# High-velocity Organizations... ## Align on the most effective approach first Before starting any work, agree on: 1. the outcomes that are expected, 2. who is responsible for what work and 3. in which order the work will happen, 4. how products, services, and information will flow with the work, 5. what methods will be used for each piece of work, and 6. how deviations and failures will be detected ASAP. Do not strive for strong guarantees or perfect plans: Maximize common understanding and knowledge to maximize the chance of success instead. Use the process of creating this agreement to identify knowledge gaps and invest in those gaps to get better. Apply the Lean Principle of having a [long-term philosophy](1%20=>%20Long-term%20philosophy.md). ## Build failure detection into all tasks Make sure you can detect when & where failures occur. Having a clear specification of outcomes makes it easier to detect when something unexpected happens. Build tests into operations to monitor for those anomalies. ## Immediately swarm to solve problems Swarm on a problem, failure, or anomaly at the time and place where they occur. All persons involved and *affected* must be present, including any relevant decision makers. The foremost goal is to contain the problem before it can affect someone else's work. And the longer a problem remains unresolved, the more difficult and expensive it gets. Organizations fail because they get overwhelmed by problem avalanches. High velocity organizations use the scientific method to fix problems. And they go beyond fixing by gaining a better knowledge of the whole process. They improve the processes that lead to the problem, to avoid it entirely in the future. This second capability is called "slowificiation" in [Wiring the Winning Organization](https://itrevolution.com/product/wiring-the-winning-organization/). This and the former capability are based on the Lean Principles that [the right processes will produce the right results](2-8%20=>%20Right%20processes%20will%20produce%20the%20right%20results.md). ## Share new knowledge throughout the org Multiply the power of knowledge by making it widely available in your organization. Do this by sharing the entire process how solutions are discovered: Share not only what was learned, but how it was learned. This way, when people begin a work, they can rely on the cumulative experience of everyone who has done the same work. This amplification of knowledge produces a multiplier effect. This is reflected in the Lean Principles that [continuously solving root problems drives organizational learning](12-14%20=>%20Continuously%20solving%20root%20problems%20drives%20organizational%20learning.md). ## Foster learning and continual improvement Managers in high-velocity organizations teach people how to make continual improvements as part of their jobs, and ensure their people have enough time and resources to do so. Managers are no in place to command, control, berate, or intimidate their reports. This capability means the organization becomes ever more self-diagnosing and -improving. Everyone becomes skilled at detecting problems, solving them, and multiplying the effect of solutions by communicating them throughout the organization. [Coaching Kata](Coaching%20Kata.md) or at least [the PDCA Cycle](The%20PDCA%20Cycle.md) is a good way to foster such learning and continuous improvement in your organization. This is embodied by the Lean Principle that [developing people and partners adds value to the organization](9-11%20=>%20Developing%20our%20people%20and%20partners%20adds%20value%20to%20the%20organization.md). # Aligning, monitoring, and swarming are core These first three capabilities are essential. With these three, high-velocity organizations change win-lose situations into win-win: Even if they do not succeed, they improve their chances of succeeding the next time. Knowledge sharing and fostering learning and [[Kaizen]] accelerate organizational velocity even more. # Reference **Source**: [The High Velocity Edge](http://www.thehighvelocityedge.com/)