One of the most common questions from VPs evaluating the methodology is: what do we get? The answer is a set of interconnected artifacts that build on each other across nine steps; no artifact stands alone, and each one uses outputs from the previous step as inputs and produces outputs the next step requires.
Step 1: Intake Establishes the Current State
The Landscape Brief synthesizes what has been done and what remains ambiguous. The Artifact Inventory catalogs every existing document and assesses which are current, outdated, or contradictory. The Workstream Hierarchy establishes the initial program structure based on existing organizational language and scope definitions. These three artifacts give the consulting team a starting point that respects what the organization has already built, beginning from what exists and identifying what is missing.
Step 2: Stakeholder Mapping Reveals Decision Dynamics
The Perspective Map compiles each stakeholder’s view of priorities, risks, timeline expectations, and definition of success. The Organizational Landmines document identifies political dynamics and historical conflicts that will shape decisions. Stakeholder Profiles provide a structured view of each key player’s role, influence, concerns, and information needs.
Step 3: Program Architecture Defines How the Pieces Fit Together
The Functional Integration Map shows how each function connects to every other, identifying integration points requiring cross-functional coordination. Workstream Definitions describe scope and ownership in specific enough language that two readers would draw the same boundary. The Dependency Diagram maps inputs and outputs between workstreams: what each team needs from others and when. The Governance Model establishes decision rights and escalation paths.
Step 4: Pre-Mortem Surfaces Constraints and Failure Modes
The Failure Modes catalog lists every failure scenario identified through the exercise. The Risk Register assigns each prioritized failure mode an owner and a mitigation plan with trigger conditions. The Calendar Overlay maps operational constraints from every function onto a twelve-month timeline, showing execution windows. Principles and Guardrails capture operating commitments and boundaries of acceptable variation. The Calendar Overlay and Risk Register shape the roadmap: it can’t be sequenced without knowing execution windows, and it can’t be credible without accounting for identified risks.
Step 5: Roadmapping Sequences the Work
This step produces the highest volume of artifacts:
- Workstream Scoping documents refine Step 3 definitions into milestone-level plans
- Milestone Sequences establish deliverable order within each workstream
- Dependency Maps extend the Step 3 diagram into a timeline view showing when each cross-functional handoff occurs
- The Conflict Log captures scope, resource, and timeline conflicts and documents how each was resolved or deferred
- The Integrated Roadmap Visual is the single-page view of the entire program: all workstreams, milestones, dependencies, and constraints on one timeline
Step 6: Operating Model Design Sustains Cross-Functional Coordination
The Operating Rhythm defines meeting cadence and reporting format for maintaining alignment during execution. The Decision Escalation Framework documents how decisions move through governance: workstream level, program lead, or steering committee. The Enablement Stack identifies tools and platforms for program management. Role Charters describe ongoing responsibilities for each key role (e.g., program lead, workstream leads, steering committee members, and functional sponsors).
Step 7: Change Management Addresses Adoption Challenges
The Impact Assessment maps behavioral and operational changes required from each affected group. The Communication Calendar schedules when each audience receives what information through which channel. The Training Plan identifies skills, delivery format, and timeline. The Resistance Analysis identifies where adoption will meet friction and designs interventions for each source.
Step 8: Deployment Planning Stages the Rollout
The Rollout Sequence defines deployment order across locations and business units. Success Metrics define what good looks like at each phase with specific thresholds. Wave Dependencies map what each wave requires from previous waves and produces for subsequent ones. Support Requirements identify staffing and tooling needs. The Learning Agenda captures what the team intends to learn from each wave and how those learnings feed into subsequent waves.
Step 9: Readouts and Handoff Transfer Ownership to the Client
The Decision Log captures every decision made during the engagement with reasoning preserved. The Capability Transfer document identifies what the client team can now do that they could not before. The Open Items list catalogs everything identified but unresolved, with ownership assigned. Post-Engagement Success Criteria define measurable conditions indicating the program is sustaining. The book includes the full deliverable map with templates and design rationale for each artifact.
