Business Review
Anchoring workplace learning in strategy and business goals.
The Big Picture
Approaches to Business Review come in various flavors. Our approach is holistic and systemic.
Holistically, work is understood to happen in a context, and the context is as important as the work itself. Systemically, work is treated as series of value streams into and out of the workplace. Both are critical insights into the nature of work.
Alignment with strategic intent begins with the strategic goals that have been adopted by the organization. Each goal is decomposed into value streams from each part of the organization. The Systems Thinking Action Learning team is thus anchored in the value production it contributes to the organization as a whole.
Business Review
Business Review is a rigorous and disciplined process for aligning workplace activity to strategic intent. There are X steps:
1. Survey Stakeholder Mindset
An intregral success factor for any effort at change is the mindset and engagement of the people who will participate. Conversations are held with a representative group to gather relevant data.
2. Build the Framework
The first session is a) a review of a Business Review, b) a review of current strategy, c) a review of current goals and measures,and d) a walk through of next steps. This establishes a baseline for measuring forward progress. About 90 minutes.
3. Comprehensive Assessment of Strategy and Value Streams
The second session examines organizational strategy and unpacks the value streams that are expected from the workgroup that is developing the Business Review. The value streams are connected to strategy, and form the basis for understanding the basic outputs that contribute to realizing strategic intent. About five hours.
4. Connection to Systems Thinking Action Learning
The third session is a primer of Systems Thinking Action Learning Teams, and the manner in which they are integrated with strategic value streams.
5. Declaring Future Possibilities
The fourth session examines the future possibilities for improvements to the value streams. These are clearly articulated "states" to which the workgroup aspires to be in terms of improving workplace performance.
6. Business Review Executive Report Dry Run
The fifth session (which takes place some time after the fourth session) is a dry run of the Business Review presentation. Presenters are identified as are the executives who will be invited to receive the Business Review. The format for the Review is designed. Presenters run through the Review and receive constructive feedback.
7. Business Review Presentation to Executives
The sixth session is the live Business Review to executives.
8. After Review Hot Wash
The seventh and last session is a rigorous assessment of comments and feedback from executives. The data compiled in this sesion is incorporated into step six prior to the next Business Review.