Recasting a Corporate Workplan Using Systems Models

My experience about the work-planning process through many years leading Strategy Teams has been mostly about parcelling out work in a divide-and-conquer manner. The CEO gives some broad annual guidance, Finance provides a budget forecast based on historical data, and the strategic imperatives for the new fiscal year are laid out. Then, the line divisions prepare and present a list of initiatives that supposedly contribute to these imperatives and justify their budget requests.

This method usually works in stable environments where work-planning objectives are incremental and part of a longer 5-year plan. However, it might fall short in managing transformation efforts that require new systemic structures due to the merging or dissolving of functional areas within the organization.

That's where Systems Thinking might come in handy. I believe the proper use of systems models can provide a holistic advantage; and recasting workplans can better align initiatives, identify gaps and reduce overlaps. When we consider that Systems Thinking is an approach to problem-solving that views "problems" as parts of a unified whole, interconnections within the system become important – and we are able to denote them correctly as System-to-System, Sub-System to Sub-System, or Component-to-Component.

Recasting the Workplan

The Workplan Recasting effort starts with 'taking apart' the current work streams not along the Divisions’ lines of work, but from an overall organizational perspective. The leaders participating in this exercise have already been trained with the fundamentals of Systems Thinking tools. This might involve applying the systems concepts to model from current reality to its desired future reality through its articulated Theory of Success as follows:

1. Align and Select Tools/Models: Selecting the appropriate Systems models and frameworks to guide the recasting process.
2. Apply Systems Thinking Practices: Re-work existing work streams of the workplan as layers of interaction across nested hierarchies for each strategy.
3. Identify Interconnectedness: Understand how various initiatives are interconnected and the causal loops that would guide the attainment of results.
4. Identify Gaps and Overlaps: Detect any gaps and overlaps in the initiatives to optimize efforts and for sharper budgetary purposes.

Specifically, organisations can consider using these steps to guide the recasting efforts using suitable systems models as follows:

Step 1: Articulate Vision and Current Reality We started by clearly defining the vision and the current reality of the organization. This involves understanding the structural gap between where the organisation is and where it wants to be. This step helps in identifying the key challenges and opportunities.

Step 2: Recast Workplan as a Nested Hierarchy of Choices Next, we recast the workplan as a nested hierarchy of choices to ensure that decisions at every level are aligned and relevant. This helps in clarifying the strategic intent, identifying responsibilities, and surfacing gaps and duplications, enabling better resource allocation and prioritization.

Step 3: Cluster Use Cases and Prioritize Challenge Statements We then clustered the use cases and prioritized the top three challenge statements that need to be addressed. This focuses the efforts on the most critical issues and ensures that resources are used effectively.

Step 4: Work on Chosen Challenge Statements The selected challenge statements are put through using the Levels of Perspective ‘Walk-Up’ framework to surface and test mental models for diagnosis. This helps in understanding the underlying assumptions and beliefs that drive current behaviors and outcomes.

Step 5: Create a Theory of Success We developed a Theory of Success that identifies the key levers at higher leverage for achieving the desired outcomes from Key Success Factors. This provides a clear roadmap for action and helps in aligning efforts across the organization.

Step 6: Co-Create a Walk-Down of the Levels of Perspective Finally, we collaborated with stakeholders to create a Walk-Down of the Levels of Perspective. This step aligns the challenge statement and diagnosis with a related growth strategy, ensuring that all efforts are coherent and strategic.

Conclusion

By integrating Systems Thinking into the recasting of its workplan, organisations may achieve a more cohesive, efficient, and effective approach to its initiatives. The workplan remains central in execution but is now reinforced and streamlined for internal alignment in ways that were not possible before overlaying the Systems perspectives. Additionally, implementing a coaching reinforcement can ensure these practices are deeply embedded within the organization, leading to sustained transformation and growth.

Coach Tom is an Official Member of the Forbes Coaches Council (2024). Check out the various articles by #CoachTom on AI+Web3, leadership, organization transformation, strategy. Check out his YouTube and stay updated on his exciting projects at:

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