Oyster - The Delivery Method
The final section of the model is the delivery methodology. This is both an appropriate
inclusive methodology built upon the grit leadership approach and a very
practical way of ensuring the successful delivery of transformation, this is the
oyster. The oyster process is grounded in agility which bleeds through and ties together the necessary grit behaviours and styles into the oyster methods. An example is we don’t promise delivery dates a long way out even when we get to the E & R stages. We hold our nerve and give certainty where we can.
1
Observations & The Why
The first two stages of the process, O & Y, focus on understanding the problem, the need to transform and the order to address them. This is often brushed over and is one of the core reasons for failure.
We personally spend time as leaders creating a list of early observations we categorise into 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly'
We then spend time understanding the current organisational capabilities as well as its appetite and ability to change. We do not create a business case.
2
Start Up & Thinking
The next two steps, S &T, bring together the right people and root us back into the grit . Only at the end of these stages do we fully understand what we are going to do, how and when.
We size the change and get agreement in principle to start the process. We fill the bus with the right people and we create a great working space. Then we articulate the detail of the changes required. Critically we do not write a lengthy business case and plan. We do prioritise what we are going to do based on benefits and ease.
3
Engineering & Realisation
The final two stages, E & R, are the doing part of the process. This is where we build and land the changes we need to. Programmes that fail get into big doing too quickly and fall into The 75%.
We bring in technical architecture and we focus on cyber security at this stage. We also bring in dynamic business led prioritisation and only build things that give benefit now. We introduce portfolio level reviews and focus on business change. We fail fast. Focus on quality and plan for failure in all we do.
Oyster Advisor can help you set up to succeed. We can offer advisory and mentoring services as well as consultancy to engage around specific issues. If you need deeper help then we have partners who will take an active role in leading the set up and delivery alongside your teams. They have done it with us before. We will help you create and deliver in your own culture and leave behind a sustainable team of your people running your processes.
