NEXT Wiki

Wiki

Accountability

Accountability creates the obligation or responsibility is to be answerable, report and explain and results as a consequence of a social, legal or moral contract  or agreement.. Accountability is gaining prominence in the context of governance and ethics, both in government as well as business. It creates the obligation to report, explain. Effective accountability is dependent on effective accountability practices.  Modern concepts of accountability emphasize transparency. Effective accountability results in reliability, credibility, trust and effective decision making.

Where there is no accounting system or a poor accounting system, there is no accountability. Where there is no accountability, there is freedom from control where no-one is answerable nor responsible. It makes it impossible or difficult to explain or account for the results or consequences of actions or hold anyone to account for the consequences of their action, even if it results in significant negative impact and losses.

This promotes a mindset or culture where people know it is unlikely that they will be called to account. It creates an environment that shows lack of care for consequences and allows people to “hide”.

Agility

To be agile means to have the capability to rapidly and efficiently respond and adapt to changes and uncertainty. It includes the faculty of being agile in body, mind or figuratively. It requires the integration of isolated movement skills combining balance, coordination, speed, reflexes, speed, strength, endurance and stamina.

Agility also requires control and skilful and focused mastery of energy and resources to respond to constant changes in the external environment and internal landscape and capabilities. Accelerators are required to develop Agility in execution capability - to turn ideas into action with speed and flexibility.

Alignment

In the context of strategy and execution alignment is the congruency between all facts, ideas and activities to achieve a streamlined and efficient solution. This includes the arrangement of all the parts in their correct relative positions, structures and sequences of actions to achieve the desired results.

Alignment is achieved when all the activities of the organization contribute towards the achievement of the strategic intent. That means not only focusing on strategic initiatives, but enabling and driving all structures, processes, technology and people’s behavior and performance towards alignment. 

Non-alignment results in dis-order, inefficient use of resources and inability to respond effectively to internal and external dynamics.  It prevents agility and therefore hinders competitive advantage and achievement of strategies. Non-alignment is a significant contributor or cause of the strategy execution gap and is costly as time, people and other resources are not utilised towards achieving common purpose and focus.  Due to the inherence complexity and details of  inter-connected activities required to achieve strategic goals, organizations continue to struggle to achieve it.

Effective alignment means that when you add up all the activities and their results across the entire organization (vertically and horizontally), it adds up completely and does not contain any “extras” – in other words, there are not activities that spill over. In audit language that means activities and results are complete and valid.

Rapid (or agile) alignment capability provide for significant competitive advantage in the new “normal” of dynamic changes and economic uncertainty.

AXYZ logic™

AXYZ logic is a logical thinking structure inspired by dynamic systems development method (DSDM) which enables the iterative and incremental structuring of ideas, concepts and strategies into successful execution and completion. This simple logic is repeated using a simple stepped cascading technique which follows a step-and-repeat process, enables rapid translation of ideas and objectives from small to large groups of people, with prioritisation and collaboration. It is an agile method that supports continuous user/customer involvement.

The AXYZ logic therefore enables the management of the whole picture, complexity yet maintains perfect alignment towards a common purpose and goal. It assists in shaping direction from the big picture to the smallest level of details. The recursive process is easily learnt by most people and can be applied effectively for integrative thinking, such as integrated sustainability, integrated risk management and customer relationship and experience management.

Canvas

A canvas is a clean space or cloth set specifically to accommodate a painting or illustration or project an image. It can be used as a setting for a narrative or event, or as a screen on which to project one. Placing a decorative frame or panel thereon serves to divide the space of the canvas. By using it as a setting it improves the art or the act of seeing or observing to get a better view.

The openaxyz canvas is a visual template with the ability to build frames to support the display of strategy and strategy execution. It assists in being able to facilitate strategic conversations, overcome change resistance by enabling a common understanding, and serves as a visible opportunity space, inviting the capacity for action. It promotes the art of creating by stimulating visual and conceptual thinking.

Cascade

Effective strategy execution requires effective cascading of strategy. Cascading is a structured and succession of stages, processes and operations or units for translating strategic concepts into logical strategic goals and measurable activities and performance. In strategy execution it is a critical technique to shape behaviour and achieve a common understanding.  It is a disciplined and systematic ordering of activities to the right levels of work where careful attentive attention to the details is required to complete initiatives.  Effective cascading activities take into consideration the appropriate resources, accelerators, roadblocks and risks including the impact of complexities of matrix structures.

It includes the successful passing on of knowledge, and the wider the number of people who are effectively briefed and gain the required knowledge, skills and behaviours required to translate the strategic blueprints and plans,  the wider the cascading effects.

AXYZ™ logic is an easy to use cascading technique which also allows for a bubbling up of ideas and displaying interconnectedness for improved decision making. It ensures a process of effective flow where each stage is dependent on the preceding one and demonstrates visually the interconnectedness and cumulative effects. Effective information cascading results in multiple amplifiers of the message and information.

