Leading Change - Cascading Strategic Deployment System

Unveiling How Strategy, Goals, and Cultural Frameworks Fit Together to Enhance Organisational Experience – Derek Mair

Building a high-performing organisation requires more than just setting ambitious goals. The alignment between strategy, goals, and culture plays a critical role in shaping not only the company’s performance but also the experience of employees and customers alike. Yet, many businesses struggle to understand how these elements fit together and support one another.

A successful organisation must have both a clear strategic plan and a strong cultural framework that drives everyday actions and decisions. This is where a cascading strategic deployment system comes into play—ensuring that high-level strategic objectives cascade down through the organisation, becoming actionable and measurable at every level. But even more important is the role that culture plays in bridging the gap between strategy and execution.

At the core of this alignment are five key elements—Vision, Values, Purpose, Strategy,  Goals, and Action Plan—that guide organisational direction while embedding cultural practices that enhance the experience for everyone involved. In this article, we will break down how each of these elements fits into the overall structure and why understanding their differences and relationships is essential to building a thriving, aligned, and high-impact organisation.

1. Vision

Definition: The long-term, aspirational future state the organisation aims to achieve, often involving market leadership or a broad societal impact.

Example: "To be the global leader in sustainable technology, redefining industry standards."

Role: Vision provides a bold, inspiring goal that directs all efforts. It answers the question, "Where do we ultimately want to be?"

2. Values

Definition: The core principles and beliefs that guide the organisation’s behaviour and decision-making. Values define how the organisation operates both internally and externally.

Example: "Innovation, integrity, sustainability, and customer-centricity."

Role: Values shape the culture and inform both strategic choices and day-to-day actions, ensuring alignment with the vision. They act as guardrails for how the company competes and interacts with stakeholders. Values are critical in positioning the brand because they determine how the organisation is perceived in the market.

3. Purpose

Definition: The organisation’s core reason for existing beyond profit, often aligned with societal, employee or customer impact. It’s the "why" behind the business.

Example: "To drive sustainable innovation that improves the quality of life globally."

Role: Purpose clarifies why the organisation is pursuing its vision and how it intends to contribute to society, customers, and employees. It shapes the strategic priorities by aligning the company’s mission with market needs.

The ability for purpose to lift our eyes off ourselves is what makes it so powerful in enhancing both personal and organisational performance. When we serve others, we become better. More importantly, we transcend ourselves and become part of something bigger.

“Performance is a by-product of Purpose… Period!”

Derek Mair

Blog: The Neuroscience Of Purpose

4. Strategy

Definition: The market positioning plan that defines how the company will compete, where it will focus resources, and how it will create a unique value proposition.

Example: "Position the company as a leader in sustainable tech by developing eco-friendly products, focusing on innovation, and entering emerging global markets."

Role: Strategy is about positioning the company in the market, choosing where to compete (target markets, customer segments), how to differentiate (value proposition), and what resources to allocate (R&D, marketing, partnerships). Strategy aligns with both vision and values and determines how the company will win in the competitive landscape. As described in Porter’s ‘Competitive Strategy’, strategy dictates how the company differentiates itself or leads on cost in its chosen market.

5. Goals (Annual and Quarterly)

Definition: Annual Goals are the larger strategic objectives that an organisation aims to achieve over a 12-month period, derived directly from the long-term strategy. Quarterly Goals break down these annual objectives into smaller, more immediate targets to ensure consistent progress throughout the year.

Example: Annual Goal: Increase revenue by 15% by expanding into new markets and launching three new products by year-end.

Quarterly Goal: In Q1, conduct market research and develop two new product concepts; in Q2, begin pilot testing; in Q3, launch one new product; in Q4, execute marketing campaigns to drive product adoption.

Role: Goals ensure that the organisation is constantly moving towards its strategic objective and vision. The annual goals set the broad direction, while the quarterly goals provide milestones to track progress and make necessary adjustments throughout the year. These goals also align with the Balanced Scorecard by defining the performance indicators that will be measured, ensuring the organisation stays on track.

Definition: Specific, measurable objectives derived from the strategy that help the company track progress and drive execution.

Example: "Increase market share in sustainable tech by 10% in the next year, while launching three new eco-friendly products."

Role: Goals break down the strategy into actionable, measurable steps. These are often short- to medium-term targets that ensure the strategy is being implemented effectively. They reflect the organisation’s market position and help the company assess how well it’s executing against the strategy. Goals ensure that the long-term vision is being pursued consistently through defined milestones.

