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Page 1: Directed Opportunism: A summary of The Art of Action for the Sydney Limited WIP Society

Directed Opportunism

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

Jason Yip@jchyip

[email protected]://jchyip.blogspot.com

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THE PROBLEM IS EXECUTION

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Does your org have these problems?

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

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

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

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THE CAUSE IS ORGANISATIONAL FRICTION

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“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

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A lot of things cause friction

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Friction creates gaps

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Our plans are imperfect because we lack knowledge

OutcomePlan

What we actually know What we’d like to know

Knowledge Gap

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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

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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

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THE SOLUTION IS DIRECTED OPPORTUNISM

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The usual (and wrong) response

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

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The right response

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In plain English...

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

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STRATEGY AS INTENT TO ADDRESS THE KNOWLEDGE GAP

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“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

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

Stephen Bungay

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Good strategy is realistic and coherent

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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

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“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

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

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BRIEFING AND BACK-BRIEFING TO ADDRESS THE ALIGNMENT GAP

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The purpose of briefing is to enable people to act independently

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

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

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

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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

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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

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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

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2. Short statement of overall intent

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

The Spice Girls directive...

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

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3. Extrapolation of specific tasks implied by the intent

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

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4. Any further guidance about boundaries

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

this to happen”)

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Translating intent

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FREEDOM TO ADJUST ACTION TO ADDRESS THE EFFECTS GAP

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

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Structure only works if it encompasses appropriate decision rights and responsibilities

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

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

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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.

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

Stephen Bungay

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“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

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

Stephen Bungay

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

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SUMMARY

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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

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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

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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

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Summary (cont.)

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

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Directed Opportunism

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Images

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