Boosting Agility by Scaling Decision-Making

Big companies are no longer guaranteed survival. Companies who move fast and pivot faster are disrupting them, largely due to an ability to make quick decisions. It seems that when companies grow larger, their decision-making processes get slower.

Lean leaders know that an ability to make quick decisions at scale comes when you empower those with the most information to make decisions - but getting started can be terrifying. In this session, Julia will share how to alleviate management fears and embark on a safe journey of distributed decision-making.

Transcript

1. #lascot
   @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !1
   Boosting Agility
   by Scaling Your Decision-Making
   Julia Wester
   Co-Founder / Consultant
   Lagom Solutions
   

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2. Agility
   the power of moving quickly
   and easily; nimbleness
   @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !2 #lascot
   

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3. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !3 #lascot
   It is not the strongest of the species
   that survives, nor the most
   intelligent, but the one most
   responsive to change.
   Charles Darwin, 1809
   

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4. #lascot
   @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !4
   Adapted from Stephen Bungay’s
   “The Art of Action”
   Outcomes
   Actions Plans
   What We Think Will Happen
   

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5. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !5 #lascot
   But, Human Systems are Complex Human Tower
   www.designboom.com
   

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6. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !6 #lascot
   The very business of getting
   an organization made up of
   individuals, no matter how
   disciplined, to pursue a
   collective goal produces
   friction just as surely as
   applying the brakes of a car.
   Stephen Bungay, Art of Action
   

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7. #lascot
   @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !7
   Changing
   Environment
   Complex
   Environment
   Emotion
   & Stress
   Personal
   Interests
   Different
   Agendas
   External
   Actors
   Choice
   Lack of
   Data
   Noise
   Misunderstandings
   Different
   Interpretations
   Different
   Priorities
   Independent
   Wills
   Unpredictable
   Events
   Imperfect
   Information
   Imperfect
   Information Transfer
   Limited
   Knowledge
   Independent
   Agents
   Human
   Finitude
   External Factors
   Internal Factors
   

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8. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !8 #leanagileus
   Adapted from Stephen Bungay’s
   “The Art of Action”
   Outcomes
   Plans
   Actions
   !
   ! !
   Inherent Human
   Limitations
   Uncertain
   environment
   Failure to Execute
   The Complex Truth
   

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9. The 3 Gaps
   @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom
   !9
   #lascot
   Adapted from Stephen Bungay’s
   “The Art of Action”
   Outcomes
   Plans
   Actions
   !
   ! !
   Effects Gap
   Difference between what we
   expect our actions to achieve
   and what they actually achieve
   Knowledge Gap
   Difference between what we
   would like to know and what
   we actually know
   Alignment Gap
   Difference between what we want
   people to do and what they actually do
   

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10. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !10 #lascot
    Seem
    familiar?
    image creator unknown
    

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11. Outcomes
    Plans
    Effects Gap Knowledge Gap
    Alignment Gap
    Actions
    Outcomes
    Plans
    Effects Gap Knowledge Gap
    Alignment Gap
    Actions
    @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !11
    Two approaches to dealing with the unknown
    #lascot
    more detailed
    controls
    more detailed
    information
    more detailed
    instructions
    freedom to adjust
    actions
    limit instruction,
    give intent
    allow levels to decide
    & back brief
    Instruction Direction
    Leader - Follower Leader - Leader
    

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12. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !12 #lascot
    Instruction
    Leader - Follower
    more detailed
    instructions
    Alignment Gap
    Knowledge Gap
    more detailed
    information
    

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13. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !13 #lascot
    Image: ohmygodlife.com
    The Vicious Cycle
    

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14. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !14 #lascot
    Dave Snowden, released under CC BY 3.0
    Instruction
    Direction
    Context
    Matters!
    Cynefin: a sense-making
    model by Dave Snowden
    

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15. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !15 #lascot
    Bridging the Gaps
    

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16. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !16 #lascot
    If a problem is widespread and enduring, its
    origins are likely to be deep-seated.
    Stephen Bungay,
    Art of Action
    The solution is therefore
    unlikely to be a quick fix or
    something new to add to
    what we do already.
    

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17. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !17 #lascot
    Leaders, are you willing to
    1. Prioritize (I mean really prioritize)
    2. Let others make decisions?
    3. Be accountable for others’ decisions?
    4. Back off, but stay close for support?
    5. Stick with it when it gets tough (long-
    term over short term).
    

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18. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !18 #lascot
    Workers, are you willing to
    1. Make decisions and assume
    responsibility for them.
    2. Critically assess the way things are done
    3. Communicate intent, often
    4. Speak up when you see problems
    5. Work on things that matter
    

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19. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !19 #lascot
    Flickr: B4bees - CCby2.0
    What keeps us from giving away or taking control?
    

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20. Leader
    Worker
    @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !20 #lascot
    Leader
    Worker
    Intent-Based Leadership Requires Bi-Directional Trust
    

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21. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !21 #lascot
    How much control
    should be given?
    https://www.davidmarquet.com/2017/05/24/leadership-nudge-got-frustration/
    

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22. Intent-Based Leadership
    The Basic Steps
    @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !22 #lascot
    

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23. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !23 #lascot
    Leader: Decide What Matters
    

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24. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !24 #lascot
    Leader: Get the
    Message Across
    Via a Brief
    Context
    What triggered this need?
    What is the situation?
    Intent
    Short statement of task and its
    purpose
    Higher Intent
    How does this tie into intent from
    1-2 levels up?
    Implied Tasks
    Obvious tasks that need
    to be done. Keep it
    minimal.
    Boundaries, Freedoms
    & Anti-Goals
    Known constraints,
    conditions to avoid,
    potential future decisions
    

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25. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom
    The Plan
    Actions team will take that should
    achieve outcomes
    How team will monitor success to
    determine if course correction is
    needed
    !25 #lascot
    Worker: Listen, Process, & Respond via a Backbrief
    Context
    What triggered this need?
    What is the situation?
    Intent
    Short statement of task and its
    purpose
    Higher Intent
    How does this tie into intent from
    1-2 levels up?
    Implied Tasks
    Obvious tasks that need
    to be done. Keep it
    minimal.
    Boundaries, Freedoms
    & Anti-Goals
    Known constraints,
    conditions to avoid,
    potential future decisions
    Team Needed
    People / Skills Needed
    

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26. Worker: Keep Lines of Communication Open
    @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !26 #lascot
    Leader: Give People Space and Support
    

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27. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !27 #lascot
    Worker: Reflect and Adapt As You Go
    

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28. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !28 #lascot
    Outcomes
    Plans
    Actions
    !
    ! !
    

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29. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !29 #lascot
    Cascading intent fosters agility
    

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30. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !30 #lascot
    Punishment can backfire!
    

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31. Getting Started: Assess if everyone is ready, willing & able.
    @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !31 #lascot
    

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32. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !32 #lascot
    Choose a decision to begin with
    

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33. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !33 #lascot
    Resources
    

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34. @everydaykanban | @TeamLagom !34 #lascot
    julia@lagom.solutions
    @everydaykanban & @TeamLagom
    https://lagom.solutions
    http://everydaykanban.com
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliawester/
    Contact me to talk more
    

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