After completing the diagnostic assessment, if there is an Execution Gap, meaning your Portfolio Pillar or the Process Pillar is outpacing the other, creating an Execution Gap. You can have two different types of Execution Gap; 1) The GridLock Effect: You have an elite strategic vision but your “pipes are clogged”, meaning your processes cannot handle the volume of your ambition and 2) The Efficient Treadmill: You are world-class at “doing things right” but you aren’t “doing the right things”, meaning you have high speed processes serving zero strategic purpose.
The Gridlock Effect
If the diagnostic assessment shows that “The Gridlock Effect” is occurring within your organization, it indicates that your ambition has outpaced your architecture. You are attempting to run a high-output strategy through a low-bandwidth system. Every new initiative you add doesn’t just slow down the organization—it creates a ‘piling on’ effect that ensures nothing reaches the finish line with excellence.
Some of you might be reading this and think, well, that is just how business operates. But it isn’t, at least not for successful businesses and organizations. The risks of having this type of gap in your system are that you will continue to miss deadlines and experience “Strategy Drift.” The organization talks about big goals but never actually crosses the finish line. Organizations that have this dynamic in place will likely not be around for long, or will continue to bleed money like a sieve with 1” holes that are trying to hold water.
The Efficient Treadmill
If the diagnostic assessment shows that “The Efficient Treadmill” is occurring within your organization, it indicates that you are world-class at doing things that don’t matter. You have over-optimized your workflows for a strategy that is either too small or too stagnant. You are burning elite operational energy to stay exactly where you are.
If you’ve ever wondered why it seems like your teams are always busy but you aren’t seeming to make any real lasting progress over the last few years, this is likely the culprit. Just because everyone is busy and working doesn’t mean that you are successful as an organization, and the bigger risk of continuing this way is stagnation and wasted overhead. You are perfectly optimized for a goal that doesn’t move the needle. If you’ve ever been in an organization that underwent a mass layoff, it was likely one of the main reasons.
The Path Forward
If you find yourself nodding your head to either of these scenarios or any of the other scenarios from the other Friction Points, I would highly recommend that you take the 4 Pillar Pulse Check. This free assessment will help you identify which Pillar in your organization is lagging behind the others. Although this isn’t the full 37 Point Kaizen Mastery System Diagnostic Assessment, it will give you some insights. If you would like to discuss having a full Diagnostic Assessment and have me come work with you and your team in a Fractional Strategy & Optimization Advisory role, please reach out to me directly steve@stevebeauchamp.com.
Steve Beauchamp 