The Strategic Management Maturity ModelTM

Many Institute clients ask a similar question as they work to improve

their strategic management at their organizations: where do we stand
compared with other high performing organizations? Until now, there
was no clear method for answering that question. This recognition of a
need for organizations to assess the quality of their strategic
management led the Institute to develop the Strategic Management
Maturity ModelTM (SMMM).

The SMMM was designed by and for busy managers who need a quick
assessment of where their organization stands in terms of strategic
management, to monitor progress in improving maturity of strategic
management, and to allow benchmarking across organizations, or
departments within one organization, in order to identify best The SMMM Can Be Used
practices. to Assess Organizational
There are two basic questions to ask of management: are we doing Strategic Management
things right, and are we doing the right things? Operational Performance
management focuses on doing things right, and many tools have been
developed to improve this (e.g. TQM, Six Sigma, business process reengineering etc.), including many maturity
models. In developing the SMMM, the Institute has broaded the concept of “performance” to add strategic
management concerns, which answer the second question, are we doing the right things. In any organization, it is the
strategy, driven from the vision of the leadership, that defines what are the right things. Process improvements alone
cannot guarantee that a company will be successful, or that an agency will achieve its mission. These two aspects of
management – strategic and operational – complement each other, so both must be assessed to determine the
organization's total management capabilities.

Eight Dimensions of Strategic Management

The SMMM contains assessments of performance along eight different dimensions of strategic management:

 Leadership
 Culture and values
 Strategic thinking and planning
 Alignment
 Performance measurement
 Performance management
 Process improvement
 Sustainability of strategic management

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 The Strategic Management Maturity Model – Page 2 of 8

Following is a description of the aspects of strategic management

included within each of these dimensions:

Leadership
Effective strategic management starts with leadership. Ken Chenault,
CEO of American Express, said "My role is to define reality and to
give hope." Leaders question assumptions, look at problems in new
ways, and create and articulate a vision for the future. In the context
of strategic management, leadership includes the following traits: a)
leaders set a clear and consistent vision or "picture of the future" of
the organization; b) leaders are pro-active in preparing the
organization for the future; c) leaders are visible and engaged to
ensure that staff understand the common vision and can translate it
into terms relevant to their roles; d) leaders "walk the talk" in
exemplifying the values, ethics and policies of the organization; e)
leaders don't micromanage, but trust and encourage employees to
contribute their ideas and grow in their careers; f) leaders "walk
around" and work alongside staff to encourage teamwork.

Many employees are now considered "knowledge workers" – they

are hired for their thinking skills. In this environment employees
want to know why they are being asked to do their assignments.
Hence strategic management leads to increased employee empowerment and less "command and control"
management.

Culture and values

"A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not." (Author unknown). This dimension refers to
the culture and values inside the organization, and it addresses leaders' and employees' shared understanding and
agreement with stated values. Most organizations post a values statement with a list of virtuous words. What
distinguishes maturity is the degree to which those values are communicated, understood and practiced – by the
leader as well as by all employees. Evidences of of mature workforce culture and values include: a) thoughtful
applications of change management principles and practices by the leadership; b) the degree of ownership that
employees feel for the vision and values of the organization; c) their degree of participation in shaping the
organization's culture and ways of working; d) the level of trust, transparency and freedom to communicate with
candor, as opposed to a culture of fear and denial; e) the degree of flexibility and willingness to change to align to
new strategic priorities; f) the level of awareness and consistency of adherence to stated values and policies.

Strategic thinking and planning

“I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.”
(Einstein). Strategy development is not a "cookbook" process. It is a challenging, heuristic task that requires strategic
thinking. Strategic thinking involves several traits: a) the ability to use consistent definitions of planning terms and to
understand their distinctions; b) awareness of the distinctions between project planning and strategic planning; c) the
ability to discuss and describe items in plans at the appropriate "strategic altitude"; d) awareness of the dynamic
system effects in organizations, such as delays and feedback; e) openness to new ideas and encouragement of
creativity and innovation; f) openness of the planning process to a team of employees of various ranks and functions;
g) degree to which alternative strategies and scenarios are considered; h) linkage of strategic planning to budgeting; i)

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 The Strategic Management Maturity Model – Page 3 of 8

ability to write and speak with clarity and simplicity. Evidence for the degree of strategic thinking can be found in the
organization's strategic planning documents.

