Directed Opportunism

A Summary of the Art of Action for the Sydney Limited WIP Society

Jason Yip@jchyip

j.c.yip@computer.orghttp://jchyip.blogspot.com

THE PROBLEM IS EXECUTION

Does your org have these problems?

“We know what we want to do but we are unable to do it.”

“We have many things happening but we’re not sure if they’re the right things.”

“We’ve done many things but we’re not sure that they’re effective.”

THE CAUSE IS ORGANISATIONAL FRICTION

“The very business of getting an organisation 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

A lot of things cause friction

Friction creates gaps

Our plans are imperfect because we lack knowledge

OutcomePlan

What we actually know What we’d like to know

Knowledge Gap

Our actions don’t match our plans because it’s so difficult to align everyone who needs to act

PlanAction

What people actually do What we want people to do

Alignment Gap

The effects of our actions may not be what we want because the environment is non-linear and unpredictable

OutcomeAction

What we actually achieve What we hope to achieve

Effects Gap

THE SOLUTION IS DIRECTED OPPORTUNISM

The usual (and wrong) response

Specifying too much detail creates confusion when the situation demands one thing while the instructions say another

The right response

In plain English...

1. Decide what really matters2. Get the message across3. Give people space and support

STRATEGY AS INTENT TO ADDRESS THE KNOWLEDGE GAP

“Rather than a plan, a strategy is a framework for decision making. It is an original choice about direction, which enables subsequent choices about action.”

Stephen Bungay

“A strategy enables people to reflect on activity and provides rationale for deciding what to do next.”

Stephen Bungay

Good strategy is realistic and coherent

Strategy versus leadership

Leadership is a moral activity involving relating to people and generating emotional commitment

Strategy is an intellectual activity involving discerning facts and applying rationality

“Even if our destination is unclear, we need some sense of the end-state to be achieved which gives our current actions a purpose…even if the current situation is volatile, we need to decide what to do next in order to get into a better position than we are in the present.”

Stephen Bungay

Strategy is not “what are the components of the problem?” but “what is the core of the problem?”

BRIEFING AND BACK-BRIEFING TO ADDRESS THE ALIGNMENT GAP

The purpose of briefing is to enable people to act independently

Instructions should contain all, but also only, what people cannot determine for themselves to achieve a particular purpose

As long as higher intention is made clear, individual initiative can be relied on to adjust actions according to the situation

The more alignment you have, the more autonomy you can grant

Intent vs Autonomy

Express intent in terms of what to achieve and why

Grant autonomy in terms of what to do and how to realise the intent

Elements of a briefing

1. An account of the situation2. A short statement of overall intent3. Extrapolation of specific tasks implied by

the intent4. Any further guidance about boundaries

1. Account of the situation

Essential features of the situation which are relevant to the action to be taken● State of knowledge: what is known, what is

probable but uncertain, what is unknown but could be relevant

● What are the implications for what the organisation has to do

● End-state, if this is distant

2. Short statement of overall intent

What we need to achieve now and why. The main effort.

The Spice Girls directive...

“So tell me what you want, what you really, really want”

3. Extrapolation of specific tasks implied by the intent

Responsibilities, themes, and priorities for the next level of the organisation.

4. Any further guidance about boundaries

● Constraints● Future decisions to be taken● Anti-goals (“whatever you do, don’t allow

this to happen”)

Translating intent

FREEDOM TO ADJUST ACTION TO ADDRESS THE EFFECTS GAP

Freedom of action in organisations is mostly determined by structure and policy

Structure only works if it encompasses appropriate decision rights and responsibilities

Can the person or group with the best knowledge and expertise in any given area act in a timely manner without asking for permission?

Specifying boundaries is like marking out a minefield. If mines are known or rumoured to exist but are unmarked, people will not advance.

When boundaries are unclear most people will not explore, but rather keep their head down and play it safe. Stepping over invisible boundaries invites punishment.

“...people’s convictions tend to correlate with their interests. Their interests are largely determined by the structure and the compensation system.”

Stephen Bungay

“The more objectives someone has, the harder it is for them to focus on what really matters and the more their freedom of action is constrained.”

Stephen Bungay

“Dispensing money and medals is part of corporate body language. It reveals what is really valued, whatever people say.”

Stephen Bungay

The ultimate judgement of performance should be about the fulfillment of intent

SUMMARY

Summary

● We are finite beings with limited knowledge and independent wills

● The business environment is unpredictable and uncertain, so we should expect the unexpected and should not plan beyond circumstances we can foresee

Summary (cont.)

● Within the constraints of our limited knowledge we should strive to identify the essentials of a situation and make choices about what it is most important to achieve

● To allow people to take effective action, we must make sure they understand what they are to achieve and why

Summary (cont.)

● Everyone must have the skills and resources to do what is needed and the space to take independent decisions and actions when the unexpected occurs, as it will

● As the situation changes, everyone should be expected to adapt their actions according to their best judgment in order to achieve the intended outcomes

Summary (cont.)

● People will only show the level of initiative required if they believe the organisation will support them

Directed Opportunism

Images

● https://flic.kr/p/6ZwuPm● https://flic.kr/p/m4tfVT● https://flic.kr/p/4jkjyF● https://flic.kr/p/bD7Rn