I posted an initial definition of True North a few years ago. Since then, it has become apparent that crafting a good True North is something organisations find very difficult, if they do it at all. That’s because a True North is much more than a simple, snappy statement. Instead, it’s something that people should be able to connect to, that resonates with them, and that articulates a real sense of purpose and direction.
This is why I’ve resisted (or avoided) trying to create a neat template. Creating a True North is more than a mechanical exercise of simply filling in the blanks. It’s a process of rich collaboration, conversation and creativity. A True North is a story we tell about who we want to be, not what we want to do. The statement is just a headline we use as a shortcut and identifier for that narrative.
Metaphor
Before I review some of the dimensions to consider when defining a True North, let’s review the meaning and metaphor. The definition I use as part of TASTE is:
The orientation which informs what we should do.
Thus, a True North doesn’t define a specific deliverable or goal, but sets a direction as opposed to a destination. It is coherent with what Dave Snowden describes as a vector theory of change.
When using geographic True North for navigation, the North Pole is typically not the final destination (although admittedly can be on rare occasions!). The North Star (which is often used as an alternative metaphor) is never the ultimate destination.
Dimensions
In the original post, I described three aspects to consider in a True North. I find it useful to ask questions based on these dimensions.
- Challenging – is it something which will take considerable time and effort to achieve, with no obvious or known solution?
- Compelling – is it something that people want to spend time and effort working towards?
- Concrete – is it sufficiently well described that people will know whether they are moving towards it?
In addition to those, I have more recently added some new dimensions (continuing the theme of C words).
- Crypticness – does it have sufficient ambiguity? If the True North is too concrete, it risks becoming a defined end-state.
- Chronos (and Kairos) – does it have a sense of timeliness, both quantitative and qualitative? How long will the journey take? Is this the right time to take that journey? Note that this does not mean setting a deadline!
- Cultural – is it aligned with your shared assumptions, beliefs and behaviours? Culture will also eat a True North for breakfast!
Scopes
Further, I like to consider the scope of the True North in terms of how it will resonate with different people:
- Individual – how does it relate to the people involved in the work?
- Business – how does it relate to the organisation as a whole?
- Customer – how does it relate to the needs we are trying to meet?
Learn More
You can watch Jim Benson and me talk about many of these ideas on a recent Kanban Coaching Exchange Meetup recording. In addition, we will be doing a deep dive into True North in an upcoming workshop on July 17, where we will explore these aspects in more detail regarding participants’ real situations. Finally, there’s the X-Matrix course, which introduces the full TASTE framework.