The Viable Map Workbook

Beyond Budgeting is an idea that has been around for nearly two decades, but in recent times we have seen an upsurge of interest, for the same reason that Agile practices (which are of a similar vintage) have become widely adopted.

Organisations have come to realise that traditional methods that rely on predictions, detailed plans and the management of compliance cannot cope with the degree of change and uncertainty in the world. One part of the solution is to build processes that are more adaptive, but to work effectively these need to be embedded in organisational structures, practices and a culture that provides workers with more freedom to act.

And these organisations have discovered that the dividends of making this change can be enormous. Over and again we have seen business performance radically transformed in a way that becomes a source of competitive advantage and makes competitors curious and jealous.

But some companies attracted to these ideas have struggled to implement Beyond Budgeting, often because they have not understood the subtlety or the full implications of the ideas and how to execute change. While Beyond Budgeting is not rocket science at a practical level, it does demand an appreciation of the ideas and a change in mindset from that which underpins traditional management practices as manifest in annual budgeting.

The goal is not, as some believe, to eliminate budgeting. It is to build a better management model, tailored to your specific needs, enabled by replacing budgeting with better control mechanisms, and supported by the right kind of leadership.

The purpose of this book is to help you implement Beyond Budgeting using a tool called the Viable Map. In a practical, hands-on way it enables you to describe the Beyond Budgeting model, to discuss things about your existing Management Model which are otherwise undiscussable, to diagnose problems with it and to plot a course to a better future.
 
Beyond Budgeting is an idea that has been around for nearly two decades, but in recent times we have seen an upsurge of interest, for the same reason that Agile practices (which are of a similar vintage) have become widely adopted.

Organisations have come to realise that traditional methods that rely on predictions, detailed plans and the management of compliance cannot cope with the degree of change and uncertainty in the world. One part of the solution is to build processes that are more adaptive, but to work effectively these need to be embedded in organisational structures, practices and a culture that provides workers with more freedom to act.

And these organisations have discovered that the dividends of making this change can be enormous. Over and again we have seen business performance radically transformed in a way that becomes a source of competitive advantage and makes competitors curious and jealous.

But some companies attracted to these ideas have struggled to implement Beyond Budgeting, often because they have not understood the subtlety or the full implications of the ideas and how to execute change. While Beyond Budgeting is not rocket science at a practical level, it does demand an appreciation of the ideas and a change in mindset from that which underpins traditional management practices as manifest in annual budgeting.

The goal is not, as some believe, to eliminate budgeting. It is to build a better management model, tailored to your specific needs, enabled by replacing budgeting with better control mechanisms, and supported by the right kind of leadership.

The purpose of this book is to help you implement Beyond Budgeting using a tool called the Viable Map. In a practical, hands-on way it enables you to describe the Beyond Budgeting model, to discuss things about your existing Management Model which are otherwise undiscussable, to diagnose problems with it and to plot a course to a better future.