Bain's Initiative Rollout Model Matrix Template

Description
In 2017, James Allen, Bain & Company Partner at the London Office published an article called "Founder's Mentality Blog The Win-Scale Model: Scaling a Repeatable Model " on the Founder's Mentality Blog in Bain Insights.

This article explores the dual challenge faced by "micro-battle teams" —winning and scaling.

In the context of this article, a micro-battle "team" refers to a small, focused group of individuals within a larger organization that is tasked with implementing a specific initiative or project. The term "micro-battle" suggests a concentrated and strategic effort to address a particular challenge or opportunity. These teams are designed to operate with agility and autonomy, often employing an experimental or hypothesis-driven approach. 

Winning involves translating a strategic initiative into a successful prototype, while scaling entails turning that prototype into a repeatable model for organization-wide implementation. The goal of winning in this context is to rediscover the organization's Founder's Mentality by effectively addressing a focused challenge. Key skills involve developing the right repeatable model, choosing an effective rollout strategy, and deciding where the repeatable model should reside in the organization. The article emphasizes the importance of behavioral change and provides insights into different rollout models, including standard playbook, playbook plus, new micro-battle, and go viral.

To structure his thoughts, James Allen created a 2x2 matrix (four quadrants) that aims at charactrerising initiatives and finding the appropriate rollout model.

The matrix has 2 axis :

- X-Axis: "Centralization of potential adopters":  refers to the concentration of individuals or teams within the organization who need to embrace the newly developed repeatable model. The article emphasizes that the success of the rollout strategy depends on understanding how widely the model needs to be adopted across the organization.
- Y-Axis: "Complexity of repeatable model": discussed in terms of the challenge it poses during the scaling phase. The article suggests that the difficulty in deploying the model lies in determining the right repeatable model and devising a rollout strategy that ensures its adoption by the front line. The complexity is attributed to the need for behavioral change and the level of standardization achievable.

- PLAYBOOK PLUS 📕📘📗 : (Low Centralisation, Low Complexity) - A staggered rollout, with increased training and communication, embeds the playbook in different regions.
Details: This direct approach is effective when you can completely standardize your replicable model, anticipate minimal behavioral adjustments, and need to engage a centralized group of individuals. Create a step-by-step playbook outlining your replicable model and either gather all involved parties for training in one location or visit each team individually, as the manageable number of participants allows.

- STANDARD PLAYBOOK 📖 : (High Centralisation, Low Complexity) - A playbook sets out the repeatable model step-by-step.
Details: If the required user base is large or dispersed, a more considered approach is necessary for rolling out the replicable model. Opt for a phased introduction, starting in one region to establish a clear success story before expanding to other parts of the organization. Striking a balance between speed and impact is crucial. Generating quick wins to build momentum and showcase success will create organizational pull. Additionally, populating the micro-battle team with "pull forwards"—individuals recruited from the targeted regions or functions who can join the team, learn the replicable model, and then return to their roles—will encourage and seed change.

While these two playbook models (Standard + Plus) may seem promising, a cautionary note is warranted: Large companies often mistakenly believe that most of their initiatives fit neatly into these categories due to their familiarity with traditional approaches. However, they are frequently surprised when corporate change initiatives struggle to gain traction, and meticulously crafted playbooks end up unused. The assumption that a standardized approach is suitable and that minimal behavioral change is needed is often incorrect. Thus, a word of caution against blindly relying on playbook models.

The exception arises when the replicable model revolves around one of the company's core distinctive capabilities. In such cases, it becomes crucial for everyone in the company to follow the same approach consistently. A prime example is Ikea's packaging of ready-to-assemble furniture in flat boxes, a key aspect of the company's value proposition. In this scenario, making the process discretionary or customizable by market would be a mistake.

- NEW MICRO-BATTLE ⚔️ : (Low Centralisation, High Complexity) - A new micro-battle builds on the repeatable model and tailors it to new regions.
Details: This model works in situations where the level of standardization is low, the behavioral change needed is huge and only a limited number of players need to adopt the repeatable model. If this is the case, why don’t you just run the next team as a micro-battle? It takes a bit longer, but the effort starts with a well-tested hypothesis for the repeatable model, which the new team can then use to co-create its own tailored solution. Assigning leadership to a pull-forward mentored by the original micro-battle leaders helps here, too. What you might lose in speed, you make up for in a greater sense of ownership and a higher rate of adoption.

- GO VIRAL 🥳 : (High Centralisation, High Complexity) - A central team builds on the repeatable model and tailors it to new regions.
Details: This is by far the trickiest type of rollout to implement. But guess what? It’s also the most applicable to many of your most important initiatives. You need this kind of rollout when you can’t easily standardize the repeatable model; it requires huge behavioral change and you need a large number of teams to buy in. As we’ve said, most companies cling to the playbook models because they’re the most comfortable. But one reason there is so much yield loss when it comes to rolling out change in the modern enterprise is that most companies fail to recognize that a viral approach is usually more effective.

We love the viral model because it encourages your company to exercise the muscles of a scale insurgent. It presumes you have empowered your people to act like founders and to invent their way to the next great customer-focused solution. While your micro-battle team may think it has a better widget, it will have to convince the company’s heroes one at a time. The process is a bit slower, but once these insurgents are on board, things move fast. And this model forces the company to become great at the insurgent behaviors of co-creation and frontline obsession. It encourages an owner mindset.

Making the viral model work, however, requires careful thinking about who leads your micro-battles and how to sequence them, starting with the first two waves of battles. It is critical that your company’s star influencers lead these early initiatives, because they will also be key to rolling out the Repeatable Models later. Their credibility and enthusiasm will win over others, which will lend crucial energy to the rollouts. They’ll provide ample evidence that the new ways of working produce results. We always say to clients that deciding who leads your early battles matters as much as what the battles are about. Given battles of equal importance, we’d always prioritize launching the ones led by your stars.

Given the pertinence of the application of this framework in the context of the Bain 2017 article, I decided to create a universal template any C-Level member can use to position various different initiatives and to find the appropriate rollout model.

The Best Practice is:
- 1 editable Microsoft PowerPoint Template Slide
- with an online & offline 13 step-by-step methodology, with pedagogical illustrations for each step.

Should you have any questions about this top tier Bain & Company framework template, you're welcome to reach out to me via Private Message.

Good Luck!
- Tim

⭐️ Bundle of 20+ MBB (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) Strategy Consulting Frameworks (including this one)
⭐️ Bundle of 20+ Four-Quadrant (2x2) Matrix Framework Templates (including this one)
⭐️ Bundle of 3 Bain & Company Framework Templates (including this one)