www.goodmind.net from The Business Strategy Cookbook © Goodmind, LLC
H.R. PlanningPyramid
ServesCoordinating strategic vision
Mapping daily activities to long term goals
Addressing operational issues
Ingredients5+ people
Moderator
Objective
5x6 Whiteboard
Marker
Time1 Workshop Session
Action Areas
Operational Objectives
Planning Priorities
Departmental Output
www.goodmind.net from The Business Strategy Cookbook © Goodmind, LLC
1Prepare template on the whiteboard, and summarize Objective
above the template.
2Discuss parameters of Strategic Vision for 10-15 minutes. List
ideas, issues, and concerns related to fulfilling Strategic Vision next
to the template.
3Briefly review the Objective. Examine the list next to the template,
and identify Planning Priorities, as they relate to fulfilling the
Objective. Record in the template.
4Establish Operational Objectives for Planning Priorities. Record in
the template.
5Identify Action Areas for achieving Operational Objectives. Record
in the template.
6Assign each department responsibility for at least one Action Area.
Note in the template.
7Discuss Action Areas, and specify Departmental Outputs (targets,
resources, and milestones) in the template.
8Review completed template, and compare with parameters of
Strategic Vision. Revise template as needed, and establish
deadlines for Departmental Outputs.
Successes
►Helping employeesunderstand strategicvision
►Allowing goals andobjectives to “cascadedownward”
Messes
►Failing to allocateresponsibility
►Confusing Objective withStrategic Vision
Satisfies
►Annual Planning
►Benchmarking
►Troubleshooting
www.goodmind.net from The Business Strategy Cookbook © Goodmind, LLC
ObjectiveModerator WhiteboardMarkers
prep template
summarizeobjective above
template
discuss strategicvision
review objective
identify planningpriorities
establishoperationalobjectives
identify actionareas
allocateresponsibility
Symbol Key
moderator activity
repeat process
team technique
team activity
Team
specify departmentaloutputs
review template &revise as needed
ingredient
list importantpoints next to
template
How do I narrow mystrategic direction?
Difficulty
The HR Planning Pyramidaligns human resources withstrategic vision, and makesallocating responsibility the
highest priority.
www.goodmind.net from The Business Strategy Cookbook © Goodmind, LLC
Recipe Lineage
The H.R. Planning Pyramid is a Strategy Chef original, developedspecifically to enhance an overlooked component of the strategic diet.For some of us, creating strategy is a piece of cake. Yet even thoseblessed with broad vision and lucid daydreaming skills more oftenthan not find themselves left sitting alone eating their words. It is anunfortunate fact that strategic thinking most often occurs in isolation,and as a result, it rarely accounts for the full viewpoint of anorganization.
By the same token, Human Resource departments exist to help anorganization reach its business goals, yet they are subject to the samesolipsistic world view as strategic thinkers. Even though humanresources are integral ingredients in implementing any plan, it is easyfor H.R. functions and human resource planning to becomedisconnected from business goals.
The H.R. Planning Pyramid blends strategic vision with humanresource planning, so your team can co-develop a practical plan thataddresses a range of daily issues, and ongoing objectives. This type ofplanning allows an organization to proactively manage humanresources over time, rather than constantly reacting to short termforces.
This exercise is the perfect follow up to a change in strategic direction.It is also flexible enough to be used on a per-project basis whenhuman resources must be aligned to accomplish a time sensitive ini-tiative.
www.goodmind.net from The Business Strategy Cookbook © Goodmind, LLC
Departmental Output
Action Areas
Operational Objectives
Planning Priorities
Objective: A specific need related to a broader strategic vision, or initiative
Action Areas
include the general
department, or the
specific role critical to
Operational
Objectives.
Planning Priorities
describe a desired
business outcome, related
to the Objective, but
grounded in the realities
of your Strategic
Vision.
Prior to filling in
the template, your team
will discuss the Strategic
Vision of your organization,
and create a list related
to fulfilling this
Vision.
Operational
Objectives break the
broader session
Objective into a set of
specific steps, or
activities.
Departmental
Output specifies the
targets, resources,
milestones, and
deadlines for each
Action Area.
The completed
template establishes the
optimal workflow of internal
Operations as per a specific
Objective, while working
towards fulfilling a
Strategic Vision.