Accountability is one of those topics that comes up again and again in organisations. People say it’s missing. Leaders say they want more of it and teams feel the impact when it isn’t clear. Despite all the conversations it may not improve in any meaningful or lasting way. This typically happens when accountability is being treated as a… Read More »
Most organisations are not short of tools or processes. In fact, many are rich in both. There are systems for sales, delivery, finance, support, governance and reporting. There are documented processes, ways of working, and dashboards intended to provide oversight. And yet, despite all of this, leaders often struggle to answer some very basic questions: What work is… Read More »
Delivery without a system Delivery problems rarely stem from a single failure. They tend to emerge from how work enters the organisation, how priorities are set, and how people and teams are arranged to deliver it. When these elements are loosely connected, delivery is left to cope rather than operate with any real stability. This is an example… Read More »
Governance often gets a bad reputation. It’s associated with process, paperwork, and delay, something to work around when pace matters. In the first article in this series, I outlined six operating model gaps that commonly sit between strategy and execution. Governance is one of the most significant. What Governance Is Actually For At its core, governance exists to… Read More »
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” is one of the most quoted phrases in business. It’s usually offered as an explanation when a strategy that looked sound on paper fails to land in practice. And there is truth in it. Culture does matter. It shapes how people behave, how decisions are made, and how work really gets done. However,… Read More »
Most delivery challenges don’t start in delivery. They start much earlier in the commercial discussions and assumptions that shape the work long before a team begins mobilising. I’ve seen this repeatedly across different organisations and transformation programmes. The strategy makes sense. The teams are capable. Yet the delivery still struggles. Not because of poor execution but because the… Read More »
Introduction Most strategies don’t fail because they’re poorly designed. They fail because the organisation simply isn’t built to deliver them. This disconnect between what leadership intends and what the organisation is capable of executing is what I call the operating model gap. In every transformation programme I’ve led, the same pattern has emerged. Strategies rarely break in the… Read More »
The Business Analysis Conference Europe Returns for its 17th Year of Insight, Innovation and Practical Learning London, UK – IRM UK, in partnership with AssistKD, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT and IIBA UK, is thrilled to announce the return of the Business Analysis Conference Europe, taking place 15–17 September 2025 in London. Now in its 17th year,… Read More »
Estimates are rarely 100% accurate. Projects often run into unforeseen complications, new requirements, or misunderstood scope. But in a waterfall environment—especially where estimates have been communicated externally—the way you handle these changes is just as important as the change itself. Whether the estimate was optimistic, based on limited data, or altered by scope creep, the key is to… Read More »
Organisations invest time, money, and talent into programmes that promise transformation. Yet many of these initiatives fall short of delivering what truly matters: tangible benefits that align with strategic objectives. Despite a wealth of frameworks, certifications, and best-practice guidance, the problem persists. Outputs are delivered, but the value often remains elusive. Why is that? Understanding the Fundamentals To… Read More »