The Adpative Strategy Framework

BSS Nexus Global © 2016

The Adaptive Strategy Framework

Global Launch EventMay 25, 2016

We help leaders share intent, for their people to solve holistic messes, while

networked teams proceed through uncertainty

https://www.brighttalk.com/channel/13643/the-agility-series



• The Adaptive Strategy Framework and associated material is copyright BSSNexus Global Inc

• But….it will be given away free!

• So its free to use…but you need to acknowledge where it came from

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About Me

Mentor White papers:Implications of Agile Thinking on…

Lead Author Author

• 25+ years of agile thinking – OO has Agile flavours• B.Sc. Computer Science, M.A. Public Administration• Author of 30+ courses on Agile, Project Management, ITIL• Top download on Forbes.com for ITIL/PM whitepaper (2007)• Lead author on book endorsed by a co-author of the Agile Manifesto (Dr. Alistair Cockburn)• 25+ industry certifications (Agile, Project Management, ITIL, ISO)• The Agility Series author/blogger and webinar host at www.ProjectManagement.com (PMI) and at

BrightTalk.com (https://www.brighttalk.com/mybrighttalk/channel/13643/home)• Reached #1 Agile Practices Influencer status on www.ProjectManagement.com

http://www.projectmanagement.com/

https://www.brighttalk.com/mybrighttalk/channel/13643/home


Learning Agility

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself.

"It is overfull. No more will go in!“

"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

Experience can be an encumbrance to learning


Why do organizations exist?Value creation!

If you create value then…

Customers/Clients Money

etc. will follow!


Why do we need adaptive strategies?


http://content.time.com/time/interactive/0,31813,2048601,00.html

“The Singularity is Near” The year man becomes immortal

1977Commodore PET“Personal Electronic Translator”$795

2014Samsung Gear S$349

1974 Started University 1958

Born

Change is exp

onential


Overnight updates versus…

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=&url=http://www.autos-arena.com/2016-tesla-model-s-review-changes-and-price/&psig=AFQjCNHHDkN2-_ejUa1f-GYuK2-NkMcFtA&ust=1464174069946761

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?42,1595993


VUCAComplexity

Multiple key decision factors

VolatilityRate of change

AmbiguityLack of clarity about

meaning of an event

UncertaintyUnclear about

the present


No more Discrete Problems…

Organizations have less control and more change than ever

Traditional models don’t apply to new problems

Customers & markets changing at increasing rate

Innovation requires independent thought & action

Tolerate ambiguity


New Reality• Collective intelligence is valued over individual

knowledge

• Hierarchies are intrinsically ineffective for required speed of decision-making

• Can’t use past to predict future

• Our Windows are shrinking


Windows….no not that one

http://fromthetower.thig.com/your-window-of-opportunity/

http://konfrazzzled.com/ways-to-improve-your-balance-and-stability/“an opportunity to do something that will only last for a short time and needs to be taken advantage of quickly”

Collins On-line Dictionary

You need to be able to balance your strategic choices about what you should do with how much you should do


Window of Stability

While windows of opportunity are contextual

Windows of stability are now universally short


On the Edge of Chaos and Disorder

Known Knowns

Known UnknownsUnknown Unknowns RiskHoly Crap!

Planned

Maybe we should do that….Or unknown aspects of the messes?

15

“The edge of Chaos and Disorder”


Our world is full of holistic messes

Holistic messes are sets of inter-related problems – i.e. a system of problems

Even simple problems are mini-messes


Problem or mess?• You want to transform your entire organization to agile

(business lines, HR, Finance, Marketing, IT, etc.)

• Questions to ask?: How will this affect compensation and benefits? How will this affect “managers”? How will it affect how you do procurement? How will it affect your partners? Do your people need to learn new skills? Do you need to change your processes? Will it affect any internal policies? Will it affect your organizational structure?


Problem or mess?• Switch out a bunch of old systems with a new single

system of record that must use Service Oriented Architecture to interoperate with your partners

• Questions to ask?: Will you still operate the same way? Do your people need to learn new skills? Do you need to change your processes? Does it affect any internal policies? Does it affect your organizational structure? Does it affect your facilities?