Alignment
"To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart". (Thomas Watson,
Sr.) Alignment refers to strategic alignment, that is, the degree to which the organization's people and resources are
focused on the strategy. The opposite of alignment is "chaos", where managers, programs and projects are aiming at
different goals and there is lack of a common vision, leading to wasted energy, delays, conflict and confusion.
Features of the organization that can be aligned include: values, vision, mission, strategic plans, budgets, policies,
procedures, functions, themes, objectives, information standards and organization structure. Alignment measures the
degree to which: a) people at all levels are motivated by a common vision and strategy; b) people understand that
supporting the strategy is their job; c) people are self-motivated, not merely by compliance to rules.

Performance Measurement
"Without metrics, managers are only caretakers." (Jac Fitz-Enz). Without performance metrics or measures, managers
are "flying blind". So most organizations by now have learned to measure some things, either for operational
performance or for compliance with requirements of outside stakeholders. But strategic performance measures or
metrics are aligned to the strategic plan – not just everyday operations and outputs, but strategic outcomes that tie
to the vision of the organization. Features to look for in strategic performance metrics are a) metrics derived from and
aligned to the strategy, not just "KPI's" for operations; b) metrics that focus on outcomes and results, not just money
spent, tasks accomplished, or outputs delivered; c) metrics that use appropriate ratios, sample sizes and other
features in order to be more meaningful; d) metrics that are measured and reported frequently enough to drive
decision making; e) "team" and "organization" performance, not only individual performance is being tracked; f) a
balanced set of metrics that cover a range of different dimensions including not only financial data but also customer
satisfaction, internal process performance and capacities of the organization.

Performance measurement also includes an assessment of the use of

technology in managing performance information. Spreadsheets and
paper documents for data collection are only adequate for the very
smallest, localized organizations. In most modern organizations the
collection and distribution of performance data requires an IT system
on a network, set up to allow appropriate users to see the data they
need in time to make decisions. The degree to which end users have
fast, reliable access to relevant, high-quality data thus becomes
another aspect of maturity in strategic management.

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 The Strategic Management Maturity Model – Page 4 of 8

Performance Management
"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source
of learning." (Bill Gates). It is one thing to collect data, it
is another to use it effectively. Performance
management deals with the degree to which
performance metrics are use in decision making.
Features to look for are a) recognition of the
organization as a dynamic system; b) the use of
feedback loops – so managers get to see the results of
their decisions; c) managers are able to change things
based on timely reporting; d) strategic performance
measures are available to test the strategy; e) leaders
have placed the entire organization into a "learning loop" so that they can validate their vision; f) ultimately the
organization is learning what works to satisfy customers and improve the organization. The degree to which leaders
and managers feel they have the information they need to make decisions defines the level of performance
management.

Process Improvement
"The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify
the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.” (Bill
Gates). The role of strategic management is to identify which processes out of our entire portfolio are most in need of
improvement (doing the right things). This requires input from the strategy, which informs the allocation of resources
for planning improvements of the most strategically important processes in the near term and long term.

Process improvement includes an assessment of a) the organization's knowledge about its strategically important
work processes; b) how well these processes are being improved updated and documented; c) how efficiently these
processes perform compared to industry benchmarks; d) skills, practices and technologies used to improve process
quality and efficiency; e) knowledge of core competencies and capacities of the organization and how well they are
employed in running the processes; f) the level of employee awareness of customers and their expectations; g)
existence of contingency plans for future risks, such as disasters, funding shortages, and leadership succession.

