From Observations to Recommendations ..... a new approach to change and strategy implementation.

 The previous blogs in the series have made a number of observations about how most organisations lead and deliver change and how these delivery methods are inconsistent. with observable evidence.  These series of observations culminated in the last blog where I suggested the inconsistencies between actual delivery practice and observable reality were at least in part responsible for why organisations are collectively so bad at delivering change.  This blog concluded with a series of counter observations that took account of existing evidence and proposed that if we were to deliver change in a way that is consistent with observable evidence then we would improve our chances of successfully delivering change to our organisations. 

For completeness here are the six counter observations or principles of change for todays world:

1. Recognise that the world is changing rapidly and continuously and explicitly allow for this in our approach to change and the implementation of strategy. 
2. Break large risky projects down so that they are small and easily delivered (through iterative delivery processes).
3. Ensure change delivery is iterative and deliberately build interactions into delivery methods (interaction includes feedback, lessons learned and water cooler conversations among other things).
4. Reorient our dominant focus to be value / ROI (vs scope).  Value needs to drive all decisions.   (R = return or benefits. I = investment).
5. In times of constant change we need to lead and manage change through "unchanging enduring needs" that cannot or are very unlikely to be disrupted.  This may be enduring customer needs or a sense of purpose or mission from within. 
6. Leaders need to actively manage a culture that makes change easy (or at least possible).

As mentioned in the previous blog  would love to get your feedback on these observations / principles.  Do you agree or disagree with these observations?  Are they complete?  Do they represent areas of high leverage?

While I wait for your feedback I am going to continue this blog based on the assumption that these observations are correct.  If that is the case then the most important question is how can we use these principles to improve change delivery outcomes?

In short , we need to change our operating model or ways of working from traditional processes, structures, decision rights etc to processes, structures, decision rights etc which are consistent with the observations set out above.

Different people will have different views on what this new operating model might look like.  I have had success both as an executive and with my clients with operating models that are based on the following recommendations:

1. Recommendation 1:  In the face of a rapidly changing environment focus on enabling purpose / mission or enduring customer needs.
2. Recommendation 2:  Enable innovation and deliver strategy through compressed iterative delivery and governance (eg 90 day cycles).
3. Recommendation 3:  Link iterative delivery to your purpose and mission via benefits focused long run  programmes.
4. Recommendation 4: Design ways of working that enhance the possibility of interactions (planned and serendipitous) over time to stimulate innovation, learning and growth.
5. Recommendation 5:  Senior leaders must actively manage culture to establish an environment that supports effective change, starting with the examination of their own actions and processes.

In some cases the recommendations above look very similar to the observations.  This is not a coincidence however the recommendations are not one to one with the observations.  All of the recommendations address multiple observations and they build on and reinforce each other.  To illustrate below is a mapping or how I expect the observations to be addressed by the each of the recommendations. 

	Contin-uous	Iterative	Small	Value / ROI	Purpose	Culture
Focus on enabling purpose and mission
Deliver strategy through iterative delivery
Link iterative delivery to purpose and mission via benefits focused programmes
Design ways of working that stimulate  innovation, learning and growth.
Senior leaders must actively manage culture

Every observation is addressed by multiple recommendations and every recommendation has multiple impacts.  In my experience to be successful and self sustaining you need to implement all recommendations and continue to refine and learn over time.

So, my thesis is simple, if we want to improve our ability to successfully deliver change we need an operating model that is consistent with and leverages reality rather than fighting against it.  While this is a simple idea it's not necessarily an easy one to implement but is is doable.  This blog series will begin to address the how in the next weeks and months.

Thoughts?  Crazy?  It all makes sense?  We have already done this and it did or didn't work.  Let me know, I'd love to hear from you!