Playbook Capability Embedment

Every organisation will have a set of core capabilities and services that it needs to deliver par excellence with cross-firm, high-quality consistency. A typical situation, however, especially so for large, fragmented organisations and/or teams in fast growth mode, is that delivered services/projects vary widely as there is no underlying, consistently-followed methodology; rather, service quality is an idiosyncratic function of the staff assigned to the task.

Inevitably, the financial and human cost of inconsistent (and occasionally very poor) service delivery becomes too high to bear. Related frustrations include a collective sense that team effectiveness is not as high as it could be, that there is limited knowledge-collaboration (and high degrees of ‘wheel reinvention) and, for new staff, a real frustration in discovering any coherent ‘way of working’.

This workstream focuses on defining, planning and executing the overall project. It ensures that all required workstreams are carefully integrated/coordinated to ensure you meet your key delivery objectives (to quality/time/cost) and are well set for target benefit outcomes.

This important workstream is dedicated to ensuring that identified project outcomes and organisational benefits are fully mapped and benefits realisation strategies set in train (including baseline assessment and early-stage tracking) – ultimately to ensure that benefit owners are in place and expected outcomes optimally realised (post project close).

A primary ‘main effort’ workstream – involving the facilitated development of your required master playbooks – to a quality standard ready for full deployment. This work involves expert-workshop facilitation, grid architecture, process mapping, detailed content build, asset creation (incl. video-explainers, elearning resources) and deft management of the SME review/edit/sign-off cycle.

This workstream develops the standards, processes and controls required to continuously improve (and develop/deploy new) playbooks in business-as-usual (BAU) operation. It also focuses on the operational roles, governance and management systems required to ensure effective playbook use across the organisation. It will often involve the establishment of a small, central team – as equipped to expertly own this tasking.

This workstream manages the change associated with the introduction, adoption and reinforcement of playbooks. This may, for example, require the design and embedment of new organisational structures/meetings/processes (with associated terms of reference). As a minimum, it will involve carefully coordinated communication plans/resources and the execution of this plan including, critically, building proactive senior leadership alignment/support.

This workstream focuses on developing the skills needed, across the organisation, to build/update/manage/use playbooks effectively. This includes training needs analysis and the development of tailored training/learning resources for multiple staff cohorts (super-users, users etc).

This workstream ensures that the playbook platform integrates seamlessly with existing systems. It manages any required, bespoke technical and security integrations (design-build-test-implement) in full compliance with your security requirements.