11 Questions to Help You Develop a New Strategy

I approach everything new with a particular recipe, a set of questions that get my mind around the task at hand. And even though you would believe that there are common answers to these questions, this is simply not the case.  When building your next strategy, I challenge you to ask your team and stakeholders these questions and close the gaps that you find between the answers.    

1. What is the goal?  Have you ever really made the rounds to your team members to get a true understanding of the goal they are trying to accomplish as a team?  Have you ever asked the same question of your client group and finance team?  You will likely get different and possibly conflicting answers from each of these groups of people, yet we as HR leaders are attempting to get all parties to achieve the same goal.  Get everyone looking at the same target, and you will be amazed at how quickly and effectively things happen.
2. How do we measure success? In my last blog I shared a statement my CFO made to me when I first started Microsoft over three years ago: “These HR metrics aren’t business metrics. Find something that matters to all of us, and we can get some meaningful work done together.”  You have to find a measurement that matters to everyone: What are you trying to accomplish for your client?  What if you didn’t accomplish what you set out to accomplish?  How would the client group suffer—from their perspective, not yours?
3. Where we are now and when will we be finished?  Setting realistic expectations is a critical piece of accomplishing any common goal, and having different timelines will always reduce credibility levels.  
4. Who are the stakeholders?  Have you done the “bumble-bee?”  Have you made your rounds to meet or have a quick conversation with everyone who has a vested interest or can influence what you are trying to accomplish?  
5. What are the resources?  Do you have the tools in your toolkit to make sure that things go off without a hitch?  Will you need additional resources in terms of people, money or even facts and data?  Do you have the budget and time for meetings?  Are team members willing to give up time as well? 
6. What are the steps or milestones? What are the 4-5 major milestones that your team will discuss to determine whether you are heading in the direction of your goal?  What would have to happen to make you pause and change direction?  Who would make that decision? A general set of milestones may be Define – Build – Roll Out – Maintain, but you should use terminology that works for your team and goal.
7. What are the obstacles or objections?  What might get in the way of success? Is the organization ready for the goal you are trying to accomplish?  Is it a business focused goal? 
8. Who are the key supporters and challengers? Who might object and why?  Draw a four square on a blank sheet of paper and label the two left quadrants “supporter” and “challenger.” List the names of people who fit into these categories.  On the right side, list the specific challenging and supporting quotes you have heard from these people.  Take the time to get to know both sets of people to continue to nurture the support and overcome the challenges.
9. What are the options?  Are there other options you should be considering to achieve the goal?  Really dig into the challenger’s point of view to understand and determine if there is a better approach.  
10. How and when should we communicate?  There is a huge difference doing to things to people versus with people.  Be deliberate and planful about communicating your goal and the win for the business.  Communicate early, often and consistently. 
11. What is the cost? What and when is the ROI?  Today more than ever, you will need to understand and be able to articulate the business case for change.  Cost and ROI covers the human capital and bottom line.  What is the cost to human capital in terms of employee engagement?  What, in terms of dollars, will be the return on investment for the corporation based on this goal you are trying to accomplish?  If there isn’t a return for the business, should you be doing it at all?

Kelly McGill is an HR Director at Microsoft.  Kelly possesses over 15 years of diversified business experience with major emphasis in Organizational Change Management, Leadership Development, Process Improvement, ERP and HR Technology Implementation, Marketing and Talent Assessment and Selection. Over the last 3 years, Kelly has been the Director of Global Staffing for the Microsoft Business Division, which includes Microsoft Office, Microsoft Exchange, Dynamics CRM and Unified Communications.  She is also a writer and holds the Human Capital Strategist (HCS) designation.

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