*Although we highly recommend reading the story first for contextualizing the information, you can dive into the encyclopedia of content at the bottom of the page.
Multi-Axis alignment
As the Chief Strategy Officer, you hold a responsibility that lives and breathes coordination and collaboration. Unfortunately, you might be in an organization that stresses coordination and collaboration but makes them FAR from easy to achieve.
Enter multi-axis alignment, an alignment practice that is both vertical and horizontal, respectively. Youâre the CSO. We donât have to tell you about traditional vertical alignment.
However, horizontal alignment is critical for effective OKRs.
CSOâs are typically expected to strategize around an arbitrary top-of-funnel goal thatâs tone-deaf at best. Instead, horizontal alignment encourages individuals and teams to organize around customer and company (or other stakeholdersâ) priorities. The actual goal.
You, the CSO, are a Jedi. Jedis are knowledgeable, disciplined professionals who can strategize several steps ahead. Jedis need their lightsabers â a weapon of choice powered by âThe Force.â Objectives and Key Results methodology (OKRs) is your lightsaber. OKRs empowers you, the Jedi CSO, to align people and work toward strategic objectives. Your lightsaber, OKRs, is one of your most impactful and important superpowers.
How do you, the CSO, get your lightsaber in the form of OKRs? What is âThe Forceâ that makes your lightsaber powerful? Multi-axis alignment.
No multi-axis alignment = ineffective OKRs = stress as a Chief Strategy Officer
No Force = No Lightsaber = Poor Jedi
Star Wars references aside, multi-axis alignment could be the best system youâre not using. Not only is the horizontal alignment component necessary for effective OKRs, and thus strategy, but it can transform how your organization collaborates. CSOs have a rare opportunity to drive more impact by making their jobs less overwhelming through multi-axis alignment.
Luckily, you are not alone if you dare to take on the great journey of multi-axis alignment.
May the Force (multi-axis alignment) be with you. Each of the resources provides a unique learning perspective on OKRs, strategy execution best-practices, and alignment. We hope you find them useful, fellow CSO Jedi.
Resources for CSOs
How the Chief Strategy Officer Drives Multi-Axis Alignment
A discussion on the foundational ingredients necessary for unlocking enterprise value
Practical and, at times, prescriptive advice for CSOs
Feedback from a strategy executor â Dan Weikart, Director and Enterprise Agile Coach at Cprime
Funny (but weirdly accurate) Star Wars references aside, multi-axis alignment could be the best system youâre not using. Not only is the horizontal alignment component necessary for effective OKRs, and thus strategy, but it can transform how your organization collaborates as a whole. CSOs have a rare opportunity to drive more impact by making their jobs less overwhelming through multi-axis alignment.
We hope you find these resources useful, fellow CSO Jedi.
May the Force (multi-axis alignment) be with you.
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