6.   Action Plan (Referencing the Balanced Scorecard)

Definition: An Action Plan is a detailed, tactical roadmap that breaks down a company’s strategic objectives and related goals into specific, actionable tasks, specifying responsibilities, timelines, and resources. It ensures that all levels of the organisation understand their role in achieving broader strategic aims. Combined with tools like the Balanced Scorecard, the Action Plan offers a structured way to track performance and align everyday activities with long-term goals.

Example: For a strategic goal of increasing market share by 10%, the Action Plan would outline specific actions such as launching new products, optimising marketing strategies, and conducting customer research. Teams would have clear responsibilities and timelines. The Balanced Scorecard would then track performance metrics like revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency to ensure progress and make necessary adjustments.

Role: The Action Plan translates high-level strategy and related goals into actionable intent by outlining who is responsible for each task, what needs to be done, and when tasks should be completed. The Balanced Scorecard supports this process by providing measurable outcomes across four key perspectives—Financial, Customer, Internal Processes, and Learning and Growth—allowing continuous tracking and adjustments. By linking specific tasks to these perspectives, the Action Plan ensures that every action directly contributes to the company’s long-term success, fostering accountability and continuous improvement.

This approach ensures that goals derived from strategy translate into actionable tasks, which are then measured through the Balanced Scorecard, creating a continuous feedback loop for performance and strategic alignment.

True Organisational Culture: Beyond the Framework

True organisational culture goes beyond frameworks and formal definitions. While a cultural framework like the one outlined (vision, values, purpose, strategy, and goals) provides structure, real culture is indeed defined by the social and emotional norms that emerge in everyday interactions between people.

Culture as Lived Experience

Culture is created in the daily behaviours, attitudes, and interactions of the people within the organisation. This encompasses how employees communicate, resolve conflicts, collaborate, and support one another. It reflects the shared emotional and social norms that guide how people feel and act at work.

1. Social Norms

Definition: These are the unspoken rules and expectations that shape behaviour in groups. In an organisation, these norms govern how employees interact with one another, whether it's acceptable to challenge authority, or how openly people share feedback.

Example: A company where employees regularly engage in open dialogue, offer constructive feedback, and support one another cultivates a collaborative and inclusive culture.

2. Emotional Norms

Definition: Emotional norms refer to the shared expectations about how emotions are expressed and managed within the organisation. This can include how employees handle stress, celebrate successes, and support one another during difficult times.

Example: In a high-empathy workplace, leaders and employees acknowledge emotional well-being and offer support when team members face personal challenges. This builds a culture of trust and loyalty.

The Role of Leaders in Shaping Norms

Leaders are the key drivers of culture because their behaviour sets the tone for social and emotional norms. If leaders model open communication, emotional intelligence, and collaboration, those behaviours will permeate the organisation. Conversely, if leaders prioritise performance over well-being or foster competition over cooperation, those norms will define the everyday culture of the organisation.

True culture is the dynamic interaction of social and emotional norms within the organisation. It is shaped by how people behave, feel, and relate to one another every day. While frameworks provide structure and guide intentions, real culture is an organic, evolving ecosystem that reflects the actual lived experiences and emotional landscape of the people within the company. For culture to be effective, these social and emotional norms need to align with the broader goals and values of the organisation.

Harnessing Microcultures for Organisational Success

Building microcultures within an organisation can greatly enhance employee engagement and decision-making. By allowing teams to align with broader company values while maintaining flexibility, microcultures drive collaboration, improve retention, and boost productivity. 

To take your organisation’s strategic deployment and cultural alignment to the next level.

Consider implementing a structured framework like our P90XL Program. This program integrates the five key elements—Vision, Values, Purpose, Strategy, Goals, and Action Plan—with a strong focus on cultural transformation to enhance both strategic execution and the daily lived experience of your employees.

P90XL builds on this foundation by focusing on energising teams through transparency, empowerment, and collaboration, with dedicated modules designed to:

1. Develop leadership skills that align with company desired culture (Leading Yourself).
2. Mobilise teams and foster collaboration (Leading Others).
3. Promote continuous improvement through ongoing review cycles that keep strategy connected to real-time actions (Leading Change).

By engaging employees at every level, the P90XL Program ensures that your business isn't just about meeting targets—it’s about building an enduring, adaptable culture that supports growth, trust, and collaboration. This programme will allow you to integrate microcultures within departments and create a system that aligns personal contributions with organisational goals, ensuring that every team member feels empowered to contribute to the broader vision .

To learn more about how P90XL can transform your organisation's approach to strategy and culture, contact us for a private consultation. Let’s turn your vision into a thriving reality.