Visioning and Alignment
Actively shaping and communicating the organizational vision and values to ensure understanding and alignment throughout the organization.
Level 1 Aligns personal work goals and actions
BEHAVIORS
- Ensures that personal work goals are aligned with their own work area.
- Explains how own role assists in achieving the organization's vision.
QUESTIONS
- Describe a situation where you made sure that your personal work goals were in line with the goals and plans for your work area.
Probing Questions
* What were you working on?
* How did your work relate to the goals/plans of your area?
* How did you ensure that you stayed in line with your area’s goals/plans?
* How do you know your approach was successful?
- Tell us about a time when you were conscious that your role/work was contributing to the achievement of the organization's vision.
Probing Questions
* What was the situation?
* Why did you feel your work was important?
* What did you do as a result of your understanding?
* What was the reaction of others?
Level 2 Aligns team goals and actions
BEHAVIORS
- Ensures that team activities are aligned with the broader vision.
- Helps team members understand the broader vision and how their work relates to it.
- Eliminates or restructures activities that do not support the future success of the organization.
QUESTIONS
- In the past, how have you monitored the activities of your team to ensure they were consistent with the broader vision of the unit/organization?
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation, including your role.
* What monitoring mechanisms did you use?
* How did you apply them?
* What did you do to get the team back on track or to keep them on track?
- What have you done in the past to ensure that your team members are aware of the strategic vision of your unit/organization and how their work relates to it? Describe a specific example.
Probing Questions
* What methods of communication did you employ to get the information across?
* What information did you pass on to your staff?
* What difference do you think this has made in terms of the team’s effectiveness?
Level 3 Aligns program/ operational support
BEHAVIORS
- Develops and implements programs and processes aligned with the strategic direction and vision.
- Monitors current developments and trends that may affect the implementation of organizational direction, programs or plans.
QUESTIONS
- In helping teams to set goals within their areas, how have you ensured that the organizational goals and vision have been taken into consideration? Describe a particular situation, including your role.
Probing Questions
* What goals was the team setting?
* How did you convey the importance of keeping goals consistent across all organizational levels?
* What was the outcome?
- What is an example of a time when you played a key role in the development and implementation of programs and/or processes, ensuring that they were aligned with the strategic direction and vision of the organization?
Probing Questions
* What programs/processes were developed?
* What was your contribution?
* How did you ensure that the programs/processes were in alignment with the strategic direction of the organization?
* What was the result?
- Describe a time when you identified factors that you anticipated would affect the implementation of the organization's programs (positively or negatively).
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation.
* What factors did you identify?
* What actions did you take?
* What was the outcome?
Level 4 Aligns strategic support
BEHAVIORS
- Sets strategic goals and approaches in line with the organization's vision and values.
- Scans external and internal environments to identify and assess emerging trends, opportunities and threats that may influence future directions.
- Responds to emerging trends with initiatives that are aligned with the organization's vision and values.
- Promotes a shared understanding of the organization's vision and implications for organizational direction.
QUESTIONS
- Describe an example of a time when you played a role in promoting an understanding of the organization's vision and its implications for the direction of the organization.
Probing Questions
* What was the organization’s vision?
* How did the organizational vision relate to its direction?
* What did you do to promote understanding of the organization’s vision?
* What challenges, if any, did you encounter?
* To what extent would you say you were successful? What makes you say that?
- Could you talk about a time when you addressed internal and external factors that may influence future directions of the organization?
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation.
* What were the influencing factors?
* What actions did you take?
* How did you know if your actions were aligned with the organization’s vision and values?
* What were the results?
Level 5 Shapes the vision and values
BEHAVIORS
- Plays a leadership role in shaping the organization's vision and values.
- Describes the vision and values in compelling terms to promote enthusiasm and commitment.
- Positions the organization to deal with broad emerging trends and issues.
QUESTIONS
- Describe a time when you played a leadership role in the development of your organization’s vision and values.
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation, your role, and that of others in developing the vision/values.
* What process was used to develop the vision/values?
* What factors were especially critical in developing the visions/values, and what was your role in dealing with these factors?
* What was the outcome?
- Could you give an example of how you positioned an organization to deal with broad emerging trends and issues?
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation.
* What were the emerging trends and issues?
* What was your strategic plan?
* What actions did you take?
* What was the outcome?