Sense and Respond: How Successful Organizations Listen to Customers and Create New Products Continuously

by Jeff Gothelf

Let’s review some of the elements that made this process successful and, at the same time, consider how it supports the sense and respond approach that this company embodies. Strategy is expressed as intent. Rather than lay out a detailed plan, leadership set direction and asked the folks close to the customer to figure out the details. Situational awareness defines tactics. The staff members have a deep knowledge of what the real-world conditions are, what they’d like to fix, and what is realistic. They were able to select the best tactics to achieve the mission. Commitments are made to outcomes rather than features. By tying initiatives to outcomes rather than to features, leaders gave staff members the flexibility to pursue their missions and use their best judgment to achieve the desired outcomes. A mix of bottom-up and top-down planning provides balance. Unlike previous years, in which bottom-up planning resulted in a lack of coordination—or, as we see in many organizations, top-down planning creates a lack of flexibility—this process balanced inputs to create a healthy equilibrium.