TENTHERMAL
ENERGY NETWORK
Home › Tools › PMVM Canvas and Alignment Check
The Ten C's Series · Redefining Excellence · Tool RE-03 · Set Direction

PMVM Canvas and Alignment Check

From Redefining Excellence, Chapter 6, Purpose, Motivation, Vision, and Mission. See all Redefining Excellence tools

Use it when

People are working hard but heading in different directions, or the organization's goals feel disconnected from the people doing the work. This tool answers two questions: where are we going, and are the organization and its people heading there together?

Time and people

Part 1 takes 30 to 60 minutes with the leadership team. Part 2 takes about 15 minutes per person, and then a conversation. Part 2 describes how well the person and the organization fit each other. It's never used for employee selection, ranking, promotion, discipline, or performance reviews.

How it works

  1. Part 1: Define the direction. Fill in Purpose, Motivation, Vision, and Mission in that order, then give the Mission owners, milestones, and measures.
  2. Part 2: Check the fit. A leader fills in the Organization column from the statements in Part 1. The individual fills in their own column before the conversation, without looking at the other.
  3. Compare the two columns. Mark each element Strength or Concern, one per row.
  4. Answer the three fit questions and the action check.
  5. Write your actions. Then review the fit whenever priorities change. Step 5 leads back to Step 1.

Part 2 describes how well the person and the organization fit each other. It's never used for employee selection, ranking, promotion, discipline, or performance reviews.

Prefer paper? Download the printable, fillable PDF: US Letter · A4

Part 1. Define the Direction

Part 1 describes the organization's direction. Part 2 compares it with each person's own.

 
 
 
 
OwnerMilestoneTarget dateMeasure

Part 2. Check the Fit

Fill in each column on its own. Don't compare until both are done, so one side doesn't shape the other.

Purpose

Why do we exist?

 
 
Fit
Motivation

What drives us?

 
 
Fit
Vision

What does excellence look like?

 
 
Fit
Mission

What are we going to do to get there?

 
 
Fit

Strength means the two directions support each other. Concern means they conflict or the connection isn't clear. For Motivation, the words don't have to match. The question is whether the organization supports what drives the person.

 
 
 

Action Check

These five checks rate how the organization builds fit. They don't rate the person.

Identify and understand: Do we talk regularly with people about what drives them?
Communicate: Does everyone know our Purpose, Motivation, Vision, and Mission?
Connect: Are goals and strategies shaped together with the people doing the work?
Empower: Do people have the tools, resources, and chances to act on the direction?
Reflect and adjust: Do we review the fit when priorities change?

Your next step. Start with any Concern that affects the person's ability to work toward the shared direction. Have that conversation first, and understand what drives them before trying to close the gap. Then fix the first No in the Action Check. Record both in the Action Record.

Action Record

Write one row for the first Concern and one for the first No.

Action 1
 
 

Review

Review the fit every 6 months, and any time goals, leaders, or priorities change.

Help improve this tool

From Chapter 6, Purpose, Motivation, Vision, and Mission. thermalenergynetwork.com/tools/pmvm-canvas · Version 1.0, November 2026