Development
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Monday 08 of February, 2010
[edit] Explaining the Development Framework
This image represents the 8 conversations of Development
- The Phases Explained: Discovery | Development | Decision | Deployment
- The Frameworks Explained: Discovery Framework | Development Framework | Experience Frameworks
[edit] Development Executive Overview
The Development Framework forces the team to think hard about the future and how to wire up the new ‘system’ of the business to get there. Importantly it enables the development of the thinking we unlocked within the Discovery Phase. The results will determine:
What is important about the Future? What is relevant within our Current Reality? How do we plan to get to our future? Can we prove that we have the ‘levers’ of our destiny within our control. Can we illustrate the effects that are directly linked to the valuable/distinctive assets we have now revealed? How should we tell the story to our most important stakeholders?
[edit] What is it?
The Development Framework, known as D2 within the 4D Approach. The Framework is co-created in live sessions with clients to assess, align and share the opportunities and choices around the 8 modules.]]
[edit] The Objective
The second phase of 4D - The Development Framework (D2) allows any team to imagine a new vision with a clear strategic outcome. It then forces rigorous thinking around how to get there and with what capability and resources. It may also takes the learning from the Discovery phase in situations where we feel that alignment around the market and the product and service ambitions need greater definition. The framework ensures that we build strategy in a way that ensures clear Line of Sight between cause and effect.
[edit] The Outcome
Creating a clear and compelling business case and strategy. One that can be clearly explained. Our ambition is to explain the thinking and the components of the strategy in a focused and powerful way. Businesses often need to widen the understanding of the complex, often highly integrated thoughts and themes involved with any strategy.
It is critical that the depth of thinking and effort put in by the whole team makes its way into logical and engaging materials for sustainable use and deployment. We may build large-scale walk-through frameworks that tell the story from beginning to end. The material that we create will also be used for more classical documents and workbooks as shown here.
These will take the form of scenarios around the current reality to the future vision, the actions and the roadmap, and the KPI's and measures we will be signing up to.
[edit] The 8 Modules
The Development framework involves 8 modules. It is applied to situations where strategy is being developed by leadership teams. It presumes that the team has reached an important stage in the development of their goals and objectives requiring deep and rigorous thinking.
We assume also that the task is a critical moment for a business or institution and that it will need to be more widely communicated.
There are many applications where strategy and future vision needs to be considered. They demand that the outcome of strategy formulation should not be kept behind doors and that the engagement and validation of key stakeholders and the wider enterprise is critical.
Development is our term for digging deep and designing strategy, transformation and change. We have built an approach to development which rests on the metaphor of telling a story. Any development is a shift from where we are now to where we wish to be. In our world this has to be a shared ‘journey’.
We use the story metaphor as a basis upon which we ensure that a group can confidently appreciate the physics of the strategy at an appropriate level. As with the Discovery Framework, these 8 pillars work together to form a business logic that addresses the entire business in context - the idea of the team collaborating in order to achieve this ensures that sufficient rigour and interdependence exists across the enterprise.
[edit] Why do we do it?
Creating a visual representation ensures we have a transparent conversation and demonstrates the line of sight between cause and effect. Because the Development Framework can be worked from left to right or right to left and can be tackled in a number of sequences, we can iterate very complex dimensions of the system in a way that is almost impossible by any other means.
The method ensures we ‘work’ the answer to all of the questions the framework poses in direct relation to the bigger goal and outcome. We ensure that we push the bar – aim high for the most valuable solutions – and get tight register between the measurable outcome, the capability and the path between the current reality and the future vision.
Creating a visual representation ensures we have a practical outcome and one that can be used in countless ways to tell the story to others.We create the framework based on the proven logic of The Business Equation™. The central theme which must emerge as a result of this exercise is below.
[edit] The Business Equation™ - Development
"We want to achieve the desired and stated Strategic Outcome (the Ultimate Goal) in order to experience a Redefined Condition (the effects that result in new value) which is in turn underpinned by Considered Governance, Capability and Cultural Environment. What is the planned Roadmap of Activities and Actions, or Action Plan, that will deliver against the agreed significant Themes (Solutions) that will drive the strategy towards the new Future Vision based on those Business Imperatives crucial to driving the ambition of the business to move away from the Current Reality”
“Making decisions based on evidence requires the appropriate display of that evidence” - Edward Tufte.
Discovery enables any business to know what it knows, what it doesn't know and what it needs to know. 4D™ 
Development then enables the business to design alternative strategies that will achieve agreed outcomes...
Decision ensures the business then makes the right choices based on thorough and precise thinking... 
Deployment then makes sure the entire enterprise stays on track.Go to: 4D™, Structured Visual Thinking, Expectation Setting
Outcomes: Alignment of strategy with programs for delivery. Understanding by the leadership of the critical components of strategy. Critical Success Factors/KPI's. The business case. The value proposition. Having the ability to tell the 'full' story. Removing complexity from the team.
Explanation: Development is our term for digging deep, discussing and debating several possible scenarios and possible alternatives, debating choices and collaboratively designing strategy, transformation and change. Development is a process not a session.
