Working Across Boundaries

Using a common blueprint, the Navy learns lessons in the art of IT strategy.

Using a common blueprint, the Navy learns lessons in the art of IT strategy.

Getting all parts of a large organization to face in the same direction when it comes to policy and procedures can be a challenge. For one thing, the policy developer and the implementer often are not in the same department. Also, the implementer and developer might work in different directions, maintaining their own silos. So, how do you get different departments to cooperate? When a policy-making group finds a solution, it is worth paying attention to.

The Navy, for example, has learned how to work across many boundaries in its Information Management and Information Technology (IM/IT) Performance Measurement Program. Its objective was to get everyone to follow the strategic plan, using a common set of metrics to measure progress. The approach promotes interoperability, security and more. But the challenge was the execution, given that each part of the organization has its own priorities, pressures, constraints and history.

Big steps were taken in seemingly simple ways, with impressive results: Diverse personalities and groups now share information and action, across boundaries, for the common good. Here are four lessons learned:

Lesson 1: Practice what you preach. Before asking anyone else to align their metrics to strategy, members of the CIO's team did it themselves. "Modeling what works" is a simple and effective method to encourage people to adopt new behavior. The office articulated its piece of strategy as a set of measurable results and then cascaded them down to the individual level. The team also followed the dictum, "Do good and avoid evil." This is a reference to the Whole Goal concept taught at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. Each outcome is encapsulated as a measurable desired effect to achieve or measurable negative side effect to avoid. Navy leaders now gauge progress through Whole Goals and periodic effects-based assessments. At those meetings, teams tweak strategy, target issues to resolve and reinforce goal achievement.

Lesson 2: Be focused, but flexible.

Program officials collect metrics from across the Navy and Marine Corps that are relevant to the IM/IT strategic plan and provide an easily accessible one-stop-shopping dashboard in a language that everyone understands. Using the dashboard, the Navy's commands and organizations can compare themselves and one another against agreed-upon goals and measure progress.

That's the blueprint, but there is a temptation to cobble together any and all available metrics. The CIO office could have collected a vast quantity of metrics whose resemblance to the strategic plan, if any, was purely coincidental. But that is not what happened. Performance leadership and management team leader Michelle Schmith and her group requested and received only relevant metrics. No one started from scratch; instead, the team selectively employed measurement tools already in place.

The team also invested heavily in the time it takes to build trust. The attitude that says, "we are open to new ideas and methods, and we are all in this together" invited partnership. It is a key to inspiring good ideas and cooperation.

Lesson 3: Promote a common language. Any program dashboard is meaningless unless apples are being compared to apples. Different organizations use different words for the same things and the same words for different things. For example, what one considers to be a single legacy system (i.e., old and difficult to support) might be considered by another to be three legacy systems, and yet another organization might not consider it a legacy system at all.

Sorting out common terms and meanings involves effort, even disagreements and drawn-out discussions. But it is crucial in any cross-functional effort, especially those entailing measurement. The Navy team tackled this problem with "consensus, consensus, consensus," Schmith says. "Getting everyone to use the same language and same definitions took an incremental and iterative approach that was worth every minute we invested, especially in gaining ideas, input and buy-in." The discussions evolved into a straightforward format for defining metrics, data owners and collection methods.

Another key to common language is education. Through briefings and one-on-one communication, CIO staff members became well-versed in the IM/IT plan, the characteristics of good metrics and the goals of the performance measurement initiative. When people begin with a common understanding of direction and principles, consensus comes more easily.

Lesson 4: Don't get fancy.

Despite their ongoing immersion in technology, the Navy team didn't let fancy tools bog them down. They're using tried-and-true Web tools and Excel spreadsheets, making their dashboard hard to break and easy to fund. It's simple; it works. Getting hung up on expensive technology is widespread and limiting. If funding becomes available later, basic tools can be upgraded to more powerful processes. Meanwhile, the team is not beholden to vendors, funding agents or technological grandiosity. Likewise the project plan is simple. With realistic goals and time frames, repetition and consensus-building, the effort has been an exercise in the art of the possible.

It Ain't Over

It has been six months since the Navy program launched, so there is still plenty to do. The strategic plan is not yet fully reflected in the metrics. And the plan is a moving target, to be updated and released every two years. It will continue to depend on collaborative relationships across organizations. Success will engender more success, however. The question is whether these metrics become goals and the goals become accountabilities. After all, that's the way to advance a strategic plan.

Meanwhile, the program has created a common language, a common dashboard and a common standard-all rooted in the strategic plan.

The Army and Air Force already have expressed interest in a similar common vision. The approach is a standard for any large organization. It is an efficient use of limited resources and those which organizations have in unlimited amounts-imagination, ingenuity, and the capacity to see big goals and make sure they are met.

William Casey, Ph.D., is president of Executive Leadership Group Inc. in Lakewood, Colo., and teaches strategic planning to civilian and military leaders at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.

NEXT STORY: Brand New

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.