Monthly Archives: November 2012

Strategic Initiatives | What Are the Metrics That Matter?

Leaders of strategic initiatives should regard good metrics as a priority. Metrics will help foster learning, support the strategic initiative story, integrate the many components, and encourage good decision making. People can only pay attention to a handful of things, so the question for any change agent is what metrics are preserved and what new metrics are needed to encourage people to move in new directions. A good metric – or set of metrics – does these six things:1. It measures something important. 2.It has relevance to the audience. 3. It measures something that is directly controllable by individuals or small groups. 4.It is resistant to gaming. 5. It is a member of a very small, lean set of measurements. 6. The set of metrics includes both leading and lagging indicators.
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Posted in Incremental Benefits Delivery, Success Principles for Strategic Initiatives | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

S.T.I.C.C. – A Useful Communication Tool for Critical Situations

Situation, Task, Intent, Concerns, Calibrate (STICC) is a useful communication template for situations where time pressures and mistakes can lead to grave consequences. The article uses an example of prioritizing a set of strategic projects, considering each piece of the STICC message. Continue reading

Posted in Strategic Planning Issues for Strategic Initiatives, Useful Practices & Management Tools | Tagged , , | 1 Comment