Where strategy is not cascaded properly or when there is insufficient attention on the actual cascading process, it results in a trickle of information with blocked channels of communication downward and upward. Some organizations frequently change strategies and structures, resulting in a flood of initiatives which is called “change fatigue” and paralyzes execution.

Collaboration

Collaboration is a self-referential recursive process where two or more people or organisations work together in an intersection of common goals by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus. Collaboration requires leadership and promotes innovation and communication, and aims to increase the success of teams as they engage in collaborative problem solving.  

openaxyz social collaboration software is designed to connect people to people, people to content and people to ideas and people to measurement performance so that they can work together on common objectives to achieve their goals.  It is the coordination of diverse efforts towards one similar objective.

Conceptual thinking

Conceptual thinking is a demanding type of problem solving activity requiring pattern recognition, critical thinking, insight generation, problem definition, the ability to generate theories and creative search for new ideas or solutions. It is a cognitive process of conceptualization. It includes identifying patterns or connections between situations not are not obviously related. One technique includes applying and modifying complex methods from unrelated areas.

To improve strategy execution, individuals, teams and organization hone their own and their team’s conceptual skills through applying visual thinking, and knowledge-value creation in a collaborative manner and demonstrating how to execute thereon. The visible canvas approach creates confidence in their strategic thinking and execution capabilities.

Decision making capability

Decisions making means to draw conclusions and making a choice between different options based on a position or judgement after consideration of various elements. Effective decision making results in a final choice, which should result in an action. Decision making means “ to make up your mind about something” and then to act decisively on that choice. Effective decision making capability creates certainty, confidence and is perceived as firmness of character or purpose. Not making a decision is also a decision.

Effective decision making capability means visible commitment and follow through. This includes being held accountable and tracking, monitoring progress and being able to make adjustments based on new information and choices that are discovered in the process. Business Intelligence provides the right information to the right people at the right processes and timing to enable effective decision making.

Neuroleadership research supports the fact that constant indecisiveness creates doubt and uncertainty, and is more harmful to performance than previously thought.

Deployment mastery

Deployment is the "missing link" in strategy execution. Through effective deployment, strategic intent is translated into meaningful context at the right levels of work, providing for simultaneous organizational structuring, communication and change management. Roles and responsibilities are clarified, and organizational resources are aligned towards achieving strategic objectives. The openaxyz social collaboration technology platform creates transparency and opportunities to collaborate across and outside organizational borders and boundaries.

Design Thinking

Design thinking creates unique differentiators for individuals and organizations and typically revolves around three key phases: inspiration, ideation, and implementation. During these phases, problems are framed, questions—also about questions—are asked, ideas are generated, and answers are obtained. The phases are not linear; they can take place concurrently and can also be repeated to build up ideas along the continuum of innovation. The design thinking process allows information and ideas to be organized, choices to be made, situations to be improved, and knowledge to be gained. Design thinking demands the creation of tangible and sustainable value.

Design thinking focuses on placing humans at the centre of design. It considers the anthropology of human nature, including close observation of what people actually want and how they use their tools versus that which the designer images the ideal to be. The difference between design thinking and creative thinking is that it involves rapid prototyping with users (taking ideas into implementation), is strongly human centric (designs around human nature and real needs from an anthropological and psychological perspectives), is iterative, combines intuitive and empathy with analytical thinking.

Design thinking is an emerging competency in the strategy execution domain and has the potential to reinvent strategy execution to create distinct competitive advantages.

Granularity

This is a particular term that is used to describe how small the pieces are or the extent to which we sub-divide the larger entity.  ). For example, when we compare a golf ball to a cricket ball, it is very obvious that  they are very different in size.  In other words, the granularity of a golf ball is  smaller than that of a cricket ball. However, a rugby ball and a soccer ball have similar granularity.

The second part of granularity is the logical steps into which we  increase it  from ‘coarse’ to ‘fine’. An example of increasingly fine granularity is when we make a list of all the countries in North-America, then make a list of all the states inside one  country, and then start listing all the cities in one state.

 Integration Thinking

Integration thinking is the act or instance of combining into an integral whole, of completeness. Integration is required to create sustainable financial management, human resources, strategic management and an optimized business. To produce integrative reports, the original strategy design, structuring and deployment towards execution requires an integrative method and toolset and execution architecture. It combines right and left brain thinking, divergent and convergent thinking, and synthesis and analysis. Integration thinking allows for the unique distinctiveness of different elements as well as their interrelatedness which together contribute to achieving a holistic and more sustainable solution.

openaxyz Framing

Our actions reflect what is top of mind. To achieve our outcomes successfully, we need to shift our own and others’ attention and keep it on a common purpose. The openaxyz framing techniques and the openaxyz canvas space is purposefully designed to focus and shift attention and ensure behaviour and activities align towards common purpose.  

In openaxyz we use frames to focus and create boundaries. By combining different frames together on one frame, we can see a whole picture and how it combines (or not). Combining AXYZ logic, frames are used to zoom into more details, the way we use electronic maps (for example GPS maps for navigation).  Alternatively, we can use frames to zoom outward to see less detail and focus more on the big picture. It works like Chinese boxes, which are a set of boxes of graduated size, each fitting inside the next larger box. Another metaphor is that of the layered onion or babushka nested doll principle.

