# The IMPACT Engine System explained

- **Episode:** [145](https://agents.truthliesandwork.com/episodes/145.md) (2024-11-14)
- **Type:** interview
- **Tags:** impact-engine-system, training
- **Time:** 26:53–49:20 (start 1613s)
- **Listen:** [https://truthliesandwork.com/145?t=1613](https://truthliesandwork.com/145?t=1613)

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[26:53] Laura Barnard: The program that is called the Impact Engine System is a training and implementation program that the foundation is a core of a training and implementation program that we built that takes people step by step on the journey of building this kind of capability in their organization. And then that is how we, in our consulting practice, deliver for our clients. We take them through this same process because it works. It works every time. If you do the work, it works because it's all about figuring out what the business problems are for that organization. And then, you know, once you've done that assessment work, this is a mistake a lot of people make is that they start fixing symptoms instead of getting to the root causes. So one of the things that's really important that we've found through all these years doing this work is that a lot of people will try to throw templates and tools and process at solving a business problem, but they're really just looking at symptoms. And I'll give you a perfect example in a moment. And instead, we help them get to the root causes of those problems and then fix that. And when you do, you create this positive ripple effect throughout the organization where you fix Fewer things and got bigger results. So, and we, we help them lay all of this out of like figuring out what the problems are, getting to the root causes, putting the right solutions in place, and laying that out over an iterative agile implementation approach over time. So, over time, you're going to have this continuous value delivery model where you're continuing to improve capabilities and adding and solving the next problem that arises faster and faster than if you just spend all this time trying to solve everything at once and not actually getting any change in place, right? Nobody's patient enough for that. It's like, okay, go fix this problem. Now I got another problem. Now I got another problem. Let's see if we can fix them in a way that starts showing real tangible benefit and helping accelerate the delivery of the strategy, even if it's just a little bit at a time. But here's the thing, on top of all of that, you can run this process again and again and you're not going to get the results unless You do one thing, and that is shift your mindset to what we call the impact driver mindset, which is like the central gear of our entirely different operating model that we help organizations put in place. And it's all about shifting the focus from solving project problems to solving business problems, from focusing on perfecting outputs to driving better business outcomes, to forcing change on people versus Bringing people with you through the change process, right? And there's several techniques that we teach in this mindset shift that applies to everybody in every delivery role in an organization. Once they shift the way they think about the work they do and the outcomes they're there to drive, then it's— then the system, the new operating model that we put in place works so well. So, the Impact Engine system is this whole ecosystem of resources, training, support, hands-on, coaching, advisory services, that is an entirely new way to think about and deliver on your organization's strategy, whether it's internally focused projects to build capabilities and services or externally focused projects to deliver services for clients. Here's one of the different things that our system does and our approach does that a lot of people don't think about. Remember when I was talking about those root causes? I'm going to give you a perfect example of where things might go wrong in an organization. Remember, we're talking about prioritization. So what often happens in an organization is that people will start complaining, well, we have these projects or these changes we're trying to create, and it's always taking longer than it should and costing more than it should. Projects take too long, they cost too much. And so they'll bring in an outside consultant or hire someone in this PMO function, for example, and the executives are Complaining, I can't ever get anything done. Everything's taking so long. It's so frustrating. And then the project people come in and they start doing what they have been trained in the classroom to do, right? And they were hired for their knowledge. So therefore, they believe the more of that knowledge they apply to every single thing they do, the better. But what happens is you have these project people that are so focused on applying every single bit of that knowledge to every single thing they do, and they're taking so much time creating templates And tools and process and so much stuff. And the executives are saying, so what? Nothing's really gotten better. Projects are still taking a long time and they're still costing a lot of money. So instead, we have to figure out why those projects are taking so long. And we use the 5 Whys technique, which is a very simple root cause analysis technique. We have others as well that we use in our company, but I like this because a lot of people have a lot of experience, more than they realize, with the 5 Whys technique, because anyone that's actually been around a toddler is used to answering why, why, why, why, right? And so it's a very simple technique, even though with toddlers it's probably more like 50 whys, right? But you could say, okay, well, why are projects taking so long and costing so much? Well, if you go talk to the project managers, they say it's because everybody working on these projects never gets their stuff done on time. So then you go talk to those people and they say, well, I'd love to get my stuff done on these projects, but my boss also has all these other things they're asking me to do that's my day job. And I can't get those, I can't get it all done. So I'm just responding to whoever the squeakiest wheel is, right? So then you go look at that and you say, okay, so it's not actually the project manager's fault and it's not actually the team member's fault. We have a problem where there is a lack, there's a lack of alignment between the workload that the teams are, that this The manager is responsible for delivering for their department and these projects. So what's happening is we don't have clear priorities, and those priorities are in constant conflict. So it's not actually a— and everybody, by the way, still going back to the executive wants it all done yesterday, right? All these projects are number one priority. So therefore, you have your most critical resources spread across 16 different projects, and you're Who's getting anything done with one-sixteenth of a resource, right? So you don't have a resource—not enough resources problem—or projects take too long, cost too much problem. What you have is people trying to shove ten pounds of projects in a five-pound bag, right? You have them trying to do too many things at once with no clear focus. And still focus is one of those mindset shifts: no clear focus or way to say. This is what we should be doing. And without that, again, this is another one of those kind of mistakes we see happen again and again in large and small organizations. And the common thread is people, very hungry people that want to do well and achieve great things, not understanding that they're getting in their own way of being successful because they're so focused on being busy instead of being productive
[33:58] Al Elliott: So, is this mindset shift the key to closing that strategy and execution gap?
