Scaling in the World of Obeya: cascade strategy successfully

It’s a rainy, cold Monday morning in November, and there’s a charged atmosphere in the Obeya room of the management team at Chair Enterprises. Sarah, the team leader, stares at the Obeya performance wall. A graph with a declining red line stands out prominently. “Why hasn’t the goal for this quarter been achieved yet?” she wonders aloud, looking at her team members who are somewhat nervously standing around her.

Four months earlier, the management team came together to formulate ambitious strategic objectives and set up an Obeya. They then tasked their departments with doing the same. From strategic to operational levels, Obeya’s have sprung up like mushrooms. Nevertheless, it seems that focus has gradually slipped away. The actual data in their management Obeya reveals the truth, and they are tracing the causes.

Human Resources feels abandoned by the Marketing department, which does not respond to feedback. Development teams continue to request faster decision-making, while the Board of Directors is looking for results. Meanwhile, Portfolio Management wonders what truly contributes to change. It feels as though everyone is living in their own world, while the strategic vision hangs in the air like an unreachable dream.

As the management team reflects on the challenges, Sarah comes to a crucial realization: although everyone wants to contribute, the organization has struggled to effectively translate strategic goals across all levels. Additionally, the sharing of relevant information across these levels is inadequate and decision-making processes suffer from significant delays. As a result, most departments within Chair Enterprises are unable to align progress on results in a timely and effective manner.

“How can we create alignment between Obeya’s and expand the number of Obeya’s to a cohesive Obeya network?”

Not only to align and operationalize strategic goals but also to streamline processes of decision-making and communication. Sunnier winter days for Sarah and her team are coming.

Don’t Miss Out on the Story of Jelger, Miriam and Sebastiaan at the Obeya Summit!

Join Jelger, Miriam and Sebastiaan at the Live Obeya Summit on November 15th!

Concept of Scaling Obeya

Envision a concept that addresses all of the above challenges. We believe that the (newly developed) concept of scaling Obeya offers a structured solution to interconnect Obeya’s. An Obeya Scaling System offers insight into the main challenges and solutions of expanding Obeya’s within organizations. By implementing the Obeya Scaling System, organizations can create an interconnected and cohesive network of Obeya’s for integrated management of strategic priorities and objectives.

The Obeya Scaling System is a key driver for:

• Integrated alignment of strategic objectives within all organizational levels for optimal focus
• Transparent and streamlined governance for a structured and successful operation of the organization
• Harmonized formats to support the quality of visual management and a cohesive network

Testing and Learning: A Prototype

Discover the concept of the Obeya Scaling System and how it can help your organization truly execute its strategy!

The concept first provides you with insights into the key developments that can lead to poorly aligned or disconnected Obeya’s. This way, you will learn to understand the challenging context of expanding Obeya’s within your organization.

We offer a prototype that allows you to map the current situation concretely and design the desired situation. We ensure that you can fit all the puzzle pieces together in a structured way. For this, we have developed the Obeya Scaling Scan and the Obeya Scaling Design Kit. These tools are prototypes because we want to learn together with you and make them even better.

Testing and Learning: A Prototype

Discover the concept of the Obeya Scaling System and how it can help your organization truly execute its strategy!

The concept first provides you with insights into the key developments that can lead to poorly aligned or disconnected Obeya’s. This way, you will learn to understand the challenging context of expanding Obeya’s within your organization.

We offer a prototype that allows you to map the current situation concretely and design the desired situation. We ensure that you can fit all the puzzle pieces together in a structured way. For this, we have developed the Obeya Scaling Scan and the Obeya Scaling Design Kit. These tools are prototypes because we want to learn together with you and make them even better.

Count me in

Do you want to learn how to align Obeya’s in a way that your organization can manage strategic priorities integrated at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels? Join us at the Live Obeya Summit 2024 and sign up for our interactive workshop Scaling in the World of Obeya. For more information, you can contact Miriam via LinkedIn. We look forward to hearing from you.

Will we meet on November 15 in Utrecht?