In this BONUS episode, we explore the groundbreaking work of two renowned agilists – Karl Scotland and Jim Benson. Together, they’ve developed innovative approaches to making strategy accessible and actionable across organizations. We delve into how their combined expertise in X-Matrix strategy deployment and Obeya visualization creates powerful frameworks for aligning teams and keeping strategic conversations alive throughout execution.
The Genesis of Strategic Visualization
“It’s not about whether agile works or not. It’s about whether your business is being successful.”
Karl Scotland shares how his journey from tactical agile practices to strategic thinking began with a deceptively simple question: “How will we know if this agile thing is working?” This fundamental inquiry exposed a common gap in organizations – the disconnect between implementation methodologies and measurable business outcomes. Karl explains how this led him to develop the X-Matrix, a powerful visualization tool that connects true north, aspirations, strategies, tactics, and evidence on a single page, creating coherence across organizational efforts.
Jim Benson reflects on his complementary path, observing how organizations often focus intensely on transformations without creating clear alignment between corporate needs, team activities, and customer value. This absence of a “full story” connecting strategic intent to daily work leaves teams uncertain if they’re actually doing the right things. Jim highlights how their combined approach addresses this critical gap through collaborative strategy development and visual management.
Seeing Strategy, Tactics, and Work in One Place
“Strategy has often been things that C-level people do when they go on a retreat to Cancun…and everybody’s like ‘why?’ and they’re like ‘Cancun’…the story of how that came about isn’t there.” Continue reading BONUS: X-Matrix and Obeya: How to Make Strategy Visible and Actionable for Everyone with Jim Benson and Karl Scotland
