Maturity Models: Leanness, Agility, Competitiveness, and Collaboration

Maturity Models describe “degrees (or a pattern) of evolutionary stages (of essential elements) toward a goal”. A valuable maturity model is one that is “grounded in reality” and is context-aware but not context-sensitive. Being “grounded in reality” means that a maturity model is derived from more-empirical and less-anecdotal evidence. Being context-aware but not context-sensitive means that a maturity model is flexible such that it may readily be adorned to account for context but not so extremely sensitive as to be perverted. For example, perhaps founded on values & principles to foster emergent practices in a given context. Notice, that brittle would be “breakable” and rigid would be “inflexible”.

For example:

• The Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition suggests maturity from Novice to Expert.
• The Four Stages of Competence suggests maturity from Unconscious Incompetence to Unconscious Competence.
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs suggests maturity from Physiological Needs to Self-actualization and Self-transcendence.
• The Tuckman Model suggests maturity from Form to Perform.
• The Cynefin framework or model suggests a taxonomy used to describe problems, situations and systems: Simple, Complicated, Complex, and Chaotic.
• The Competing Values Framework (CVF) suggests a model that integrates tensions and contradictions around Leadership, Effective Performance, and Value Creation.

And unarguably, maturity models may be abused, just like anything else!

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Agile Maturity Model (AMM)

0 – Dormant

1 – Speed: Focusing on being expeditious.

2 – Reactive: Focusing on acting relative to change from the perspective of the moment rather than a longer timeframe.

3 – Responsive: Focusing on acting relative to change from the perspective of the moment balanced with a longer timeframe.

With a few comments…

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Lean Maturity Model (LMM)

0 – Dormant

1 – Value Stream: Focusing on eliminating waste.

2 – Flow & Pull: Focusing on limiting work-in-process.

3 – Optimization: Focusing on balancing demand against throughput (around value).

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Competitiveness Maturity Model (CompMM)

0 – Dormant

1 – Technology-driven: Focusing on leveraging technology.

2 – Competitor-driven: Focusing on leveraging technology against competitors.

3 – Customer-driven or Sales-driven: Focusing on leveraging technology for customers and sales.

4 – Market-driven: Focusing on leveraging technology within the market.

5 – Market-driving: Focusing on Innovation and Advantage (Authentic Value).

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Collaboration Maturity Model (CollMM)

0 – Dormant

1 – Communication: Focusing on interchanging content.

2 – Cooperation: Focusing on operating in parallel.

3 – Coordination: Focusing on regular/rhythmic rather than irregular/intermittent points in time for synchronization (coordinating parallel activities and interchanging content).

4 – Collaboration/Co-Creation: Focusing on purposeful contribution and confirmation using flow and pull. Contribution involves “investing” content (as in return-on-investment) based on another collaborator’s pull for content. Confirmation involves oversight and attaining a “return” on content (as in return-on-investment) based on one’s pull for content. Collaborators pull content from one another as needed, but don’t push content unnecessarily. Collaborators foster the flow of content as needed, but don’t batch content unnecessarily. Notice the paradigm shift from batch-and-push to flow-and-pull. Furthermore, collaborators are purposeful to a goal its objectives.

5 – Harmonization: Focusing on sustainable collaboration, of which, conflict and respectful resolution are an essential element.

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