We have built an approach to development which rests on the metaphor of telling a story whilst at the same time working hard to decide the facts and the implications which underpin it all. It is all interdependent and therefore direct linkage exists between one module and the next. Any development is a shift from where we are now to where we wish to be. In our world this has to be a shared 'journey'. We use the story metaphor as a basis upon which we ensure that a group can confidently appreciate the physics of the strategy at the appropriate level. As with the Discovery Framework, these 8 pillars work together to form a business logic that addresses the entire business in context - the idea of the team collaborating in order to achieve this ensures that sufficient rigour and interdependence exists across the enterprise.
A typical scenario, created in one of the team sessions. This image was approximately 6 feet high by 20 feet and was developed 'live' to capture the conversation as well as stimulate the detailed discussion around a shared service agenda. The final image became part of the 'roadmap' which is the E module in a Development Framework
Unlike most solutions or processes of consulting, Some principles must be applied - for example, it is not possible to build the framework without having absolute alignment and understanding of the Current Reality. An initial development session will ideally last 2-3 days. Typically the second or third day is spent putting the facts through hard final questioning and diving into the implications of the strategy in terms of a transformational roadmap or specific story that requires development. By using structured intervention techniques, Contextual Analysis™ and the Contextual Framework™ we have achieved the following:
1. Consensus and agreement for new activity, building new value and future objectives. 2. Actions will have been agreed and new responsibilities awarded to clearly defined owners. 3. Implications and dependencies impacts and gaps will have been identified for possible further research or thought. 4. Alternative hypotheses for D3. Decisions around alternatives. 5. Further work identified in key areas that require deeper exploration.
During the Development process we may work through any of the 6 Deep Dives that we have defined are relevant and meaningful for the task or the desired outcome. This phase sets up the alternatives, choices and collates much of the data for either further work or the move towards the D3 - Decision Phase.
[edit] The 8 Modules that make up the Development Framework
Explaining the Logic and Flow of the 4D™ Development Framework
The Development Framework is designed to illustrate the full business case. The natural outcome arising from the work done to complete each module connected by this logic to each preceding and successive module in turn. In its earliest application it sets up the challenge to the team to consider the overall logic. During the research, thinking, analysis and further interrogation of each aspect of each module the Development Framework forces the knowledge into sharper focus, increases the teams clarity over each component and so the outcome and direction becomes clearer.
[edit] A. Current Reality:
It is critical to understand the landscape as it is now if we are to imagine and arrive at a new future; an optimal plan and portfolio of solutions that will improve the businesses performance. Its not that we will design our future based on the current reality – its that we need to recognize it for what it is and use the reality to inform ourselves about the why and what of change.
This understanding will be shared and fully recorded so that we learn from it and to ensure we mitigate risk and avoid solving the wrong problem. For Example: Fragmented, cracked and broken processes. - “It wasn’t designed to be like this but.…” - Certain barriers have come to exist over that give rise to unintended consequences. A fog of incoherence and uncertainty has descended in some areas... The ‘Hairball’. A strange and confusing technological desert of informational layered disconnectedness has happened over time. Lack of common and shareable data, systems, structures and processes are operating in silos ensuring immense difficulty of operation and lack of best practice or standards... Fragmentation of data. High risk and high costs to the operation which have caused inaccuracy, frustration, redundancy of certain systems and lower resilience to failure.
Lack of coherent information, business insights, processes or thought. Inability to plan, develop solutions, innovate, communicate, plan strategy or create enterprise motivation. The concerns over the unknown is growing. The competition is closer than ever before. There are increasing and significant external and social pressures. The impacts and implications of ad hoc and random decisions about all of the above is causing misunderstanding and frustration. The risks of unplanned activity and unforeseen events are becoming more frequent.
B. The Business Imperatives: Levers and Drivers of strategy.
These are the clear drivers of the business. The thrusts, the main ideas that have been agreed as an imperative; just have to happen. As a result of the Current Reality the business needs a strategy that is aligned to deliver against these imperatives.
This strategy is what drives then the enterprise. These imperatives are the foundation for all planning, achievement of them will determine success. We need to properly define, agree and understand these drivers; these imperatives in order to ensure we can create metrics and KPI’s that contribute to the successful delivery of our strategy.
We need to create a seamless relationship of all activity to these drivers imperatives ensuring both full coherence in our planning and effectiveness in outcome - achieving the Corporate Goals and Financial Targets. With close alignment of these imperatives to the future vision and roadmap we will be properly connected and ordered (line of sight) and connected to our evaluation protocol (see Managing The Facts) we can be measurable. The activities resulting from these Business Imperatives are properly considered; allowing clear and connected flows of activity, intelligence and value.
Additional Supportive Comments to Business Imperative Creation:
We are determined, stay on track, innovative, prepared and anticipatory. (Strategically Intelligent and Smart) Built on strong and proven thinking. Designed for the future. Innovation but not at inappropriate cost. Compelling Business Case and Argument. A thorough and well thought through story which can be communicated.
Definitions of Strategy:”A Scheme: an elaborate and systematic plan of action. A strategy is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. A broad non-specific statement of an approach to accomplishing desired goals and objectives. The general plan or direction selected to accomplish incident objectives”.
