Navigating complexity using current reality trees and experimentation

Themes: Lean | Complexity

Delivering value early and often sounds great in theory - but in reality, teams regularly struggle with constant firefighting, context switching, communication breakdowns and unexpected blockers.

Retrospectives and process improvement initiatives can help, but many problems are deeper and more complex, so this can’t always be solved through straightforward discussion or brainstorming.

These problems are rarely isolated to a single team. They exist within a complex chain of cause and effect that can involve many individuals and teams within an organisation.

In this workshop, we will guide you through building a Current Reality Tree (CRT) to visualise the cause and effect chain of a complex problem.

You will also co-create an experiment to address the root cause you've identified.

This session is particularly relevant for those working in complex environments where dependencies, misalignment and competing priorities hinder progress.

By building CRTs, participants will gain a deeper understanding of their organisation’s constraints and learn how to frame practical, data-driven experiments that resonate with leadership.

Participant takeaways:

• How to build a CRT to visualise the hidden cause-and-effect chain
• How to identify the root cause(s) of your problems
• How to define experiments to address the root cause(s)
• How to use CRTs to help you gain leadership buy-in for change
• Some practical tips and real-life examples from the trenches to help you build CRTs effectively

This session:

• This session is designed for complete beginners, no prior knowledge of TOC is required.
• Includes interaction.