How

Validating and testing alignment and strategy frequently requires fast feedback mechanisms on top of the Expedition’s ability to continue making and meeting commitments, focused on rapid completion and deployment of the most valuable work. 

The Expedition also needs the ability to rapidly test the customer to evaluate, and confirm or refine, their definition of value and understanding of priorities. 

The Expedition understands, and utilizes, techniques to better define specific strategies and business outcomes. Validation and feedback loops with the market or customer are put in place to provide frequent feedback, to which the Expedition can improve or pivot priorities. 

In many cases, testing and validating alignment of strategy and product fit builds on existing tools and techniques, such as strategy canvases, stakeholder/empathy maps, story mapping, etc., but the focus and emphasis now is on further clarifying specific business outcomes, refining backlog items for specific MVP/MMF deliverables, and ensuring the flow of the system of delivery is aligned to these strategic needs. 

In addition to creating clarity in backlogs and priorities, the Expedition may identify opportunities to “trim the tail” on planned work to expedite delivery of value and open capacity for moving on to additional higher-value work. 

There is also possibility through these techniques to further improve the Expedition’s understanding of the customer, market, segment or the organization’s ability to serve them. At times, this may inform structure and/or governance improvements that can be made to further reduce dependency management, risk and/or other waste in the system.