Sustainability of Strategic Management

"Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it." (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Sustainability of the
strategic management of the organization is defined by: a) how well the organization is maintaining its focus on its
strategic vision, plans and initiatives; b) people, systems, and communication activities are in place to maintain the
momentum of desired change; c) a sense of urgency in the staff and workforce; d) reward and recognition systems
that support efforts to motivate employees to do the right things; e) presence of "champions" to keep the workforce
informed about the strategic priorities and levels of performance that are desired; f) presence of an "Office of
Strategic Management" to deploy the strategy and track performance; g) degree to which strategic management has
been institutionalized, so that "strategy is everyone's job". When a high level of maturity is achieved, the organization
is on a journey of continuous learning and improvement.

Evaluate Your Organization's Strategic Management Maturity

For each of these eight dimensions, there are five levels of strategic management maturity (see Figure 1 below): Level
1: Ad Hoc and Static, Level 2: Reactive, Level 3: Structured and Proactive, Level 4: Managed and Focused, Level 5:

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 The Strategic Management Maturity Model – Page 5 of 8

Continuous Improvement. You can evaluate your organization by scoring the level of performance on each of the five
levels of strategic management maturity.
TM
Figure 1: Strategic Management Maturity Model Levels and Dimensions

Level 5: Continuous
Maturity Levels Level 4: Managed Improvement
& Focused
Level 3: Structured
& Proactive

Level 2: Reactive Dimensions:

Level 1: Ad • Leadership
hoc & Static • Culture & Values
• Strategic Thinking & Planning
• Alignment
• Performance Measurement
• Performance Management
• Process Improvement
• Sustainability

Level 1: Ad Hoc and Static

It is characteristic of organizations at this level that they currently do not do any strategic planning or management in
a formal sense, tending to plan only on the tactical or operational level in an ad hoc and uncontrolled manner,
normally by senior management behind closed doors. Leaders spend a majority of their time addressing operational
issues and “putting out fires” and never address long-term strategy.

Level 2: Reactive
It is characteristic of organizations at this level that some elements of effective planning and strategic performance
management are being applied, only in an inconsistent fashion and often with poor results. Planning discipline is
unlikely to be rigorous, and only happens in reaction to events or to temporarily please an individual leader. These
organizations might measure performance or even use it to punish underperformers, but often these activities are
done by individuals to meet a routine policy need and are not taken seriously.

Level 3: Structured & Proactive

It is characteristic of organizations at this level that there are formal structures and processes in place to
comprehensively and proactively engage in strategic planning and management. These activities occur on a fairly
regular basis and are subject to some degree of improvement over time. Measurements are somewhat aligned with
strategy and employee accountability is taken seriously.

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 The Strategic Management Maturity Model – Page 6 of 8

Level 4: Managed & Focused

It is characteristic of organizations at this level that
strategy drives focus and decision making for the
organization. Organization-wide standards and methods
are broadly implemented for strategy management.
Leaders formally engage employees in the process and a
measurement & accountability work culture help drive
strategic success for the organization.

Level 5: Continuous Improvement

It is a characteristic of organizations at this level that the
strategic planning and management excellence are
embedded within the culture of the organization and are
continuously improved in a formal sense. This means that as performance is evaluated, the organization first analyzes
how it is performing towards its strategic goals and then second studies how effective the strategic planning and
management processes are and adapts as necessary. Excellence in strategic management drives the organization’s
competitive edge or performance success.

Interactive Assessment
On the Balanced Scorecard Institute website, a free Interactive Assessment survey matching Figure 2 below is
available for organization’s to assess their organization’s strategic management maturity level. To assess an
organization's maturity, simply select the maturity level that best describes your organization for each dimension.
Read the descriptions and identify the most appropriate level for each of the dimensions in your organization. The
median value of these is your organization's maturity level. Knowing this level will allow you to determine appropriate
next steps to take your organization's strategic management to the next level.

