The Challenge Reality of today is that approximately 80% of work is executed by external companies. Therefore 80% of your information sits outside of your company. Our ability to innovate becomes more and more depended on our integration skills with internal as external partners. Innovation can only happen when we focus on there where the information sits. This links to our control frameworks and the impact on the Empowerment equation. Empowerment is based on putting decisions there where the information sits. Meaning that most innovation can only be realised outside of your own direct control. To realise innovation, we become more and more depend on our ability to work across organisational boundaries. Like many, I work in a tremendously complex matrix organisation. Recognising that we operate in tremendous complex organisations, matrixes, Joint Ventures, with all kinds of legislative boundaries as anti-competition laws, IP rights, internal power struggles etc.... My experience is that we are predominately hierarchal organised, focussed and drive conversations up and down instead of purpose driven, across organisations and value chains. Therefore the key challenge to address, is Why do we differentiate Internal vs External partnering, if we know that our future depends on our ability to innovate? A Solution The solution sits in how we align our behaviours towards dealing with internal as external stakeholders. In my view it would help if we Stop differentiating Internal vs External partnering. The behaviours of collaboration, and innovation is based on driving an outcome on mutual trust amongst Channel and Network members. We should start wit recognising the value of doing business doesn't differ internally as externally. As an example: a non functioning IT solution, delivered internally is not better then a non functioning IT solution delivered from an external company. Why would we show a different behaviour Internally vs Externally. Innovative networks will not come from internal partnering but how we collectively show up, driving a different culture and behaviour across the network nodes. Empower those that have the information and therefore going beyond organisational boundaries is a key element for success. To unlock this value, organisations require other behavioural imperatives: like a Collaboration mindset, the Courage to Empower, Trust beyond own control and the ability to drive innovation where the information sits. Most likely this requires a different recruiting approach not solely on the technical capability but more focussed on the above mentioned behavioural imperatives. Concepts as best resources to task, become more fluid without differentiating internal vs. external capability, driving simplification on behaviours and a more inclusive culture. The application of above will drive new and agile ways of working that go beyond organisational boundaries and across excelling networks. A food for thought piece, looking forward to hear alternative views.
How to make culture tangible? A reflection after energetic session organised by Möbius
This week I joined the Gattorna alignment thought leadership session for the third time. A get together of handpicked individuals. A great session with deepening explanations on the Gattona trademarked framework. Openly sharing learnings and best practices in light of the latest trends and updates to the concept frameworks established by Gattorna alignment. My interest and thinking in the area of alignment has been triggered by John Gattorna and his conceptual frameworks, since I got in contact early 2007. From there I started to put these in practice, building up empirical evidence and learnings on the frameworks. Truly leveraging on it in my own journey, whilst climbing the corporate ladder in Shell. John is a great inspiration on the frameworks of Dynamic Alignment and Debb on the associated analytics and insights, that go hand in hand. I'm confident that sharing the insights will helps us all to become true advocates of the alignment model. As an individual with deep interest of my own, I however do think that we need to go beyond the supply chain angle and build further on the value chain as earlier lectured at MIT. From where we can enhance the thinking with all the latest insights. This would position the thinking at the board level and truly drive the required changes we need ! A final note on the customer alignment, it does not limited itself to the external world outside of the organisation, but when applied within the organisation it unlocks a wealth of insights and value. As most customers sit internally within our own organisations. getting this right will allow us to serve the external customers even better… Looking forward to comments, thanks to John and Debb to spark my interest in the concepts of dynamic alignment TM. Your frameworks are game changers and we as business community have a lot to give back to enhance the frameworks even further. @network in practise. A big thank you to both of you and those contributing! Recommended read: Gattorna, John; Dynamic Supply Chains : How to design, build and manage people-centric value networks, 3rd Edition
Today we celebrate the go-live of the DynamicValueChain.com website and the associated Blog. This blog services to spark discussion with the aim to deepen the thinking on how sustainable transformation can be achieved by addressing key elements of the Dynamic Value Chain. People | Behaviour | Culture | Thought Leadership | Customers | Strategy | Suppliers With the Ultimate aim to further define the concepts around Dynamic Value Chain thinking. All to be realized by meeting of minds in a collaborative setting with a passion for the concept and drive for enhancing the thinking around it.