3. Where to Start?

Dr Mike Florence PhD, MBA; ibizflo.com Series Link

The last article described the calibration for the capabilities and how to recognise when you are or

are not in Balance. This article will outline how and where to start to re-balance your organisations capabilities.

Where to start:

(1) Leadership (culture & people)

At the start there must be a ‘Why’. Why do we need to do anything, what happens if we do

nothing, what are the threats and opportunities, what is the thoroughly compelling vision of where we want and need to be and what are the initial steps the organisation and staff need to take to get there. It takes a special type of leader to recognise the need to change before the ‘crisis’ (more later). With this direction and energy then teams and ‘charter’ can be created with a clear objective, scope, benefits, resources, deliverables and milestones. Together with strong sponsorship and excellent project management then the project is ready for kick-off.

The scope of work can be better defined through an initial assessment that can be done

relatively quickly and will then help define the project and lead to a project kick-off.

Building on this foundation the work can begin.

The 4 capabilities are highly related and interconnected – so addressing issues will require managing 2,3 or all these areas to regain a sustained balance. So, we start with 2 to 3 capabilities. This may sound complicated however in practice it works out simple and practical.

(2) People & Process

Kick off will bring people together from across all disciplines to visualise and improve how

they work together through the Process. This is great way to introduce people who have

worked together but may never have met! On many occasions, I’ve heard people introducing

themselves to others that they have only ever met by email. Throughout this work

relationships are built, an understanding of each others' roles is found such that what is

needed by who, when, why and how is found and all together with fun and banter.

(3) A Collaborative Culture

Bringing this cross functional group together with the process will stimulate

conversations, concerns and ideas. This is the start of new environment, a new culture of

collaboration and sharing.

Collectively the group, with a bit of facilitation, will see the complete end-to-end process and

identify where the bottlenecks, hot spots, frustrations, reworks, double doing happens.

These ‘hot spots’ will be caused by a mix of process, people, tech and cultural issues. These

components can be recorded and potentially be part of a root-cause analyses (if needed) –

see diagram:

Conversations across boundaries, disciplines will bring ideas and excitement. With these

ideas will emerge a new vision of how people will work together. The new ‘Culture’ will start.

Alongside this collaborative working, the problem statements are prioritised, root cause collected

and brought together solutions that resolve these root causes.

(4) Tech., Data, Metrics and Learning (Process, Tech., People and Culture)

As you go through this work the data, information, metrics (more on this later) needed by

who, when, where, why will come out and this will start to define the user requirement

specification (URS) for the Technology systems.

Who uses this data and how is important. On most occasions the process, from client

request to client fulfilment, is cut up into many local or functional pieces. These can be

needed however no-one ever sees the whole picture leading to inappropriate local

improvements, confusions on how to change and frustrated staff and customers. To avoid

these issues, a process owner who owns the whole process from end to end is needed.

Their role is to bring the local & functional owners together, with the data, metrics from the

process, to review, learn and agree where and how improvements will be done. This review

is usually monthly and forms a ‘Check, Act, Plan, Do’ that will sustain a balance moving

forward.

These reviews and other conversations, ideas, challenges will help to sustain a new vision

for the organisation. One that works and learns together to deliver for the clients, customer

and business. In this way all 4 capabilities are part of the work to build a new balance.

The next article will explore some of the challenges to re-balance in tough times when

markets, competitors, technology forces change on an organisation.

For further information or questions please contact:

Dr Mike Florence PhD, MBA

mike.r.florence@gmail.com           www.ibizflo.com