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The Strategic Management Maturity Model – Page 7 of 8
TM
Figure 2: Strategic Management Maturity Model Assessment

Level 1: Level 2: Level 3: Level 4: Level 5:

Ad hoc & Static Reactive Structured & Proactive Managed & Focused Continuous Improvement
Leadership Leaders dictate / Leaders dictate but gather Leaders engage with direct Leaders empower many Leaders & employees fully engage
command & control; feedback sporadically reports only, but do model employees through on going in a continuous dialog based on a
otherwise disengaged desired behaviors and values engagement team-based culture
Culture & Vision & values undefined Vision & Values published, Vision & Values communicated Vision & Values collaboratively Vision & Values fully integrated into
Values or not shared but not lived & understood developed organization culture
Strategic No strategic planning Strategic planning is the A structured and open planning Plans are developed and revised Strategy drives critical
Thinking & occurs within the responsibility of a small process involves people regularly by trained, cross- organizational decisions and a
Planning organization; no goals team and dictated to the throughout the organization functional planning teams continuous improvement planning
defined organization every couple of years process is maintained
Alignment Work is narrowly focused Customer needs and Employees know their Vision, Customer Needs, All structures and systems are
based on organization feedback start to influence customer sand align strategy to Strategy, and employee reward aligned with strategy, and
structure, with little more aligned decision those needs and recognition systems are organizational alignment is
customer input making cascaded and aligned continuously improved
Performance No data, or only ad hoc Performance data collected Strategic performance Strategic measures are broadly Measurements comprehensively
Measurement performance measures routinely, but are mostly measures are collected, used to improve focus & used and routinely revised based
are collected operationally focused covering most strategic performance and inform budget on continuous improvement.
objectives decisions
Performance No emphasis on using Performance reviews Measures are assigned owners Measurement owners are held Organizational culture is
Management performance as a criterion required but not taken and performance is managed accountable and performance is measurement and accountability
to manage the seriously; no accountability at the organizational and managed at all levels focused; decisions are evidence-
organization for performance exists employee level based.
Process Processes are A few key processes All key processes are identified All key processes are tracked Employees are empowered and
Improvement undocumented and ad documented, and process and documented, and strategy and improved on a continuous trained, and a formal process exists
hoc with evident improvement models (TQM, guides successful process basis and new process for improving process management
duplication and delays Lean Six Sigma, etc.) improvement initiative and improvement ideas are accepted
introduced improvements
Sustainability Lack of structure and Strategy “champions” Formal organization structure Organization has an “Office of Strategic thinking and management
champions lead to short- identified in place to maintain focus on Strategy Management” or are embedded in the culture of the
term focus on tasks strategy equivalent. organization

©2010 Balanced Scorecard Institute, a Strategy Management Group company. All rights reserved. Do not copy without permission.

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 The Strategic Management Maturity Model – Page 8 of 8

Getting to the Next Level

Once you have identified your organization's current
level of strategic maturity, the model suggests
improvements to help you get to the next level. This
information can guide leaders in identifying what
specific dimensions of strategic management have
higher priority for improvement initiatives.

Regardless of where your organization stands in its

strategic maturity, if you are interested in getting an
assessment and recommendations on next steps to
take in improving strategic performance, you may
contact the Balanced Scorecard Institute online. An
Institute consultant will contact you to discuss further steps to achieve a breakthrough in strategic performance!

Reading
For more information, articles and books on effective approaches to strategic management, please see the following
links and references:

H. Rohm, Is There Any Strategy in Your Strategic Plan? (Balanced Scorecard Institute, 2008)

R. S. Kaplan and D. P. Norton, The Strategy-Focused Organization, (Harvard Business School Press, 2001).

R. S. Kaplan and D. P. Norton, The Execution Premium, (Harvard Business School Press, 2008).

J. P. Kotter, Leading Change, (Harvard Business School Press, 1996).

M. G. Brown, Winning Score: How to Design and Implement Organizational Scorecards, (Productivity Press, 2000)

L. Bossidy and R. Charan, Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, (Crown Business, 2002).

J. Fitz-Enz, Benchmarking Staff Performance, (Jossey-Bass, 1993).

W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, Blue Ocean Strategy, (Harvard Business Press; 2005).

For other related white papers and articles, please visit: http://www.balancedscorecard.org/BSCResources/ArticlesWhitePapers/tabid/56/Default.aspx

©2010 Balanced Scorecard Institute, a Strategy Management Group company. All rights reserved. Do not copy without permission. Contributing authors
include Paul Arveson, Howard Rohm, David Wilsey, Gail Perry, Larry Halbach and Joe DeCarlo.

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