When we’re defining an initiative a really useful exercise is to define the current state and then what we want the future state to look like.
This helps frame what exactly needs to be changed and the work plan will then simply fall out from this. In other words, if we know what needs to change we can start defining the action steps needed to reach the future state.
Defining the current state requires that we define what the current problem/opportunity is.
Defining the future state needs
For current and future state, do we know what we’re trying to achieve ?
- Do we know what the problem is and are current issues and problems well understood ? For example, were there any problem solving or Root Cause Analysis workshops run to understand the issues and counter-measures ?
- Do we know what the future state looks like ?
What are the objectives and deliverables ? What will change and does that address each of the main issues identified in the current state ?