancing alignment across the board.
Highlights
Speed This was a big lift with a very short deadline. There was no wiggle-room; the meeting date, time, and expectations were set in stone.
Delicate politics I had conversations with 10+ leaders across key verticals and many disciplines, many of whom had already communicated key issues and recommendations (some several times).
Actionable recommendations I worked with my project sponsors to turn dozens of ideas, complaints, opinions, competitive points, and technical considerations into a 6-page narrative and a tight set of recommendations.
Success The project worked. The executive leaders prioritized the recommendations to the top of the list for the following year.