These kinds of problems have traditionally been approached as discrete problems and often as single projects

They are NOT discrete problems and they most certainly are NOT single projects


What kind of mindset do we need to better understand and solve holistic messes?


• We can’t know everything up front• The result we get can and will be

affected by how we approach the messes

• We need to use empiricism to determine how to react to what we discover along the way – i.e. we need to let the facts guide needed refinements to both our understanding of what the messes actually are as well as our actions towards solving them

Fixed MindsetApproach to managing

uncertainty

Reducing uncertainty by “pretending to know everything up front”Looking to cast in stone and confirmthings before starting

Growth MindsetApproach to managing

uncertainty

Reducing uncertainty by experimenting and trying Looking to inspect and adapt to what weuncover as we go about solving a Problem – concept of “emergence”

Uncertainty is the New Reality


Become Agile Thinkers• Embrace minimally viable products, processes, and

documentation• Include any practice that supports agility whether at the team,

portfolio, department or organizational levels as well as across organizational boundaries

• Blend different aspects of different practices as needed • See any practice that supports agility as potentially being an agile

one• Recognize that agile practices are always evolving and new ones

are always emerging• Recognize that practices, even agile ones, may need to be adapted

to context and teams are best suited to making practice adaptations or innovations to suit their context

• Recognize individual competency is a contribution to value creation rather than as a role defined by job descriptions and governed by hierarchies


Agile Thinking relies on…• Adapting our methods, practices, techniques, etc.

to the context of our particular messes• Iterative and incremental delivery of strategic

change• People…as being more important than any

process


How do we solve holistic messes?


Networked Leadership

Strategic Iteration Growth mindset Intrinsic

motivators

Embrace ambiguity

Simple rules

Self-directing/ Self-organizing

Adapt to context SerendipityInnovative and

disruptive thinking


Adaptive Strategy• Definition:

A strategy whose goals and objectives are continually refined throughout the execution phase through the emergent understanding of Networked Teams based on their observations, on measurement, and on customer feedback

• Adaptive strategy helps us have a vision of the whole while refining our shared understanding of both the parts and the whole while executing Strategic Change

• The strategic goals themselves are also continuously refined both during and after each Strategic Change


Value versus Values• Value is what a client/customer perceives as

something that provides them with some utility. Value is in the eyes of the client/customer – it is a

Simon Sinek suggests, perception

• Values are statements intended to represent the beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of a person, or group of persons

• Organizations often craft values statements to represent the collective values they want to hold

• It is these values that they expect to use to guide their decision-making to deliver value to customers


Capabilities

• Organizations are a mix of capabilities that coalesce around their mission and vision, guided by their values and principles, to meet the needs of their clients/customers


Paradoxical BalanceMission and

Vision & Values and Principles

Client/Customer

Needs

Tension

Compromise?

Disrupt?


Solving holistic messes requires

holistic approachesas well as

Networked Leadershipand

Networked Teams using

Adaptive Strategy


What is the Adaptive Strategy Framework?


Adaptive Strategy Framework• A tour guide for strategic excellence in creating

value based on iterative and incremental execution of Strategic Change to realize an organization’s vision and strategies to meet client/customer needs

• Encourages emergent thinking across Networked Teams and enables strategic adaptability through continuous refinement of an organization’s capabilities


Helps us answer: Why?

…to satisfy client/customer needs


Before we answer: How?


To solve: Holistic Messes


We must learn to: Adapt


Using: Valued-centered Decision-making


By working: Thorough the Quadrants


As: Networked Teams

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Using: Events


To uncover emergent: Artifacts


Through: Refinement & Exploration


Using: Iteration


Available at www.MPlaza.ca


Contact Info@cooperlk99

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/lawrencekcooper

[email protected]; www.BSSNexus.com

+1 (613) 868-0982


https://ca.linkedin.com/in/lawrencekcooper

mailto:[email protected]

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The Adpative Strategy Framework

Leadership & Management

Transcript of The Adpative Strategy Framework