Working with Capabilities and Ambitions in VisPlan
This guide explains how to work with Capabilities and Ambitions in VisPlan, and how to improve them through iterative planning. It is based on years of experience helping organizations refine their strategic plans and align them with measurable outcomes.
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Strategic planning in VisPlan begins with defining a Position Statement, your “Where to Play” and identifying Capabilities and Ambitions, your “How to Win”.
This video demonstrates how to evolve an existing plan by refining these elements to better support your strategic objectives.
What Is a Capability?
A Capability is a combination of competence and resource. For example, accounting requires both the skill to manage finances and a tool like a spreadsheet. Capabilities are the building blocks of your strategic execution.
What Is an Ambition?
An Ambition is a strategic initiative that defines how a capability will be used to achieve business outcomes. Ambitions should be specific, high-impact, and aligned with your strategic objectives.
Example: Windy Power
Using the fictive company Windy Power, the video illustrates how to:
- Refine generic capabilities like “Sales and Marketing” into more strategic ones like “Market Demand and Awareness.”
- Identify ambitions such as “Population Awareness,” “Government Lobbying,” and “Utility Partners.”
- Align ambitions with strategic objectives and define KPIs to measure performance.
Planning Workflow in VisPlan
Formulate a Position Statement
Define your strategic direction and market focus.Add Strategic Objectives
These should be measurable and aligned with your position statement.Identify Capabilities
Determine what your organization needs to build or strengthen to achieve objectives.Populate Capabilities with Ambitions
Choose strategic initiatives that support each capability.Add KPIs
Use key performance indicators to measure the success of each ambition.Create Actions
Break down ambitions into actionable steps that drive progress toward KPIs.
Best Practices
- Avoid listing generic tasks. Focus on strategic initiatives that create real value.
- Keep ambition descriptions clear and concise.
- Validate each ambition against your strategic objectives before assigning KPIs.
- Use iterations to refine capabilities and ambitions over time.
Next Steps
Review your current strategic objectives and evaluate whether they clearly support the development of capabilities and ambitions. Use VisPlan to visualize and structure your plan, ensuring alignment across teams and functions.
If you have questions or need support, please contact us