Strategic Alignment

Comparing Level 1 and Level 2

Level 1

Level 2

Description

At Level 1, strategic alignment means understanding how your work fits into the bigger picture. You're not expected to steer the ship—but you are learning to ask where it's going and why. You connect the dots between your tasks and the team's stated goals, and you begin to notice how data—metrics, feedback, usage trends—can provide context for why those goals matter, even if the organizational strategy still feels abstract. You show curiosity, ask good questions, and try to align your work with the direction your team is heading.

Description

At Level 2, you start actively connecting your work to strategic priorities. You make choices about your time and focus based on stated goals, use available data to inform those choices, ask how tradeoffs impact outcomes, and suggest adjustments when work seems misaligned. You're not just responding to direction—you're beginning to navigate with it in mind.

Key Behaviors

  • •
    Asks how their work connects to team or project goals
  • •
    Follows priorities as communicated by managers or leads
  • •
    Asks clarifying questions about the purpose of work
  • •
    Pays attention to strategy shared in team meetings or documents
  • •
    Adjusts tasks when priorities shift, even if direction comes from others

Key Behaviors

  • •
    Prioritizes tasks that support team or org goals
  • •
    Raises concerns when work doesn't align with stated direction
  • •
    Asks how decisions connect to strategy or customer needs
  • •
    Adjusts scope or approach to better serve goals
  • •
    Encourages teammates to consider strategic impact

Common Struggles

  • May focus only on immediate tasks without seeing broader goals
  • Can feel lost or demotivated if strategy isn't clearly communicated
  • Might struggle to understand shifting priorities or ambiguity

Common Struggles

  • May over-focus on alignment at the cost of execution
  • Can assume understanding without verifying intent
  • Might hesitate to speak up when direction feels unclear

Success Indicators

  • Ask how your work contributes to team outcomes
  • Pay attention to what leadership says about direction and focus
  • Adjust your plans when strategy shifts, even if you're not the one deciding
  • Start developing the habit of thinking beyond your own tasks

Success Indicators

  • Make daily decisions that reflect broader priorities
  • Communicate the value of your work in terms of impact, not just output
  • Notice when work drifts from strategic direction and help refocus it
  • Bring context to others, not just questions

Mindset Shift

From:

"I focus on my tasks."

To:

"I want to understand how my work supports the bigger picture."

Mindset Shift

From:

"Am I doing the right task?"

To:

"Is the team solving the right problem?"

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • What's the goal behind this project or sprint?
  • How does this task support our customers or business?
  • Are there competing priorities I should understand?

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • What assumptions are behind this goal?
  • Are we solving the right layer of the problem?
  • Could my context help improve how this decision gets made?

Build These Habits

  • 1
    Read strategy docs or team goals, even if you're not asked to
  • 2
    In meetings, note what's emphasized repeatedly—it signals direction
  • 3
    Ask your manager how success will be measured

Build These Habits

  • 1
    Reframe progress updates in terms of goals, not tasks
  • 2
    Surface conflicts between priorities with curiosity, not critique
  • 3
    Share customer or system impact alongside technical detail

Seek Feedback

  • "How did my work support the team's goals this sprint?"
  • "Is there context I'm missing that would help me prioritize better?"
  • "Do you see me staying aligned with where we're headed?"

Seek Feedback

  • "Does this work meaningfully support our current strategy?"
  • "Where might I be missing a better-aligned opportunity?"
  • "How well am I helping others stay aligned through my work?"

Signals You're Ready to Level Up

  • You talk about goals, not just tasks
  • You respond thoughtfully when priorities change
  • You're beginning to see tradeoffs through a strategic lens

Signals You're Ready to Level Up

  • You regularly bring strategic framing into technical or team discussions
  • Others look to you to connect the dots between work and purpose
  • You challenge ideas when alignment feels off—with respect and clarity

Focus Summary

  • Ask why
  • Follow the direction
  • Think one step beyond the task

At Level 1, strategic alignment means staying curious, connected, and responsive. The goal isn't to set direction—it's to understand it.

Focus Summary

  • Follow the thread
  • Connect work to purpose
  • Speak the language of goals

At Level 2, strategic alignment becomes a filter for decision-making. You start to think like a steward of outcomes, not just a doer of tasks.