Two Principles for Orientation

Principle 1 — Clarify Purpose

Ensure that everyone understands who the organization or team is serving, why and to what end, so that everyone is able to focus and unite their efforts on achieving that purpose.

Essential Patterns to help you achieve this:

• Describe Organizational Drivers — Understanding the situation that is motivating action is an essential component for understanding, defining, and communicating the purpose of an organization, a team, or a department.
• Determine Requirements — Clarifying the main requirement an organization or team is fulfilling helps people develop a shared understanding of direction for their contribution.

Principle 2 — Develop Strategy

Develop a strategy to guide value creation, so that everyone shares a common direction, and strategy is adapted as necessary to achieve the purpose.

Essential Patterns to help you achieve this:

• Clarify and Develop Domains — A clearly defined area of influence, activity and decision-making is a prerequisite for defining an effective strategy for an organization, a team, or a role.
• Clarify Intended Outcome — Defining the intended outcome of a strategy is an essential component for monitoring and evaluating its effectiveness, and adapting things when necessary.
• Describe Organizational Drivers — Understanding the motive for acting in response to a specific situation is an essential component for designing an effective strategy for responding to it
• Clarify and Develop Strategy — Stakeholders collaborating on creating and evolving strategy for an organization, team, or role helps to support creation of relevant and effective strategy.
• Evaluate and Evolve Policies — Reviewing strategy and evolving it as necessary over time ensures it remains helpful and relevant to the organization, team, or role.
• Define and Monitor Metrics — Defining criteria for success or failure is necessary for figuring out whether or not the strategy is effective.