 Ownership

Ownership brings the quality and responsibilities of being an owner, with exclusive rights and control. Effective decision making, accountability and responsibility for actions can only be related to that which is owned or being able to exert control over something. Being given ownership (or a mandate)  also gives powers of control, administration and authority and a mandate over a sphere of activities, concern or function.

Performance measurement

A set of observations that reduce uncertainty where the result is expressed as a quantity. Business analytics refers to the skills, technologies, applications and practices for continuous iterative exploration and investigation of past business performance to gain insight and drive business planning. It focuses on developing new insights and understanding of business performance. In contrast, business intelligence traditionally focuses on using a consistent set of metrics to both measure past performance and guide business planning.

A balanced scorecard is an example of a global best practice used to evaluate the overall performance of the business and its progress towards objectives.

Strategic Social Business Design

The purposeful application of new social collaboration software (such as used by Facebook or Twitter) and applied it in the business context of strategy design and execution. Social business design is about connecting people to people, people to content, people to ideas and people to strategy and performance management.

Strategic Conversations

Strategic conversation is a particular form of organisational conversation. Having the ability to engage in conversation that is strategic is a core skill and competency needed within organisations to help improve overall performance. It is a conversation to deepen understanding, improve thinking and therefore optimize decision making. Conversation embraces dialogue, storytelling, debate, discussion and any other styles of communication.

Strategy describes the organisation’s competitive plans that are based on inward views of resources and capabilities and outward views of potential future environment, with acknowledgement that it is dealing with human beings. Inwards, the purpose of strategy is to align and integrate the daily work of all employees around a common focused direction determined by the outward view. A strategic conversation is part of any process that creates, modifies, implements, assesses or terminates a strategy. Strategic conversations mediate the relationship between strategic planning and the successful implementation and outcomes of that planning. Strategic conversation is a facilitative condition for behavioural change, which in turn is a necessary condition for performance improvement.

Conversations that drive forward people’s performance, alters and fulfils commitments toward achieving what is possible for an organization. Clear communication creates the bandwidth for successful strategy execution. It is the process to engage and commit to strategy and achieve envisaged outcomes. It is a core skill to improve performance and goal alignment and connects strategy planning with the behaviour and activities required to achieve it.

Strategy Execution

Strategy execution can be simply stated as all the actions necessary to drive strategy to a successful outcome.  Strategy execution turns ideas and strategies into reality. Strategy execution is the translation of the strategy into manageable steps and continuous adaption of the strategy to corporate context. The strategy execution architecture is different from operational implementation and management, and most companies do not articulate nor track and measure their strategy to execution capability adequately. Other challenges are the fact that it is not taught at business schools (obviously lacking the physical context and dynamics), nor is there much practical research in the field. As a consequence it is difficult to improve or close the gap on the value lost.

Some of the critical elements of strategy execution are the communication of strategy to achieve a common understanding and therefore overcome change resistance.  Strategy Execution is emerging as a new competitive advantage with new skills and knowledge.

Strategy Execution Gap

The Strategy Execution Gap is the variance between management's strategic plans and the organization's actual execution or implementation of those plans.

Value Matrix

The Value Matrix is a structured and integrated approach to defining and communicating what value means to an organisation and/or a project. It is a framework that allows for needs, problems or opportunities to be defined; and then to review whether the initial project objectives can be improved to achieve the optimal approach and solution.

The Value Matrix approach involves three key principles:

• a continuous awareness of value for the business and/or project objectives, establishing measures or estimates of value, monitoring and controlling them,

• a focus on objectives and targets before seeking solutions,

• a focus on the purpose (or function) of the project (or subject), providing the key to maximise innovation and outcomes.

The Value Matrix stimulates new thinking to enrich Insight; it facilitates the opening up of possibilities for new sources of value and performance, resulting in Innovation; it supports building Agility in execution capability, turning ideas into action with speed and flexibility; and then, to make it all enduring and Sustainable.

Value Networks

The value network is an integrated set of social and technical resources. Value networks work together via relationships to create social goods (public goods) or economic value. This value takes the form of knowledge, concepts and other intangibles and/or financial value. Value networks exhibit interdependence. They account for the overall worth of products and services. Companies and organisations have both internal and external value networks.

Visual Thinking

Visual thinking solves the problem of communicating ideas and concepts through communicating them visually.

It is an approach to understanding, creating, and communicating to create a collection of visually-based concepts and methods. Visual thinking, picture thinking, or right brain thinking is a way of using visual processes such as images, drawing, video clips and other modes of visual and spatial learning. Visual Thinking uniquely combines thinking tools, modelling methods and a mental attitude of enquiry.

Visual thinking software and approaches stimulates strategic conversations. It demonstrates the strategic thinking and execution logic gaps, as well as enhances strategy cascading and alignment skills. Visual thinkers learn how to use pictures to communicate and create effective strategic themes and branding.