[34:04] Laura Barnard: It is a fundamental foundation upon which everything else we teach is built. But I want to talk about the strategy-to-execution gap a little, if that's okay, because I think there's a real misunderstanding about that gap that everybody's talking about. And what typically happens if you read the books or hire the expensive consultants and they tell you, oh, well, here's your problem. This is the gap you need to close between strategy and execution. But there's a fundamental misunderstanding about how strategy and execution should operate when we look at it as the strategy-to-execution gap. And the reason so many organizations can't close the strategy-to-execution gap is because their very operating model has reinforced the gap between strategy and execution. I'll tell you exactly what I mean. First of all, there's actually 3 parts, not 2. It's not just strategy where the ideas are defined and we get this picture of our mission and our vision and what we want to do, the strategy to achieve those goals. And then there's the delivery, what we call the delivery engine, the execution of that strategy. But there's an important part that a lot of people aren't paying attention to, which is strategy realization. And that is where another gap exists so big that many people aren't even thinking It's not enough to just deliver that strategy. That strategy has to be delivered in a way that ensures that the intentions for that strategy are realized. Why do we do this in the first place? It wasn't just to do some things, it was to achieve certain business outcomes. And so, it's— we break it into strategy definition, strategy execution, and strategy realization. 3 different parts with many, many gaps built in by the way organizations operate. And here's a perfect example. The strategy might be defined by the senior leaders, but remember that 95% of the typical workforce doesn't understand the company strategy. What often happens is that the strategy's defined and they have a really great idea of where they like to go, and then they throw it over the fence to the execution people and say, okay, go do it. And the execution people say, what? What are we doing? Why? If you talk to people in organizations and you say, well, you just need to align the strategy to execution more effectively. They'll say, what strategy? Because they don't even understand the strategy that was thrown over the fence to them. And then they're off busy delivering, not really understanding why they're supposed to be doing what they're doing. And nobody's actually focused on making sure that, did we do what we said we were going to do after it's delivered? And did we achieve the business goals we set up and defined as our success criteria? Oh, we didn't even define success criteria. Well, that's a problem too, right? So what's happening is that there's so many places in an organization where there's disconnects taking place. And because of that, we have strategy in one place, execution in another place, and nobody paying attention to whether or not we're actually achieving our business goals. So we have an entirely different operating model that we help organizations put in place where strategy people And process and the delivery people and process are completely integrated from the start. So the people that are responsible for delivering that strategy are in the strategy process, understanding how the strategy is evolving, being developed, what success looks like, and gets that clarity from the very beginning so that they know that when it's delivered, they know what they're shooting for. They know where they're going. They have a roadmap and they know what success looks like. It's not just on time, on scope, on budget for a project. It's, did we actually get the new customers, get the additional revenue, improve our employee engagement or experience? Whatever the goals are, that needs to be clearly defined upfront. And the delivery people can help the strategy people do that. So, have everybody together in the beginning of the process and organize and operate your strategy development and planning to include the people responsible for delivery, who, by the way, can probably say whether or not these wild ideas you have could get done, especially in the timelines you'd like, right? And then the strategy people, the people that define what success looks like, aren't done when the strategy is handed over to people to deliver
[38:34] Al Elliott: Mm-hmm
[38:34] Laura Barnard: That is an incredibly important time for the delivery people to see and hear from the people that define that strategy, reinforce and remind them why we're doing what we're doing and what success looks like, and be available to make decisions, answer questions, and keep everyone focused on the goal. Because the perfection is not— it's not— the perfection isn't the delivery process. It's achieving those successful results. So stay together, stay aligned, and keep everyone moving as quickly as possible toward those results. And the reason I keep mentioning acceleration and pace is that you could lose the business value of doing something if it takes you too long to do it. But part of the reason things take so long to do is because we're trying to do too many things and people