Flight Levels Day
Connecting Strategy to Execution in Emerging Markets with Flight Levels
Flight Levels Day Talk by: Lúcia Palma
In many organizations operating in emerging markets, the real bottleneck is not strategy definition, but its consistent translation into execution. Fragmentation across organizational layers, lack of flow visibility, and conflicting priorities create systems where everyone is busy, yet progress remains misaligned.
This challenge is currently amplified in several African markets facing intense growth pressure driven by large-scale international projects — such as the Lobito Corridor — which are accelerating investment, infrastructure expansion, and cross-border collaboration. These dynamics are forcing organizations to operate at a higher level of alignment between strategy, people, and measurable results.
In this 30-minute talk, I share a practical experience applying Flight Levels thinking in organizations with varying levels of agile maturity, deliberately connecting strategic definition (FL3), cross-team coordination (FL2), and operational delivery (FL1). The approach went beyond visual boards or meeting cadences; it focused on designing a systemic alignment structure that integrated OKRs as a mechanism for strategic focus and measurable impact.
I will explore real cases from Angola and other African markets, where combining Flight Levels with OKRs created clarity across organizational layers, reduced priority conflicts, and established more effective decision rhythms. This alignment also proved critical in identifying competency gaps, making structural bottlenecks visible, strengthening middle-management accountability, and elevating overall performance.
The session will address key challenges encountered throughout the journey — from cultural resistance to resource constraints — and share practical lessons on adapting Flight Levels to environments with diverse organizational maturity. It demonstrates how a well-designed strategic alignment system not only improves workflow, but also strengthens leadership, develops critical capabilities, and turns People Strategy into a true execution engine in high-growth, high-pressure environments.
about the speaker
Lúcia Palma is the Founder of BE AGILE and an international consultant in People Strategy and Agile HR, focused on transforming how organizations connect strategy to execution. She supports companies in Angola, Portugal, and Sub-Saharan Africa in implementing flow-based approaches, OKRs, and coordination systems that bridge strategic and operational levels.
She is the creator of the HR AGILE ADVANCED international certification, developed in partnership with CertiProf, designed to position HR as a strategic driver of business performance. Lúcia also leads the exclusive partnership for Sub-Saharan Africa with Play4Business for LEGO® Serious Play®, bringing advanced facilitation methodologies to leadership, organizational alignment, and strategy execution across the region.
Join the Flight Levels Day - Edition 06
Save the date - 07 May 2026
Flight Levels Practitioners and Professionals come together to share their experiences about Flight Levels with a wide audience and offers insights into the practical applications of Flight Levels. It demonstrates how companies use Flight Levels as a lightweight and cost-effective approach to foster company-wide collaboration and implement their strategies. Thanks to our interactive platform, all participants have the opportunity to directly engage with the speakers, get their questions answered, or receive ideas and inspirations beyond the scope of the conference program.
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