THE ACTIVITY VS IMPACT CHECK

How do we define business value? It’s the contribution our work makes to the performance, efficiency, and competitiveness of the organisation. It’s not a finance metric, it’s a mindset. And it starts with us. And when we lead through this lens - the financial results follow.

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Transformation doesn’t start with action - it starts with awareness. But before we think about making any changes to how we operate, we need to understand our reality: How much of our work is truly enabling the business strategy? How much is business critical? What’s draining our resources but adding little value? And what might we be missing entirely?

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It’s time to find out. Look across your landscape end to end. Not just the work that you carefully plan out, or the ongoing activities that need to happen - everything. The day to day, the hidden effort, the tasks and requests that drain time and resources. Get really clear on what’s filling your book of work, your calendar and your attention.

 

Here’s how:

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Tackle it as a team. First set the scene and create a no-blame zone. This isn’t about fault - it’s about legacy, clarity, and what’s holding you back. Be transparent, be curious and be open. Encourage honest conversations and remember - you’re in this together.

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Take the time to document your full workload. Capture all your activity - programmes, projects, processes, annual cycles, recurring tasks, reports, requests. And get clear on what matters most. With every item ask:

 

1 - Why are we doing this?

2 - Who are we doing this for?

3 - What outcome does it drive?

4 - How do we know if it’s effective?

5 - What would happen if we stopped doing it?

6 - Is this creating value for our people, our business or our customers?

 

Once you establish your true reality you can move forward. This is how you start to free up capacity. Create the space to think differently. And start building a function that delivers what your business really needs.

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