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Progress

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How can we build systems where making meaningful progress is more reliably predictable?

first principles of flow

Perfect Your Pitch​

PictureQuestionConviction
Value SystemWhat is most important??/10
Problem and PerspectiveWaste? Where is Unnecessary Friction??/10
Purpose and PotentialNext Leap? Stretch your Imagination?/10
Product and PerformancePositioning? Combine Demand Driven Sales with Outcome Driven Design?/10
Platform and ProcessFoundations? Tightly Integrated Assets and Proprietary Tech for Flow of Production to Distribution?/10
People and PersuasionCulture? Win from the inside out?/10
Predictions and PrioritiesFuture Opportunity? Capital, Risk, Growth, Forecast Profit?/10
Mantra

The best way to make progress is to focus on helping someone else

Chart a Path​

Start with a clear picture of desired outcomes and work backwards to picture overcoming obstacles on the critical path to success.

  1. Define Success: Clarify your expectations using an Outcome Map. This helps align the team and stakeholders on the goal and contributing factors.
  2. Visualize the value stream: Create Value Stream Maps to visualize and measure the current, ideal, and target state workflows. This helps identify constraints and prioritize opportunities.
  3. Map dependencies: Use a Dependency Map to identify external factors affecting the team's performance and target dependencies to break or mitigate.
  4. Assess team capabilities: Create a Capability Map to understand internal factors affecting performance and identify areas for skill development or resource allocation.
  5. Prioritize improvements: Use the insights from all maps to create a prioritized list of initiatives, considering factors like impact and effort.
  6. Involve key stakeholders: Include representatives from all parts of the value stream in the mapping process to ensure diverse perspectives.
  7. Use collaborative tools: Leverage shared visual board tools for real-time collaboration during mapping sessions.
  8. Iterate regularly: Repeat the mapping process every 3-6 months to reassess progress and set new targets.
  9. Focus on qualitative measurement: Remember that qualitative measurement is often more valuable than purely quantitative metrics.
  10. Consider external facilitation: A skilled, outside facilitator can bring unbiased perspective and efficiency to the mapping process.
  11. Start with estimates: When beginning, relative measurements and team estimates are often sufficient to identify major bottlenecks and opportunities.
  12. Communicate visually: Use maps and visual representations to share understanding across different levels and departments in the organization.
  13. Connect improvements to outcomes: Ensure that all improvement efforts are clearly linked to the desired outcome defined in the Outcome Map.
The Heroes Journey

Journey's need accurate maps and forecasts to ensure successful navigation.