Part one. The Trail
The destination, in one sentence
If you cannot write it in one sentence, the problem is not the writing.
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Write down where the operation is going, in one sentence, without conjunctions. Then write down what happens if nothing changes. Most operators find the first sentence hard, and discover in the difficulty that they have been executing against a destination that was never stated, only inherited. That is a normal finding and it is not a failure of memory. A destination living in several heads in slightly different versions behaves exactly like a destination that does not exist, because every decision depending on it will be defensible and inconsistent. The rule about conjunctions is doing real work. Grow revenue, and improve margin, and reduce churn is three destinations, and three destinations is zero, because the first time they conflict, and they will, the resolution gets made by whoever is in the room rather than by the plan.
Write down where the operation is going, in one sentence, without conjunctions. Then write down what happens if nothing changes.
Most operators find the first sentence hard and discover, in the difficulty, that they have been executing against a destination that was never stated, only inherited. That is a normal finding and it is not a failure of memory. A destination that lives in several people's heads in slightly different versions behaves exactly like a destination that does not exist, because every decision that depends on it will be defensible and inconsistent.
The no conjunctions rule is doing real work. "Grow revenue and improve margin and reduce churn" is three destinations, and three destinations is zero, because the first time they conflict, and they will, the resolution will be made by whoever is in the room rather than by the plan.
The second sentence is the one people skip and it is the more useful of the two. If nothing changes, what happens? An operation heading somewhere acceptable does not need a transformation programme. An operation heading somewhere unacceptable on its current trajectory needs one, and knowing which of those you are in changes what counts as a good week.
Keep both sentences. Everything else in this course is measured against them.
Two things worth doing, neither of which costs anything
Read the standard in full, free and in the open, before you pay anything or give anyone an address.