PennsylvaniaCenter of Excellence

Questions for Leaders Who are Advancing Ambitious Goals

Strategic Linkages

  • How are these goals related to the agency’s mission, vision and principles?
  • How do these goals support or foster youragency’s lines of business?
  • How do these goals support or foster your agency’s primary operating units?
  • How do your different goals relate to each other? How do you integrate them when needed?

Environmental Scanning

  • How will you know the impact of these goals on your clients and communities?
  • Why will these goals be supported long-term by your stakeholders and partners?
  • Who do you need to partner with outside of your agency to achieve these goals?

Culture

  • What type of culture do you need to support and achieve these goals?
  • What current cultural strengths must you use to achieve these goals?
  • How will staff feel about these goals, both positively and negatively, and why?
  • What challenges and opportunities related to trust and resistance might you face?

Change Planning

  • Where are the primary gaps between these goals and where you are today?
  • What are the obstacles and barriers to implementing the goals?
  • What major changes will these goals require you to make to our organization?
  • How long and with what type of phasing might you need to achieve these goals?

Individual Leadership

  • How do these goals relate to what you do each day?
  • What can you do to support a changing agency direction and these goals?

Performance Capacity

  • How will all staff be individually and jointly accountable for these goals?
  • What are your team’s most significant developmental needs related to achieving these goals (skills, knowledge, experience, etc.)?
  • What challenges and opportunities related to time management and priority overload might you and your team face?
  • What should youstop doing to reserve our energy for achieving these goals?

Tactical Requirements

  • What data and analytical tools might you need to understand your progress?
  • What communication plans and key messages would bestsupport these goals?
  • What operational items or specific technical details need further clarification?
  • What do you need from your strategic support functions (IT, HR, Legal, etc.)?

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