Our research-to-readiness approach

From understanding disruption to enabling transformation.

A research-led, decision-oriented approach. Research is not a publication exercise; it is the evidence base for how organizations may need to evolve and which capabilities will matter.

Seven steps

From research to embedded capability.

  1. 01

    Research and organizational intelligence

    Examine industry shifts, workforce evolution, technology developments, AI impact, leadership requirements and organizational readiness.

  2. 02

    Future capability architecture

    Translate research insights into future organizational capabilities, role requirements, maturity considerations and competence blueprints.

  3. 03

    Competence blueprint

    Identify technical, behavioural, leadership, innovation and AI-readiness competencies that can enable future organizational capability.

  4. 04

    Capability readiness assessment

    Explore current readiness against relevant future capability requirements at the enterprise, business unit, function, team or role level.

  5. 05

    Gap interpretation and decision priorities

    Examine potential readiness gaps, organizational enablers and areas requiring further evidence, attention or investment.

  6. 06

    Transformation and capability development

    Where relevant, translate priorities into organizational development, learning, transformation and capability-building initiatives.

  7. 07

    Demonstration and embedding

    Support the longer-term objective of applying, demonstrating and embedding new capabilities in organizational work and decision-making.

Our integrated transformation architecture

Five parts, one architecture.

  1. 01

    OLL Research

    Generates intelligence about disruption, future readiness and organizational gaps.

  2. 02

    Competence Blueprint

    Defines future capabilities, roles, competencies, behaviours and maturity requirements.

  3. 03

    Transformation Engine

    Translates capability design into structured transformation and development methodologies, including LADE: Learn, Apply, Demonstrate, Embed.

  4. 04

    OLL Academy

    Supports the operationalization of capability development and business transformation programs.

  5. 05

    Organization Learning Laboratories

    Provide a longer-term direction for institutionalizing experimentation, learning and continuous organizational reinvention.

From research to competence blueprint

Understanding the external environment. Designing future capabilities. Building enterprise readiness.

Reinvention starts with understanding how the world around an organization is changing, from technology and customers to regulation, geopolitics and workforce dynamics. Internal data alone cannot show this. Our research with experts, practitioners and academicians explores how industries may evolve, which capabilities will matter and which competencies people need. It is the foundation of our Competence Blueprint.

The Competence Blueprint connects the future enterprise to the people, roles and competencies required to make that future possible.

Explore the Competence Blueprint →

Research with industry experts and academicians

Future requirements cannot be read from today's job descriptions, skill inventories or structures. We engage knowledge communities to explore structural industry shifts, evolving business and operating models, emerging capabilities and responsibilities, and competencies that must change, deepen or combine.

Research-to-blueprint process

  1. 01Environmental scanning

    Identify relevant changes in industry, technology, business models, regulation and workforce expectations.

  2. 02Expert inquiry

    Engage practitioners and academicians to explore implications, competing perspectives and emerging patterns.

  3. 03Organizational interpretation

    Examine what these developments could mean for organizational design, operating models and strategic execution.

  4. 04Capability formulation

    Translate relevant insights into proposed future organizational capabilities.

  5. 05Competence mapping

    Identify competence categories, clusters and role-specific competencies that may enable those capabilities.

  6. 06Framework review

    Test assumptions through expert review, contextual analysis and ongoing research.

  7. 07Readiness application

    Use the resulting architecture to inform assessment design and capability development priorities.

Architecture

The capability and competence architecture

One connected architecture separates broad organizational capability domains from the competencies that enable them.

From capability to competence blueprint

A future organizational capability provides the starting point for determining the competencies that may enable it.

  1. Capability Family

    A broad grouping of related capabilities that contribute to a larger area of organizational performance or responsibility.

    e.g.Digital Engineering & Technology Delivery

  2. Capability

    A defined organizational ability, contextualized by industry, business model, operating environment or strategic requirement.

    e.g.AI-Augmented Software Engineering

  3. Competence Category

    A broad domain used to organize knowledge, skills, behaviours or judgment required to enable a capability.

    e.g.Technical & Domain Mastery

  4. Competence Cluster

    A grouping of closely related competencies or evidence areas used to structure assessment and development.

    e.g.AI-assisted development and engineering practices

  5. Competence

    A specific ability that an individual or role may need to demonstrate in a relevant context.

    e.g.Ability to use AI-enabled development tools responsibly within a defined engineering workflow

  6. Competence Blueprint

    The connected mapping of capability requirements to competence requirements, role profiles, proficiency expectations and development considerations.

    Role ProfileSoftware engineer, technical lead, architect or engineering manager

    EvidenceRelevant scenarios, work samples, demonstrations, review evidence or other appropriate assessment inputs

This is an illustrative example, not a validated industry benchmark. Actual mappings should be adapted to the organization's industry, operating model, role, strategic priorities and required level of proficiency.

Important distinction. A capability is not simply the sum of individual competencies. Organizational capability also depends on processes, technology, governance, leadership, operating models, collaboration and other enabling conditions.

Why it matters

Why the Competence Blueprint matters for enterprise reinvention

Reinvention means turning strategic intent into organizational ability, then into development priorities. The blueprint is the common reference structure that connects them.

  • Research and future capability design

    Identifies organizational abilities that may become important as industries and operating environments change.

  • Enterprise Capability Readiness Assessment

    Connects future capability requirements with readiness-oriented questions and relevant competence requirements.

  • Capability development

    Helps identify which competencies, roles and organizational enablers may require attention.

  • Personalized learning and development

    Provides a potential basis for role-specific development journeys rather than generic learning interventions.

  • Application and embedding

    Supports the longer-term objective of applying, demonstrating and embedding capability within workflows, decision-making and organizational practice.

The Competence Blueprint is the bridge between future organizational requirements and the competence development required to support them.

NextResponsible assessmentBuilding trust through clarity, context and the responsible use of assessment insights.

Assess readiness at the level you make decisions at.

Explore how prepared your organization, unit, function or role is for defined future capability requirements.