If you discovered a Visibility Gap in your organization, you would have realized that there is a discrepancy between how your Portfolio is being managed and planned and the Platforms you are trying to use to accomplish your goals. The Visibility Gap can show up in 1 of two ways: 1) The Blind Pilot, where you have no real-time visibility into whether your strategy is working or not, it is like flying a 747 without a dashboard, or 2) You have an Over-Engineered Dashboard, where you have incredible data tracking and analytics, but no meaningful strategy to apply insights to.
The Blind Pilot
When you are “flying blind,” you make million-dollar decisions based solely on gut feelings and outdated indicators. You possess a powerful strategic engine but lack a proper dashboard to guide you. It’s akin to flying through a storm without radar, hoping the ground isn’t as close as it seems. This scenario often leaves you feeling anxious each day, just one decision away from a serious disaster. The greatest danger of flying blind is the risk of a “Catastrophic Surprise.” You won’t realize that a project or the organization is failing until it’s too late to make necessary corrections. I’m not sure why anyone would run a business this way, but I’ve witnessed numerous examples throughout my career. The good news is that this situation can be remedied.
The Over-Engineered Dashboard
You might find yourself focusing on measurements that don’t really matter. You’ve invested more time in creating reports than in actually developing the business. While your ‘visibility’ into data is high, your ‘impact’ is low because you’re tracking the wrong metrics. Having data is beneficial, but if you’re not taking action based on that data, you’re just accumulating information without a clear purpose. If you haven’t noticed it yet, your team may be experiencing Analysis Paralysis. The organization spends more time reporting on trivial information than on making meaningful progress.
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 