The principles for speed
| # | Principle | Benefit | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Provide a structure for priorities, resource balancing, and follow-up (part of the organisation’s infrastructure) | Secure alignment, resources, success factors | Routines and forum for evaluation of initiative scope, relevance and readiness plus priorities and resource availability. Follow-up of progress and benefits realisation |
| 2 | Break down the project/initiative work tasks into smaller iterations | Reduce complexity, create continuous flow, enable change of direction | For example, no initiatives with less than 1 month or more than 6 months of lead time – and all with useable output |
| 3 | Use empowered, cross-functional, self-organised, and collaborative teams | Quick anchoring and decisions, continuous improvement, access to knowledge | Empowered: fully delegated decision mandate and trust (without any need for escalation). Cross-function includes external functions |
| 4 | Base the team on motivated individuals with full focus, availability, and mandate | Accelerate the pace of the process change | Motivated: self-motivated, passionate people. Availability is key, strive for 100% availability to get speed (no context swapping) |
| 5 | Apply methods and tools that facilitate speed without sacrificing quality | Deliver value quickly – while safeguarding quality of the outcome | Use tools from a well-proven toolbox and secure skills to use appropriate tools |
| 6 | Share experience openly to develop individual/community knowledge | Provide instant access to relevant knowledge | Establish and provide a structure for collecting and spreading knowledge (e.g. community of practices) |
| 7 | Work in fast iterations with agreed vision and goals; days or weeks rather than months | Deliver value quickly | Deliver and implement small viable outputs to start immediate harvesting of some benefits |
| 8 | Keep the work and the output simple, avoid any type of wasted effort | Focus effort on value for the customer | Question all work efforts and outputs based on value for customer (internal and external), make it “good enough” |
| 9 | Capture customer and stakeholder feedback for refinement – start in early stages | Value for the customer and right from the start | Involve customers and stakeholders (internal/external) early and frequently to improve value and avoid wasted effort |
| 10 | Respond to change, adapt the iteration plan based on new understanding | Deliver value quickly | Listen to customer feedback and adapt accordingly to maximise value |
| 11 | Communicate transparently in short daily team meetings | Speed of internal communication, avoid wasted effort | Keep all team members updated, despite the high pace, to maintain momentum |
| 12 | Communicate regularly and transparently to all stakeholders concerned | Secure speed of implementation and quality assurance | Change management starts on day one, make sure everyone is aware (why, what, when, where, how, who), such as open sessions |
| 13 | Success is measured as improvements implemented in operations | Focus on speed of value and benefits realisation | Take responsibility of the benefits realisation – an improvement has no value until implemented |
| 14 | Secure post-project coaching to drive and secure the new way of working | Secure quick and sustainable benefits realisation | Establish support for business operations until the new way of working is ingrained in daily work |
| # | Principle | Benefit | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Provide a structure for priorities, resource balancing, and follow-up (part of the organisation’s infrastructure) | Secure alignment, resources, success factors | Routines and forum for evaluation of initiative scope, relevance and readiness plus priorities and resource availability. Follow-up of progress and benefits realisation |
| 2 | Break down the project/initiative work tasks into smaller iterations | Reduce complexity, create continuous flow, enable change of direction | For example, no initiatives with less than 1 month or more than 6 months of lead time – and all with useable output |
| 3 | Use empowered, cross-functional, self-organised, and collaborative teams | Quick anchoring and decisions, continuous improvement, access to knowledge | Empowered: fully delegated decision mandate and trust (without any need for escalation). Cross-function includes external functions |
| 4 | Base the team on motivated individuals with full focus, availability, and mandate | Accelerate the pace of the process change | Motivated: self-motivated, passionate people. Availability is key, strive for 100% availability to get speed (no context swapping) |
| 5 | Apply methods and tools that facilitate speed without sacrificing quality | Deliver value quickly – while safeguarding quality of the outcome | Use tools from a well-proven toolbox and secure skills to use appropriate tools |
| 6 | Share experience openly to develop individual/community knowledge | Provide instant access to relevant knowledge | Establish and provide a structure for collecting and spreading knowledge (e.g. community of practices) |
| 7 | Work in fast iterations with agreed vision and goals; days or weeks rather than months | Deliver value quickly | Deliver and implement small viable outputs to start immediate harvesting of some benefits |
| 8 | Keep the work and the output simple, avoid any type of wasted effort | Focus effort on value for the customer | Question all work efforts and outputs based on value for customer (internal and external), make it “good enough” |
| 9 | Capture customer and stakeholder feedback for refinement – start in early stages | Value for the customer and right from the start | Involve customers and stakeholders (internal/external) early and frequently to improve value and avoid wasted effort |
| 10 | Respond to change, adapt the iteration plan based on new understanding | Deliver value quickly | Listen to customer feedback and adapt accordingly to maximise value |
| 11 | Communicate transparently in short daily team meetings | Speed of internal communication, avoid wasted effort | Keep all team members updated, despite the high pace, to maintain momentum |
| 12 | Communicate regularly and transparently to all stakeholders concerned | Secure speed of implementation and quality assurance | Change management starts on day one, make sure everyone is aware (why, what, when, where, how, who), such as open sessions |
| 13 | Success is measured as improvements implemented in operations | Focus on speed of value and benefits realisation | Take responsibility of the benefits realisation – an improvement has no value until implemented |
| 14 | Secure post-project coaching to drive and secure the new way of working | Secure quick and sustainable benefits realisation | Establish support for business operations until the new way of working is ingrained in daily work |
Source(s): Authors’ own work, based on Kotter (2014)
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