High Action/High Alignment Assessment Tool
© Victoria Goddard-Truitt and Jolie Bain Pillsbury
To achieve results, leaders commit to taking a course of action that will make a difference. These actions align with and leverage the actions of other leaders and partners who are working toward a shared result. Leaders who consistently and frequently assess whether their commitments accelerate positive changes and build on and leverage the work of other leaders make progress towards results.
Commitments are actions that an individual pledges to undertake. Powerful commitments are made with a conscious intent to get things done. The focus is on making one or two commitments that have the greatest potential to move the work forward, not on creating a long to-do-list. Use the following questions to assess the power of a commitment:
- Is the commitment stated clearly? Does it describe what will be done by whom and when?
- Is the commitment observable and measurable?
- If the commitment is carried out well, will it support or leverage change that works toward a stated goal or benchmark, thereby driving the achievement of results?
- Is the commitment actionable? For example, can the person(s) making the commitment carry it out? Is the commitment clear on how to engage those who need to be involved?
- Do the actions of the commitment stretch beyond the leader’s everyday work? Does the commitment challenge the leader to address the adaptive challenges that are barriers to moving forward?