Short term mechanics
There’s always a lot of chat about moving from outputs to outcomes. Particularly across government, and by that I’m talking big G government; local and central with all the quirks in-between. Come to think of it, this isn’t just a government problem. I’m facing the same challenge in our consulting firm as we speak.
For me, I’m all aboard the outcomes train. It’s rooted in the idea that the focus should be on the things that you’re trying to change, not prescriptive activities or outputs. A really good forcing function that stresses the importance of the end goal(s).
The tricky thing here though is that to focus on outcomes, especially ones that address the big, knotty and complex systemic issues, you generally have to take the long view. Your approach might be incredibly tactical, but with the glue of a solid longer term strategy to make sure everything holds together and remains a coherent thing.
That long view isn’t 3 month statements of work, or even big transformation programmes, if the underlying thinking is proximate or short-term.
You can’t de-risk your way through discovery, alpha, beta and live, no matter how agile you are, if the underlying thinking (see strategy) is proximate or short-term.
In contrast, take a look at an organisation like Stripe. It’s not the usual shiny unicorn that’s offered up as a model for inspiration in the public sector, but it should be. At Stripe, thinking in multi-decadal abstractions is rewarded. Decades! And this isn’t just insanely lofty ambition or hyperbole, it’s a way to reinforce the idea that you really should take the goal(s) seriously.
As a transformation agency that mainly consults into government, I think we need to do a much better job of provoking this level of ambition. Too often, it seems like we’re caught in the growth cycle where we’re lazily defaulting our way through outputs within statements of work. Like grandiose checkbox exercises. Checks for cheques.
That’s just not good enough.
So how do you balance the rhythms that we’re bound to now, in my case operating within a publicly listed company (earnings reporting etc)? With the added hurdle in lots of the change we’re trying to deliver is non-linear and happens slowly over time? There is a risk that we’re optimised for making too many proximate decisions for short term gain vs. longer term sustainable growth and value ourselves, let alone within client engagements.
One thread that I think worth pulling on is continuity.
We might not be able to totally unravel the mechanics of government, or redefine the way our transformation services are procured and contracts structured. But we might be able to chip away at the edges by optimising for continuity.
A big assumption of mine is that there are probably a lot of layers of abstraction between the way our work is sold and shaped and the delivery.
From the pointy end of delivery, I’ve seen just how important continuity is in making sure the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We don’t seem to have this at the minute; high performing teams that consistently work together on opportunities, in order to stand a fighting chance of countering short term thinking. I think that increases waste, friction and reduces quality. And I don’t think our ambition is ever to target quantity over quality.
So, might continuity be the counter to short term thinking? Let’s see.
by KJ