CPM Strategic Goal Deployment 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'strategic stretch goals'?
- Targets set at last year's actual performance level
- Ambitious objectives that push the organization beyond current capabilities (Correct answer)
- Goals that are guaranteed to be achieved within the planning period
- Incremental improvements of 1–2% over baseline
Correct answer: Ambitious objectives that push the organization beyond current capabilities
Stretch goals are intentionally ambitious to inspire breakthrough thinking and significant performance improvement.
Question 2: A manager reviewing a strategy execution gap should first:
- Replace underperforming employees immediately
- Determine whether the gap is due to poor strategy or poor execution (Correct answer)
- Reduce the target to match current performance
- Outsource the function to a third party
Correct answer: Determine whether the gap is due to poor strategy or poor execution
Distinguishing between a flawed strategy and poor execution is essential before choosing the right corrective response.
Question 3: In the context of strategic deployment, a 'vital few' objective refers to:
- The majority of low-priority initiatives in the annual plan
- The small number of critical priorities that will drive the most strategic impact (Correct answer)
- Objectives assigned only to senior executives
- Goals that require the fewest resources to accomplish
Correct answer: The small number of critical priorities that will drive the most strategic impact
The 'vital few' concept, drawn from Pareto thinking, directs focus to the small set of objectives with the largest strategic payoff.
Question 4: Which practice most effectively sustains strategic goal momentum throughout the year?
- Setting all goals at the beginning of the year and reviewing them only at year-end
- Conducting regular cadence reviews to track progress and remove obstacles (Correct answer)
- Delegating all goal tracking to a dedicated planning department
- Replacing lagging goals with new ones each quarter
Correct answer: Conducting regular cadence reviews to track progress and remove obstacles
Regular cadence reviews keep goals visible, identify roadblocks early, and maintain organizational commitment to strategic priorities.
Question 5: When a company uses OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) for goal deployment, the 'Key Results' component should be:
- Qualitative descriptions of desired behaviors
- Specific, measurable outcomes that indicate whether the objective was achieved (Correct answer)
- A list of activities or tasks to be completed
- Broad aspirational statements about the future state
Correct answer: Specific, measurable outcomes that indicate whether the objective was achieved
Key Results are quantifiable metrics that definitively show progress toward the objective rather than describing what will be done.
Question 6: A manager notices that two departments have conflicting goals that, if both pursued, will undermine the company's strategic priority. The best corrective action is to:
- Allow both departments to pursue their goals independently
- Escalate the conflict to senior leadership for goal realignment (Correct answer)
- Have each department reduce its target by 50%
- Eliminate one department's goal without consultation
Correct answer: Escalate the conflict to senior leadership for goal realignment
Conflicting departmental goals require escalation and cross-functional realignment to ensure organizational resources support unified strategy.
Question 7: The 'deployment' phase of Hoshin Kanri primarily involves:
- Conducting an annual environmental scan
- Breaking breakthrough objectives into actionable annual priorities across organizational levels (Correct answer)
- Evaluating competitors' strategic plans
- Establishing the company's long-term vision statement
Correct answer: Breaking breakthrough objectives into actionable annual priorities across organizational levels
In Hoshin Kanri, deployment translates multi-year breakthroughs into annual priorities and initiatives cascaded throughout the organization.
CPM Strategic Goal Deployment 3
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'strategic stretch goals'?