aren't clear why they're doing what they're doing. So let's keep everybody engaged through the process from strategy definition through to execution and continuing to measure after The deliverable product service, the output was created to ensure that it actually achieves those outcomes. How do we do? Did we get the results we wanted? If not, why not? These are important questions that people aren't asking. And so they don't actually know if the work they were doing was worth it in the first place. So I like to say, know your worth it factor right from the beginning and make sure that you keep everyone aligned with that throughout the entire process. So, that's, I think, why we have so many problems in this strategy-to-execution gap space and why, if it was, if people were able to fix it, there wouldn't still be so many books being written about it, frankly. And I think it's because we have to fundamentally rethink the entire operating model. And instead of reinforcing all of these bad habits that create this gap, let's actually redefine how we define and deliver on the strategy to make sure it's achieving those results
[40:29] Al Elliott: As a psychologist, I've been trained to bake in evaluation from day one, and it sounds like that's what you're talking about there, is that evaluation. And it's something that I can often be a hard sell to my clients to try and, you know, get them invest that effort and time upfront, throughout, and after. I mean, it's from a very commercial perspective, and the work you've done with big organizations, medium and small, what do you feel is the main benefit of an evaluation process and actually starting and being mindful of that process from day one?
[41:01] Laura Barnard: Well, you have to get clear on what you're trying to do and what's preventing you from doing that, right? So we have a whole diagnostic or assessment process, and it's in stage 2 of our Impact Engine system operating model, is all about making sure that you understand what is preventing you from getting to the outcomes you're trying to achieve, right? And a lot of people don't know, right? Not everybody can be an expert in everything. You can have some fabulous experts in your senior leadership of your organization. Many of them are subject matter experts in their area of expertise, whether it's IT or finance or marketing or sales. They don't necessarily know what is getting in the way of the success they're looking for. So if you can do this evaluation that we teach in the Impact Engine book and that we do with our clients. If you can do that work to engage with people, and this is a really important thing that I think that a lot of people don't understand, is they kind of go into an organization and they say, oh, I know the medicine you need to take. Let me go solve your problems for you. First of all, nobody's going to be on board with that. Second of all, you are making a lot of assumptions. So even if you're right, you're wrong because you didn't bring people with you through the change process. So a really important part of our diagnostic and assessment process that is not standard practice in the industry, is learning more about the challenges and the relationships and the dynamics that are happening in the culture, how people like to go through the change process. Like, where are they? Like, what's going on? Let's really learn what matters to them and how the organization operates so we don't break what's working well, but also so that we understand how to properly implement change. Yeah. With and through the organization, instead of them feeling like it's being done to them. So no matter what that change is, there's a whole different way to to build a solution set and implement that solution set in a way that's making it not just the idea of the people that are a part of the process or that need to experience the change, but they're begging for it. Right? Like that's a big important. One of the things that we do in our assessment process is we flip the switch and the entire dialogue around, these are the things you need to do versus tell me what is keeping you up at night. What are the pains you're experiencing? People aren't necessarily experts in the solutions that are needed to solve their pain points, but they are experts in their pain. They live it and breathe it every day. So if you can really get to what that pain is and help them understand that there's a path to taking that pain away and making their lives easier, then they're going to be much more likely to come on board. So in our space, there's this acronym, WIFM. We call it WIFM, what's in it for me? And our jobs are to find that WIFM, maybe even the personal and professional WIFM, if you will, for everybody, every stakeholder that we're gauging in the process. Because when you can change the entire conversation to be about solving the things that they care about, they're, they're begging you to help them, as opposed to, ah, I don't know what you're doing, but I don't want any part of that new tool you're putting in place or this new process you're trying to make me follow. It's not about, it's the whole conversation changes. And it's not about doing change to people, but doing it with them in a way that has, creates a pull for your services or the changes you're trying to drive instead of a push. Yeah
