Viable Stepping Stones along Transformation Journeys: Ensuring Business Execution while Transforming Diverse Organizations

In transforming organizations, the concept of Viable Stepping Stones helps keep the focus on business execution. While different parts of the organization transform at different speeds, the Viable Stepping Stone sets the temporary focus point on the business execution. All sub-projects of the transformation are aligned and complemented. The viability of the stepping-stone is ensured by the thorough analysis and alignment of all relevant steps and tools along the business process. Temporary solutions close the gaps caused by elements of the business process that are either not yet able to deliver against the requirements at the Stepping Stone or for parts that have developed past these requirements already. Adding the Viable Stepping Stones to the transformation tools allows for balancing the progress of the transformation journey with excellence in business execution. The concept of the Viable Stepping Stones translates the idea of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) from product design into the temporary platform for the testing and improvement of critical steps in the business execution along the transformation journey. In return, the transformation initiative and its sub-projects are updated and adapted to changes in the marketplace and altering needs of the business. After the detailed outline of the Viable Stepping Stone process, the link and the synergies with the Three-Pillar Model are discussed. The chapter concludes with the suggestion to leverage Objectives and Key Results (OKR) cycles along the Viable Stepping Stone process to set and manage objectives for the sub-projects of the transformation as well as for the business teams.