3 Comments
Jul 26Liked by John Cutler

My company has a lot of D right now. There are some accounts with project managers who focus on of the C work and therefore are viewed as burdens most of the time.

What stood out most though, was what I’ve witnessed in the past when companies try to transform their processes and hire an outside consultancy. Traditional consultants who are brought in solely for transformation inadvertently create C and D that never goes away. Especially if they sell sAFE or some other trendy method without digging deep into the actual problems to solve. Executives want results and many consultant agencies default to translating it in order to show progress. If there isn’t a conscious effort to remove C or D prior to them leaving, the transformation is viewed as too hard to continue in their absence. Or the org is left in worse shape than before they were brought in.

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This is a great model and well laid out with A, B, C, D, E. Thanks for discussing a topic which exists in many organizations and is difficult to articulate. Also, can you provide a reference for A&B from Senge, Argyris, or Mintzberg? I couldn't find a strong reference for formal vs reality, but I believe it! :)

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Senge: The Fifth Discipline

... explores gap between formal processes and actual practices

Argyris / Schön: Organizational Learning: A Theory of Action Perspective

... espoused theories and theories in use

Mintzberg: The Nature of Managerial Work

.... realities of managerial work and the informal roles and routines that emerge, contrasting them with the formal organizational structures and processes.

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