Over many years I’ve come to understand that, in terms of its ability to perform, a business can be modeled as a number of layers. Since each ‘layer’ is built on top of the layer below, and so can be best represented as a pyramid.
Tools
— Processes —
— Culture —
— Structure —
— Purpose —
The more secure each layer is, the stronger and more resilient our pyramid becomes. However, that means the converse is also true – if we have weakness in any layer(s), the parts of the Pyramid above that weak point is in jeopardy. (Please bear with me – I’ll discuss the layers themselves and the reasons for the order in another post).
So there we have it, a pyramid, a nice strong solid structure.
Sadly, for many of us what we see is not so much a safe and strong pyramid, but more of an iceberg with dangers lurking below the surface.
Why is that?
As humans, and particularly humans under pressure – pressure to deliver, pressure to change, etc. – we tend to only see the more tangible elements. Unfortunately the further up the pyramid, the more tangible elements become, and so we become distracted by the Tools – ‘the tip of the iceberg’ – and we don’t even notice those layers below the waterline.
So how does that impact on us? Again as we are human, we’re programmed to always look for shortcuts. Because we only see the more tangible elements, we focus on these. This typically leads to the following types of rationale: Competitor XYZ is very Agile, they use JIRA, so if we use JIRA, we’ll be Agile too’; ‘Competitor QRS uses the ACME system on their production line, if we buy the ACME system we’ll get the same results’.
Unfortunately all too often this perspective results in a ‘tail wagging the dog’ scenario. Tools – which intended to make it easier for us to accomplish our goals – end up forcing us to change our goals. Our desired Processes are forced to change because of the capabilities/limitations of the selected Tools, rather than being Processes that are designed to help fulfill our Purpose, or match our Culture.
Also, by taking this easier option we ignore any weaknesses that might be hiding at the lower levels. This makes it easier for us to avoid what are often the harder choices – like adopting a servant-leadership culture, or an ‘end to end’ organisational structure – and lets us stay in our comfortable but outdated management hierarchies and functional silos.
And what is the result?
In my experience, the end result of what seems like the cheapest and safest option – building the pyramid from the top down – ends up being the most expensive. This is because day after day, time after time, we spend so much time and effort so much time shoring up an inherently unstable pyramid. We spend more time managing the resultant dependencies and workarounds than we do in productive work. What we should really do is to bite the bullet and start with the more difficult but more impactful decisions at the lower levels of the pyramid. Investing time here let’s us create a more secure structure that will continue to support us in moving towards our goals..
So my advice to those on a transformation journey, look out for the dangers hiding below the waterline, and don’t let your organisation become the next Titanic.