Q&A with the Experts: Talking Personal Strategic Planning with Lorraine Nordlinger

Interviewed by Phaedra Brotherton, CPRW, JCTC, CDF

I sat down with Lorraine Nordlinger of Nordlinger Consulting Group when I was in search of an executive coach to help a potential client with executive presence. While talking about how we helped clients, Lorraine, who works with both organizations and individuals, mentioned that she facilitates a workshop on helping clients align their personal goals with organizational goals for career satisfaction and success. She agreed to answer a few questions about the workshop and give readers some helpful advice.

Q. You talk a lot about employees aligning their personal goals with organizational goals.  What do you mean by this and what are the benefits?

A typical yearly exercise at work is to align individual performance goals with organizational goals.   But when you, as an employee, can fulfill at least some of your personal goals through work, your career satisfaction will increase and the organization's benefits because you’ll become significantly more engaged and help kick up organizational results.   

Q. What are some of the issues that prevent professionals from doing this? 

Although individuals often align their performance goals with organizational goals, not many people think about also aligning personal goals, which often seem beyond the realm of work.  On the other hand, those that have thought about it or are working toward their personal goals may not know how they can align them with business goals.

Q.  Do you have some tips for getting started?

One of the first steps, of course, is knowing what the company goals actually are.  In "The Strategy-Focused Organization," (Harvard Business School Press, 2001), Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton write, "A mere 7 percent of employees today fully understand their company's business strategies and what's expected of them in order to help achieve company goals."

I suggest individuals start by checking out organizational and departmental websites and intranet postings, as well as press releases and news stories. They should also ask their supervisors, department managers, and other organizational leaders about current organizations and departmental goals, initiatives, challenges, and concerns that are not posted anywhere else. 

Q.  Great. Once they understand what the corporate goals are, what are the next step to think about related to their own personal goals?

Think of these as steps toward conducting strategic planning for your life. Here are some tips from my workshop Strategic Planning for Your Life…It’s Not Just for Business! The steps include:

• Identifying your values
• Identifying your strengths and weaknesses/limitations and working within your areas of strengths whenever possible
• Writing your personal vision statement of how you want to be and what you want your life to look like
• Writing your personal mission statement of what you do/your purpose
• Laying out your “W.H.Y.S.M.A.R.T.E.R.” (Written, Harmonious, Yours, Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound, Evaluate, Revise) goals and potential obstacles with possible solutions
• Identifying where your goals overlap with those of others--within your family, organization, community, or customer base.

When you can achieve your goals in a way that others, including organizations,  can also get what they want, you both get more done better and faster. For example:

• If John personally wants to get more exercise, and for business reasons, needs to network more with internal colleagues, he might form or join a company sports team or invite others to go on a lunchtime walk or run.

• If Sally personally wants to do more to serve her community and is also aware that she needs to develop leadership skills to advance within her organization, she might recruit and manage a company team for a Habitat for Humanity or another charitable project.

Q.  Anything else you'd like to add about the benefits/importance of aligning personal goals with organizational goals?

Again, this type of exercise should be thought of as developing a strategic plan for your life. After all, what is more important than planning one’s own life? Aligning personal goals with organizational goals will not only give you more life and career satisfaction, but your increased engagement will benefit the organization as well.  

Thanks, Lorraine!

Lorraine Barclay Nordlinger, MBA, CPLP, president of Nordlinger Consulting Group, works with organizations and individuals (adults and youth) to institute positive change. She combines her extensive experience with diagnostic models that align strategy, structure, process, rewards, and people to maximize customer loyalty and bottom-line results.  She can be reached at 202-285-3935, LBN@Nordlinger.com at www.Nordlinger.com.

If you're interested in getting some personalized feedback on your strategic planning, please feel free to contact Phaedra at info@resumesandcareerstrategies.com to learn about her complimentary, no-obligation consultation.