Earlier this year I recorded a podcast on Strategy Deployment with Mark Richards and Eric Willeke of Shaping Agility. At the very end, Mark asked me how to start with the X-Matrix and my reply seemed to resonate with him. In fact, Mark captured it in a LinkedIn post.
The Background
Here’s an excerpt from Mark’s post.
After Karl shared some amazing stories about what it looks like when it works well, we asked him for some advice on how to get started.
His insights resonated deeply with me. They reflected an approach I had internalized yet never thought to share.“Use it as a way of asking questions, being curious and maybe inspiring some curiosity in other people.“
I came back to this idea when recording one of the videos for the X-Matrix course I have created with Modus Institute, and it seems worthy of this blog post!
Curiosity
To start with the X-Matrix, you don’t need to run a big workshop, or even fill in an A3. In short you just need to be curious!
I talked about Curiosity in an earlier post (and presentation) on Imposing Agile. It’s one of the key elements that I find are required for successful transformations. In fact, I love working with Organisations that have people who are curious and want to explore and learn. They make so much more progress than those who are reluctant to try new ways of working.
Thus I now describe 3 steps to start with the X-Matrix as a Curiosity Framework. Note that these three steps are not unique to the X-Matrix, but could probably be applied to any good framework, After all, the point of a framework is to provide something to build on, not just copy.
The Three Steps
These are the 3 steps:
- Be curious about the X-Matrix. If you’re reading this, then you’ve probably already ticked this box! If not then a good place to start would be the post What is an X-Matrix and related posts with the X-Matrix tag. Alternatively, you can sign up for the class!
- Be curious with the X-Matrix. Then you “just” need to use the X-Matrix – specifically the TASTE framework – to ask questions about your context. i.e.
- What is the True North? What is the orientation that informs what we do?
- What are the Aspirations? What results do we hope to achieve?
- What are the Strategies? What guiding policies enable our choices?
- What are the Tactics? What coherent actions are we taking?
- What is the Evidence? What outcomes will indicate progress?
- Inspire curiosity with the X-Matrix. By asking the above questions and discussing the answers with others, you may find people who are interested in learning more and digging deeper. When that happens, you can pull out a blank sheet of paper or template and start filling it in, sharing your insights.
That’s it. No curious cats get harmed! Have you followed these three steps? How have the worked for you? I’d love to know in the comments!