Alignment Opportunity | Step 2

Step 2: Conversation Starters

The four documents below, known as conversation starters, are tools you can use to assess where your organization currently stands in terms of alignment. Through this exercise, you may discover that your organization is already aligned in some areas, not aligned at all, or can improve alignment across one or more goal areas.

Again, if you are not familar with the 7 Community Goals, please review these before proceeding. You may also find it helpful to have them on hand during the alignment steps.

Note: Although you may not be an employer, this conversation starter can be used as a generic template for everyone. Additional conversation starters are below.

In this conversation starter, you will be asked to assess the following topics:

  • Talent Management
  • Career Pathways
  • Corporate Sponsorships
  • Workplace Benefits
  • Workplace Policies & Practices

Additional conversation starters:

Additionally, you may find that your organization is also suited toward one of the categories below. If so, we encourage you to use both the “All Employers” conversation starter above along with one of the conversation starters below as a broader assessment of your alignment opportunities.

  • Direct Service Providers

    (Anyone who provides services to children, youth, or parents.)
    Download PDF

In this conversation starter, you will be asked to assess the following topics:

  • Strategic Plan
  • Annual Work Plan
  • Budget
  • Programs
  • Employee Roles & Accountability
  • Staff Rewards

In this conversation starter, you will be asked to assess the following topics:

  • Donor/Funding Attraction
  • Grant-Making
  • Funding for Organizational Development
  • Funding for Program Improvement

In this conversation starter, you will be asked to assess the following topics:

  • Analysis of Policies & Impacts
  • Constituent Feedback
  • Progressive Policy Agendas
  • Policy Planning & Improvement

  • Ready to move on?

We hope the conversation starter(s) has sparked interesting and guiding conversations. We can’t wait to hear what you have discovered in the process.

Click here to access and fill out the Bright Future’s alignment profile, which is the final step of the alignment process.