How can we reduce waste and increase productivity? How can we manage change in a way that is organized and predictable? Stream Theory provides tools for a more effective change management, starting with an "Enterprise Focus Wave".
Focus Wave is a new way of viewing change in an organization. It improves decision-making abilities of management, giving a much needed strategic prioritization tool. It helps you proactively plan how you want to change over time and serves as a common ground with other stakeholders. You can accelerate or slow down change. You can shorten the duration or extend it. You have control over the rhythm of change.
This control is achieved by giving executive management a starting decision point with two available change options: Transformation and Continuous Improvement. Each option differs in its objectives and methods of planning, but both are the same in execution. They each bring a suite of tools that contribute to the overall change management framework. Focus Wave helps set a common enterprise-wide goal of either growth or stabilization. These goals alternate over time with executive team's objective of stabilizing this rhythm and managing it efficiently.
Strategic Transformation is like surgery, it requires focus, precision and team-wide commitment. Only such closely coordinated effort can deliver the desired speed and quality of work. A Strategic Roadmap is an effective solution that helps connect all parts of the system towards a common goal.
Continuous Improvement is like physical therapy, it requires steady focus on regular routines, on daily tasks. It demands agility. These Agile ceremonies are well known and are common across the landscape. Their common challenge, though, is connection and prioritization at an enterprise level. Components of other methodologies, such as Theory of Constraints, add key missing ingredients. A Scheduled Continuous Improvement Backlog is one tool that can aid you in prioritizing work.
Both change types are common in one thing - execution. Daily Standups and Bi-weekly Sprints, with key ceremonies in place, as needed, are ideal for any type of project. They effectively serve as the "heart beat" of the business. Sprints can be broken down into Operational and Executive, with further categorization as needed.