[44:37] midroll (Phil Agnew, Nudge): That's it. Everything you wanted to know about projects, but were afraid to ask. Laura's book is great. It's called The Impact Engine, and it's essential reading for anyone who wants to plan, manage, or deliver any kind of project. Before we go, let's hear Laura's one biggest takeaway for leaders and business owners— that's you— who want to deliver successful projects
[44:54] Laura Barnard: Oh, there's so many. And I guess that's why I finally wrote a book, right? It was because I just really wanted— and we do, we have a podcast, Podcast. We have so many free resources and support to help people that are going on this journey because the introduction to my book says, "I wish I had me when I was you," and the reason for that is that there are so many things that people mistakes they make, and I have all the battle scars to prove I made all those mistakes myself because when I started doing this work, I had no idea what I was doing. But the typical advice that I was following that. I could find through the books and the classes and the industry experts with their enormous books that with the tiny little font, there was all the things I should be doing. What I learned was that it really wasn't about any of that at all. It was really about doing what made sense and putting that common sense into common practice, but doing it in a way that really brings people with you through the change process. And I want to leave your listeners with one really important thing to to rethink. People are not resistant to change. They are resistant to having change done to them. And so, the very core fundamentals of the Impact Engine system and why it works so well with organizations of all shapes and sizes is that there is a thread of organizational change management running throughout the entire framework. We have people rethink the entire strategy to execution gap and understand why they're reinforcing that in the first place and how to undo all of that with a new operating model that puts the people and the mindset shifts that you must make at the very center of changing how your organization delivers the strategy. So I would say rethink all of what you think you know and the assumptions that you've put in place about what this kind of work is about and do what makes sense, but do it with the people that you need to come on that journey with you. And when you do, you'll accelerate strategy delivery. Achieve a much higher return on investment than you ever expected possible. So, um, and reach out if you need help because we got all kinds of goodies that we can share with people if they need, if they need support
[47:01] Al Elliott: What a woman and what an episode. Laura has so many free resources and great articles, so here's where to find out more about her
[47:10] Laura Barnard: I am all over LinkedIn. I spend a lot of time there, and we have articles and links to the podcast and all kinds kinds of other resources. And they can also go to pmostrategies.com, and, and you will find all kinds of resources and freebies and webinars and ebooks, and of course tons and tons of blog posts and all kinds of things to support people no matter where they are on their impact journey
[47:33] Al Elliott: That is all for today. A quick reminder, if you like to hear stories of how organizations big and small have built amazing workplace cultures, then every single Thursday We bring you an amazing guest with a great story, just like today
[47:46] midroll (Phil Agnew, Nudge): And if you like to keep up to date with the latest news and love a good workplace surgery segment, then tune in every single Tuesday where we bring you exactly that, plus our hot takes with our special guests. You're gonna like next week's. Lee, I think we should say goodbye because you're still ill, aren't you, love?
[48:01] Al Elliott: You say still ill, people are going to get an insight into kind of our recording schedule and how it all works. Um, my cold hasn't lasted, um, this long. Um, and you'll see from the next episode as well, honestly hasn't even lasted that long. Um, but yeah, for right now I am gonna go and sit under a blanket with a lemon sip
[48:17] midroll (Phil Agnew, Nudge): See you soon. And just a quick reminder, if you want to support the show, you know how to do it. Just subscribe and tell other people to subscribe. That's what's really, really— we want, uh, and we'll continue bringing you the best content we possibly can. Um, and hopefully won't be next week because as Leanne's pointed out, and so peek behind the curtain, we're recording 3 episodes on the bounce because we are in the UK again for Leanne's birthday, significant birthday. But we will— no, but we will see you the following week, and hopefully Leanne will be in a different dress and she'll also be all back to normal
[48:49] Al Elliott: Mad if I'm not
[48:51] midroll (Phil Agnew, Nudge): Bye-bye
[48:52] Al Elliott: Bye. Hello and welcome to Truth, Lies and Work. Oh my God, my brain's just gone empty
[49:06] midroll (Phil Agnew, Nudge): Find out why projects fail, why it's so hard to get your idea in, um, many free resources and great articles
[49:18] Al Elliott: I'll do that again. Missing out the end of words