Picturing Foundation

Posted on by Mike Burrows

“At every scope and scale, developing strategy together, pursuing strategy together, (agreement on) outcomes before solutions“

Last week I shared a picture (above), around which I built a new talk on Right to Left (the title of my 2019 book and 2020 audiobook). Not only did I enjoy bringing Right to Left up to date, I have now incorporated the picture into the deck for Leading with Outcomes: Foundation. I had the chance to test it today in session 1 of Train-the-Trainer / Facilitator (TTT/F).

Beginning with those words again, expanded slightly for emphasis, here is Foundation in overview:

“At every scope and scale, developing strategy together, pursuing strategy together, outcomes before solutions – agreement on outcomes before solutions” – all of which we’ll be practising today.

In Chapter 1, we’ll be getting familiar with the conversational pattern central to Leading with Outcomes, namely the IdOO (“I do”) pattern. We’ll be using it to begin our exploration of leadership and strategy, and afterwards we’ll take the pattern apart and put it back together again. What does each part do? What if we skipped them? What if we overdid them?

Don’t take Chapter 2’s enigmatic title too seriously (one of these days I will change it); what we’ll be doing here is to develop some strategy. Using that IdOO pattern again of course, but this time establishing context beforehand (establishing some common ground for our conversation) and organising the results of our conversations afterwards (it would be a shame to let it all go to waste).

In Chapter 3 we’ll move into pursuing strategy. We’ll learn another pattern – Meaning, Measure, Method, a great way to generate the solution ideas our strategy needs – and we’ll look at how we sustain the process. Often that is the hardest part, and we’ll begin with that. Lack of confidence in the process can be a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, so we’ll be nipping that one in the bud right away.

So that’s Foundation, and it’s aptly named. You’ll see those patterns in every module and every workshop we do. The principles of outcome-orientation that we make explicit all the way through Foundation underpin all our other work. And they’re highly effective! Whatever their level of experience or scope, any leader can learn to lead with outcomes. You can learn to lead with outcomes!

Once again now: “At every scope and scale, developing strategy together, pursuing strategy together, (agreement on) outcomes before solutions“

While we’re here, some quick updates:

In chronological order:

  • Although the recording of last week’s Right to Left session isn’t yet available, the one for my webinar session yesterday with special guest Klaus Leopold already is. Together with references, slides (unused, but hey, why waste them), and other goodies, find it here. The next webinar/AMA in the series will be on June 6th.
  • It’s not in the calendar yet, but late afternoon (UK time) on June 8th I’ll be giving the next iteration of the rapidly-evolving talk Between spaces, scopes, and scales: What the scaling frameworks don’t tell you. Also not yet in the calendar, the same talk on July 6th, this time in person in Nottingham, UK.
  • Too often known as “The June event”, the thing happening June 20th-22nd and also in Melbourne in October badly needs a snappier name! Answers on a postcard please (actually LinkedIn), discount coupons for all contributors

Leading with Outcomes from the Agendashift Academy
“Leadership and strategy in the transforming organisation”

Leading with Outcomes is our modular curriculum in leadership and organisation development. Each module is available as self-paced online training or as private, instructor-led training (online or in-person). Certificates of completion or participation according to format. Its four modules in the recommended order:

  1. Leading with Outcomes: Foundation
  2. Inside-out Strategy: Fit for maximum impact
  3. Outside-in Strategy: Positioned for success
  4. Adaptive Organisation: Business agility at every scale (parts I and II, a certificate for each)

Individual subscriptions from £24.50 per month, business subscriptions from £269 per month, with discounts available on both kinds of plan for employees and employers in the government, healthcare, education, and non-profit sectors.

For public training events, see our Events calendar. These are discounted for subscribers when the event is operated by us.

To deliver Leading with Outcomes yourself, see our Authorised Facilitator and Trainer Programmes. Our next TTT/F trainings take place in September (online) and December (Bengaluru, India).

Upcoming events

With me (Mike Burrows) unless otherwise indicated.

June:

Later:

Agendashift™: Serving the transforming organisation
Links: Home | Subscribe | Events | Media | Contact | Mike
Agendashift  Academy: Leading with Outcomes | Trainer and Facilitator Programmes

We help leaders and engaged team members at every level to gain fluency in the language of outcomes – developing and pursuing strategies together, innovating, learning, and adapting as the organisation renews and transforms itself from the inside.