Why 'Capability' projects get agreed

"Projects are often not selected due to merit but by:

Squeaky wheel advocacy

Political influence

Savvy system gaming

Financial considerations in a vacuum 

Some combination of the above in lieu of discussion of benefit or linkage to strategy."

Rick Morris

This quote feels very relevant to the way 'capability projects' are initiated in corporate businesses. 

Vested interests between leaders and HR teams who have little incentive to analyse their systems, inevitably create copy-cat lists of performative busy work. 

The standard approach to prioritisation optimises for the path of least resistance. Most planning processes are informed by:

What we always do

What the leader(s) told us to do

What we think 'our people' need

'How the planning process works'

Things that will get approved

What we didn't finish last year

What everyone else is doing

What the external research said we should do

Where the money runs out

How we're structured

What we are currently capable of doing...


 

I work as a thinking partner and advisor with mid sized, value oriented companies going through significant change. I help you to build new capability and mindsets through shifting your approach to organisational development.

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