With an understanding of the Landscape and the external forces acting on it (Climate), next is the training of your people in the standard ways of operating and the techniques that you almost always should apply. Everything in Wardley Mapping is based on these principles.
Table of Doctrinal Principles
Below are Doctrinal Principles that can be studied and integrated into organizational behavior. Simon recommends starting with the basics (Phase 1). Mouse over each cell for more detailed descriptions, and click cells multiple times to make a self assessment, rotating through weak, warning, good, and neutral (undetermined) statuses.
Phase 1: Stop Self-Destructive Behavior
| Communication | Use a common language (necessary for collaboration) | Challenge assumptions (speak up and question) | Focus on high situational awareness (understand what is being considered) | |
| Development | Know your users (e.g. customers, shareholders, regulators, staff) | Focus on user needs | Remove bias and duplication | Use appropriate methods (e.g. agile vs lean vs six sigma) |
| Learning | Use a systematic mechanism of learning (a bias towards data) | |||
| Operations | Think small (as in know the details) | |||
Phase 2: Becoming More Context Aware
| Communication | Be transparent (a bias towards open) | |||
| Development | Focus on the outcome not a contract (e.g. worth based development) | Be pragmatic (it doesn't matter if the cat is black or white so long as it catches mice) | Use appropriate tools (e.g. mapping, financial models) | Think fast, inexpensive, restrained, and elegant (FIRE, formerly FIST) |
| Use standards where appropriate | ||||
| Leading | Move fast (an imperfect plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed tomorrow) | Strategy is iterative not linear (fast reactive cycles) | ||
| Learning | A bias towards action (learn by playing the game) | |||
| Operations | Manage failure | Manage inertia (e.g. existing practices, political capital, previous investment) | Effectiveness over efficiency | |
| Structure | Think aptitude and attitude | Think small (as in teams, "two pizza") | Distribute power and decision making | |
Phase 3: Better for Less
| Leading | Be the owner (take responsibility) | Think big (inspire others, provide direction) | Strategy is complex (there will be uncertainty) | Commit to the direction, be adaptive along the path (crossing the river by feeling the stones) |
| Be humble (listen, be selfless, have fortitude) | ||||
| Learning | A bias towards the new (be curious, take appropriate risks) | |||
| Operations | Optimise flow (remove bottlenecks) | Do better with less (continual improvement) | Set exceptional standards (great is just not good enough) | |
| Structure | Seek the best | Provide purpose, mastery, & autonomy | ||
Phase 4: Continuously Evolving
| Leading | Exploit the landscape | There is no core (everything is transient) |
| Learning | Listen to your ecosystems (acts as future sensing engines) | |
| Structure | Design for constant evolution | There is no one culture (e.g. pioneers, settlers and town planners) |
Adapted by Tasshin Fogleman from this tweetstorm and Better for Less, courtesy of Simon Wardley, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Assessments
By examining the doctrine in an organization, you can get an idea of how adaptable it is and how well it will respond to external change or gameplay. You can do this with your own organization, or with other organizations.
Two assessment tools worth knowing about:
- Chris Daniel’s Doctrine Assessment
- Justin Stach’s form-based assessment
Once you’ve assessed the current state of doctrine in your organization, you can go about addressing areas of weakness, starting with the first phase!