Commit to Create a New Way

Notes

from the Journey

Notes: 00-L09

by Angela M. Remedios | Mar 4, 2021 | 00 Big Vision

As a business or community grows, its standards from long ago cease to match current values, and it must commit to create a new way. Values and goals must be realigned, and products or services updated. But there is much more.

How a business or community operates and makes decisions is also aligned to its standards, so these must also be updated. All of this adds up to a comprehensive change — and that needs future thinking and true commitment.

For Example

Several communities have had inadequate public services for decades. Two government ministries commit to create a new way, and one funds an initiative to address the problems. Their plan falls short of what must be done, but they improve it as they go.

LEVEL

BUSINESS (non-profit, public)

A non-profit agency is funded to develop a new service, and it solves many historic problems for the communities. It designs the service to achieve the standards. Now the agency needs a new model for quality control, but the budget only covers the service itself.

LEVEL

BUSINESS (profit, public)

A business is hired to develop an IT system for the service, with a data model that opens up new frontiers for decision-making. They discover that they also need a new system for assessing and referring the data to leadership and government for decision-making.

LEVEL

WORLD (public)

The government ministry that funded the initiative did so for the data. It wants to see where other services are deficient, to repair that for the community. But the work is much more complex than it appeared, so the ministry extends the plan to 8 years.

LEVEL

WORLD (public)

The second government ministry takes on the task of raising funding for the added activities. This involves proving the specific results, making the case for benefits gained, and finding others to champion the cause. This becomes an on-going effort.

Commit to Create a New Way

The examples above show how changing from old to new standards is a complex initiative that cannot be predicted at the start. When we commit to create a new way, we must also be willing to adapt and redefine our course as needed to succeed.

The following bullets outline how the initiative could be carried out:

Visions 1 to 3

Develop the new service, and then assess next steps:

0• History Align our perspectives and commit to create a new way

1• Vision 1 Design the new service, its systems and other needs

2• Vision 2 Test and refine the service, systems and other needs

3• Vision 3 Check specific results and standards, assess next steps

Our goal is to design and refine the service, confirm that standards achieve the specific results, and identify needs for next phase.

Visions 4 to 6

Develop new ways to manage and maintain the service to its standard:

4• Vision 4 Design operating and leadership models and systems

5• Vision 5 Refine all new models and systems, expand the service

6• Vision 6 Prove specific results, accelerate expansion

Our goal is to design, refine and establish new operating and decision-making models that keep the new service on target.

Visions 7 to Beyond

Develop benchmarks for consistency of the new service and standards:

7• Vision 7 Continue expansion to the scale needed

8• Vision 8 Check and prove specific results, set benchmarks

9• Visions Beyond Find more funding, add more services

10• Big Vision All parts of the service are aiming for specific results

Our goal is to maintain consistent service at the new standard for long term, and for additional services.

Each Vision can be any duration. We have used one year per Vision over 8 years of funding. We do not run the Visions concurrently because each one makes decisions that every Vision after them depends upon. But we can work iteratively within each Vision.

In the Examples

The examples are based on several real world initiatives. Each developed from 3 to 20 innovative services. They set new standards, addressed many historical issues and deficiencies, and produced outstanding results. All won acclaim or awards.

The initial plan for every initiative started small, then was quickly reassessed as a larger need. All participants collaborated to upgrade the plan, and find the resources and funding needed. They adapted to stay on target to what mattered most, and so achieved a new way.

Check List and Score Card

Check List section 2 Refine reviews if you “Achieve What Matters” (just above Question 7). Make sure that each of your Visions build or achieve what matters, and that at least one achieves what matters most.

Score Card section 1 Assess sums up your Self Assessment and shows the app Score for Questions 1 to 10. Your app Score measures the consistency of your answers in the Work Tool and Check List, and provides feedback.

Task To Do | WEEK 9

LEVEL

BUSINESS

LEVEL

WORLD

Think of a product or service that no longer matches the values or standards of society today. Reflect on what it means to commit to create a new way for this product or service. Then use your Work Tool and Check List to develop Visions 1 to 3, or Visions 4 to 6.

TIPS for Tasks

Why do we commit to create a new way? Because we will not reach a better life, business, community or society if we do not complete and maintain the transformation from old to new. If we fall short, we will fall back to what we had before.

So we must set up measures to make sure we stay on track to our new standards. Reflect on this when working on the Task To Do. What must you do with a new product, service, or how it is managed, to ensure that it will uphold the new standards?

If you are making leadership or funding decisions, how will you make sure your initiative can improve as needed? Do not assume that the initial plan is enough to achieve the specific results. Assume that you will discover major deficiencies that prevent success.

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