Late in 2023, I wrote a series of blogs on my experiences implementing Business Operating Systems (BOS) and how their elements can combine to ensure alignment and performance with the organization’s strategy at every level.
Between some of the training material I’ve developed over the years and many of these articles and blogs, I've started to call this framework “ABCDE.” Yes, imagination has never been my strong point. :) There isn’t much simpler and more recognizable in this world than in the alphabet. It’s a foundation and building block as we learn as babies and toddlers. I view a BOS as a fundamental building block as an organization grows and matures as well. In this case, A B(usiness Operating System) - C(reation), D(eployment), E(xecution) establishes the alignment and structure for an organization to grow and be successful. It is overseen and governed by its purpose and core values. At the innermost core is Drs. Shewhart and Deming’s PDSA or PDCA cycles that apply to every aspect of a business to achieve improvement and learning/self-discovery.
Over the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to delve more into what I consider the Deployment and Execution phases of a BOS. These phases occur after Strategy Creation, when decisions and choices on the company's direction, typically for the next 3-10 years, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter, based on the rate of change in the specific industry, are established.
Over the next few articles, I will explore these two phases in more detail than in 2023. I will share my experiences, insights, and some methodologies I’ve successfully used (many are hybrids from very traditional frameworks) in approaching the deployment and execution of strategy across organizations. I believe there will be some valuable takeaways and learnings from many of these approaches.
Yet, before we get into the meat of the articles, some key preparatory work needs to be done first for those who are leading organizations.
Start with Strategy Creation: Setting the Foundation
Every successful deployment and execution phase starts with a clearly articulated strategy. Identify and make the key decisions regarding product, market, offerings, and differentiation from your competitors. Numerous frameworks and tools provoke this ideation amongst the senior leadership. Don’t be afraid to seek input from others inside or outside the organization. Once these decisions are made, clearly identify the outcome (or ideal state) of those decisions. What should the company look like in the next five years? Ultimately, we know that, given the fast pace of today’s economy and environment, five years might be a long time to look out for. Try! If there is a need to readjust, do so. At least go into the process with your eyes wide open about what you believe is the best thing to do, given the current environment and market.
As others have already written far more than I could on the various strategic frameworks, I'll leave that for now as my input on the Creation phase. Reach out if you have further questions, although my focus in this series will remain on Deployment and Execution.
Next, I'll begin diving into the deployment phase of a BOS, which involves making the strategy clear, relatable, and measurable to the entire organization. I will discuss goals, objectives, Balanced Scorecards, OKRs, KPIs, and all the accompanying communication streams.
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