The document discusses the concept of an infinite organization that aims to continuously thrive rather than win by focusing on strategy, structure, processes, and execution. It contrasts this with a finite organization focused on winning. It also discusses how organizational debt in these four dimensions, such as unclear strategy or inefficient processes, can limit a company's adaptability and agility. The document advocates for continuous improvement to reduce debt through small changes over time.

1. A vision of agility as growth and opportunity
Lyn Girvan
CMC Partnership Consultancy Ltd
The infinite organisation

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A little about me…
@LynGirvan
linkedin.com/in/lyndagirvan

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- James Carse,
Finite and Infinite Games (1986)
There are at least two kinds of
games.
One could be called finite, the
other infinite.
A finite game is played for the
purpose of winning, an infinite
game for the purpose of
continuing the play.

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An infinite game A finite game
The Game Visual Thinkers Play - Verbal To Visual
The metaphor

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At CMC we have developed the concept of an infinite
organisation based on the infinite game
• What changes when the purpose of business shifts from winning
to surviving and thriving?
• How does the shift of a business ‘playing’ an infinite game vs. a
finite game impact their success?
• How do we introduce and create value with this in the CMC
business agility model?
• What mindset, characteristics and behaviours are needed within
individuals for them to contribute to an organisation being
infinite?
Concepts that we considered…
The metaphor

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Strategy
Process
Execution
Structure
The four dimensions of business agility
Strategy
Structure (static)
Process (dynamic)
Execution
The infinite organisation The infinite game
The goal and direction of the game
Boundaries of the playing field
The rules of the game
Techniques used in playing the game
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Strategy – the goals of the game

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Structure – the boundaries of the game

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Process – the rules of the game

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Execution – Playing the game

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The types of debt

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“It is not the most intellectual of
the species that survives; it is not
the strongest that survives…
…the species that survives is the
one that is able to adapt to and to
adjust best to the changing
environment in which it finds itself”
- Charles Darwin (attr.)
Not responding to external changes results in
stagnant products/services
Unclear strategic direction leads to inefficient
workforce
Mixed messages from top team creates
organisational confusion
Inability to reallocate resources quickly
results in being less adaptive to change
Examples of Strategy debt
Strategy

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“Any organization that
designs a system (defined
broadly) will produce a
design whose structure is a
copy of the organization’s
communication structure.”
— Melvin E. Conway
Silo mentality leads to inflexible cross team
working/knowledge sharing
Organisational structures not evolving leads to
Conway's law
Out of date policies lead to nugatory
work
Hierarchical structures lead to slower decision
making
Examples of Structure debt
Structure

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“Notice that the stiffest tree is
most easily cracked, while the
bamboo or willow survives by
bending with the wind.”
- Bruce Lee
Inefficient processes make day to day work
wasteful
Process workarounds create a process
burden
Siloed processes reduce adaptability of whole
organisation
Stagnant services result in organisations losing
out to competitors
Examples of Process debt
Process

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“Psychological safety is…
… a climate in which people
are comfortable being and
expressing themselves
without anxiety or fear
of sanction.”
- Amy Edmondson
No experimentation leads to lower quality
solutions
Always prioritising delivery over staff development
leads to staff attrition
If transparency is not practiced it leads to reduced
morale
Micro-managed teams leads to reduced autonomy,
escalation routes and slower delivery
Examples of Execution debt
Execution

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• Understand organisational debt
• Find ways to measure the value of the debt
• Find interventions to reduce or eradicate
debt
• Build the concept of organisational debt
into your practice
Challenges for Business Analysts

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Sometimes we dismiss small changes because, in
the moment, they don’t always seem to matter…
…but collectively small changes can make a huge
difference.
Business agility is a journey of continuous
improvement, not a one-off transformation.

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Referencing
• Carse, J.P. (1987). Finite and Infinite Games. New York: Ballantine Books.
• Verbal to visual. (2017). The Game Visual Thinkers Play [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.verbaltovisual.com/the-game-visual-thinkers-play/
• Fowler, M. (2019). Technical Debt. https://martinfowler.com/bliki/TechnicalDebt.html
• Edmondson, A. C. (2018). The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the
Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth, Wiley.
• Conway, M. E. (1968). How do Committees Invent? Copyright 1968, F. D. Thompson
Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Datamation magazine (April 1968).
www.melconway.com/Home/Committees_Paper.html
• Doz, Y. (2007). Fast Strategy, How strategic agility will help you stay ahead of the game.
Wharton School Publishing.
• Girvan, L. & Girvan, S. (2022). Agile from first principles. BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

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@LynGirvan
linkedin.com/in/lyndagirvan
lyn.girvan@consultcmc.com
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