The document discusses how visibility supports effective decision making. It notes that companies need to change how they operate given increased ambiguity and faster pace. Visibility provides better alignment, more frequent results, and leads to better, smaller decisions. However, visibility is difficult due to politics, budgets, and resistance to change. Transparency leads to trust and makes decisions easier by depersonalizing issues and showing connections. To create visibility requires vision, location, introspection, protection, unity, and ongoing investment. The document warns against justifying the status quo and other anti-patterns that prevent effective visibility.

1. HOW USING VISIBILITY SUPPORTS EFFECTIVE
DECISION MAKING
Gary O’Brien

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©ThoughtWorks 2019 Commercial in Confidence

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Ambiguity and pace
The very way in which we run companies needs to change. Certainty has massively reduced
and we have little time to plan.
● Alignment to the need for change
● Visible results more often
● Weaker signals need leading indicators like ‘Pirate’ metrics
● Better decision making, smaller is better
● Simplified Business Models
The rules have changed

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Visibility is not easy
Apart from the very basics of environmentals, there are a few things that stand in the way
of transparency
● Politics and the orchestra
● Budgets - the art of spending and capitalising
● Structures - who reports to me
● The Courage to act - what if I don’t like what it means, is their safety?
The resistors

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Visibility makes decisions easier
We are now trying to make decisions with less certain information, less knowledge and with
less time to make them in..
● Depersonalize
● Show connection
● Two way flow
● For everyone to see
● Cascading measures and work
Transparency leads to trust

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- Joshua J. Arnold (@joshuajames), Black Swan Farming
“In the absence of information about Value, of
course the system optimises for other things.
Why should this surprise anyone?"

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How to create visibility
It is not as simple as making walls or generating reports, it requires a conscious effort and
ongoing nurturing.
● Vision anchors, mental models and Connection - icons, colors
● Location and safety
● Introspectiveness, Protection, unity and sponsorship
● Maintaining and Investment
What it needs

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Anti-Patterns
Justifying the status quo
● Lack of ownership of spaces
● Forcing the current work onto it, don’t fear the orphan
● Replicating the org structure, false validation
● Basing it on today’s scorecards and reports
● No Spreadsheets allowed

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Questions?

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Thank you
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Gary O’Brien
gobrien@thoughtworks.com
Coffeefourdad.com / @coffeefourdad