In business the business case is an argued, rational, well thought through and decisive work. It is often called strategy and is built through a thorough appreciation of what is the problem, where do we wish to be and how do we get there. Within this work a governance and evaluation framework will be built in order to maintain and operationalise all of the moving parts. The Business Case should also rest on a thorough plan of the organizations ability and capability to get there or a plan of what it needs to do differently or better in order to get there. We adopt the following four key tenets.
1. Forensic Understanding: Identifying and then analyzing the information and data Is at the heart of decision quality. We will use whatever tools we need to gather, sort and then make the correct decisions.
2. Measurement and Prioritization: Data is the raw material and accurate ranking and criteria For making informed decisions relies on creating the correct frame which is itself linked to the Business imperatives. We will deploy evaluation and validation points at every step along the transformation
3. Continuous Improvement: We will be constantly learning as new information arrives and the tools we use will be integrated within each activity and business process and itself linked to dynamic dashboards and visualization solutions enabling constant assessment of progress and early warning of changes that will reduce the risk and improve performance.
4. The Decision: The Decision Process and the communication of the Decision to the Key Stakeholders is of paramount importance. The leadership of the client will need to have complete understanding and appreciation of the program and will be responsible for the sign off at this stage. Their buy in and their ownership of the program will be the difference between a successful launch and deployment of the entire program. All stakeholders and particularly those identified as key to the success of the program need to be fully bought into the entire context and its desired outcome.
C. The Future Vision:
The Future Vision describes the desired state, the scenario that describes the teams shared ambitions at a given time in the future. The Future Vision is an agreed-shared destination/mission. It will often be a complex blend of financial and business objectives mixed with an ambition way beyond the current ability or consciousness of many involved in the business today.
The CEO and leadership of the organization will be looking to find practical steps; articulations of the vision at each point along the process and it will be important to link each phase, wave and event to achieving the Vision. These visions are often intangible and our role is to bring this within the grasp of everyone in the enterprise.
D. The Clear Themes:
For any successful strategy there is the need to agree clear solution 'themes'. These Themes represent the overarching and critical areas of focus for the business. These themes will be unpacked to reveal programs and activities. These themes will be well understood as significant tranches of work and be the focus of the CEO’s drive towards business improvement and competitive excellence.
Once the Strategy is fully considered there will emerge the key themes of activity. These will be significant tracts of work and may consist of a wide variety of tasks. These will vary from HR Transformation and Change in Governance to Technological themes such as better Supply Chains and Knowledge Management through to New Positioning, Brand and Communication Strategy, from Applications to Infrastructure and much in between. These Themes will underpin the overall strategy and it is important for this to be a consistently applied and well understood set.
There is significant depth and complexity attached to the themes and the themes themselves will break down into highly detailed plans and in many cases sub themes and activity will be built around them.
E. The Transformation Roadmap:
The roadmap is a major objective for every team. Defining the sequence of events that lead the whole enterprise to its goals. This is typically the final component in the development of 4D™. It is retro-fitted to the D2 after the conclusion of D3 - when the Decisions have finally been made.
There is a clearly laid down set of events in correct sequence and which are designed to deliver the agreed outcomes. There needs to be a well defined and clearly agreed roadmap of activity therefore these activities need to be fully aligned with our organisational ability to get there. These agreed activities will be connected to the Clear Themes in all respects and will entail milestones, implications, impacts and dependencies. There will be clear connections drawn from every component through to factors related to responsibility, performance metrics and other methods of governance.
F. Redefined Capability, Culture and Governance:
No matter how well the strategy is constructed the skills and resources of the enterprise has to be aligned in every sense. In this section we are discussing and developing the correct organization. This organization has to have the appropriate culture, behaviours and policies to get the enterprise to deliver its goals.
We dig deep into incentivization, motivation, consequences and the processes by which these are controlled and managed. It sounds too much of a cliche to say that people are the most important asset of every organization but we believe it it to be true and critical in delivering an optimal strategy and high performing outcomes.
G. The Redefined Condition:
The resulting effect of the transformation. As a direct result of the effort and change over the given period as defined by the transformation roadmap these will be the new experiences and effects. These could be explained as the value proposition for each theme and therefore each tranche of work. This enables the team to imagine the new future as individual aspects. Imagine how Knowledge Management or Revised Service Strategies might feel. In some cases we have started the Development Framework from this perspective. This allows all previous thinking to be done in terms of the key outcomes required.
Alternatively. The redefined condition is the outcome we want within the chosen areas of work that the clear themes were set up to create. This module describes these in terms of the experience or benefit and whilst often not directly correlating to the theme they are the effect and direct result of the work.
H. The Strategic Outcomes:
The overall business benefit and set of distinctive outcomes as a direct consequence of the transformation or strategy and to achieve the absolute goals of the business. The benefit of the plan, the change program, the transformation. This is the big dividend. Typically this is a significant vision.
A grand ideal and overarching goal. It is this strategic outcome that defines the leadership, the business, the effort, drives the team, stirs the enterprise and guides everything.
