X-Matrix

The annual operating plan somtimes is developed and displayed using the X-Matrix.

Establish the results of goals for next year, take the strategies and tie them to tactics,

make sure the tactics can be measured (targets) and have individuals assigned ownership

of tactics and targets.

Start by listing the business strategies on the left side of the X.

Next comes deciding on the tactics to achieve these strategies and recording them

in the Tactics block above the X.

There aught to be correlation between the tactics and the strategies, some stronger than others.

A tactic may even address more than one strategy.

The correlation table in the top left corner is meant to test the linkage between strategy and tactics.

Have a strategy without a tactic?

Tactics imply process change and improvement.

These are recorded in the Process block to the right of the X.

Again correlation is tested between tactics and the targeted process changes in the correlation matrix above the process block to the north east of the X.

We record the process improvement matrixes in the Results block located below the X.

Again we have to look at the correlations between processes and improvement matrixes.

Matrixes are tied back to strategy to close the loop in the correlation matrix in the bottom left.

To the right of the process block we list the people or teams involved and make another accountability correlation in the top right corner of the X-Matrix.

Keep the plan up to date and in full public view.