ABSTRACT
It is quite common to see, as in the Pratt & Whitney case study, organizations putting in place many of the pieces (like K-Briefs, Causal Maps, Integrating Events, etc.), getting valuable benefits, but still having processes dominated by rework caused by bad early decisions. Why? In the end, it is not sufficient to talk about “Success is Assured” and adopt related practices; it has to change your decision-making. And very often, it is the same leaders asking for “Success is Assured” in one sentence who are unknowingly preventing it in another (e.g., asking for a standard deliverable by its standard due date, thereby forcing premature decisions). Why? In complex processes developing complex products, there are too many moving parts to understand how to change each and every one up front. Thus, it is critical that an organization establish clear guidance to their leadership on how they should be adjusting those moving parts when encountered. That clear guidance is the topic of this chapter.
