How to map organisational capability for tech strategy. In Chapter 11 of The Value Flywheel Effect, we examine a crucial yet often overlooked practice in modern technology leadership: mapping organisational capability. In a recent episode of the Serverless Craic, we unpack how this technique can drive clarity, alignment, and strategic investment for technology organisations of all sizes.
Why Org Capability Mapping Matters
It’s a common misconception that hiring individual experts equates to organisational capability. For instance, appointing a security specialist does not mean your company is now secure. Capability is broader—it involves repeatable practices, shared understanding, and embedded ways of working across teams.
As tech leaders, we need to ask:
🔹 What are we good at?
🔹 Where do we need to improve?
🔹 Do we have the practices and people to reach our North Star?
This is where capability mapping becomes a powerful tool.
The Mapping Approach
We advocate using Wardley Maps with a tailored twist. Rather than the traditional product evolution axis (Genesis → Custom → Product → Commodity), we often use a technique-based lens:
Concept → Hypothesis → Theory → Accepted
This scale allows teams to more accurately assess the maturity of capabilities like DevSecOps, CI/CD, threat modelling, or even emerging technologies like blockchain or GenAI.
Example: Blockchain Capability
- In a crypto-native company, blockchain might be Accepted—a core operational capability.
- In a more traditional org, it could still be a Concept—something discussed but not explored.
- The key is understanding where your organisation is, not just the individual knowledge of your smartest engineers.
Anchoring the Map
To give the map purpose and relevance, we anchor it to a senior leader (e.g. CIO, CTO, CISO) and often use an industry-standard framework (like Microsoft’s Secure Development Lifecycle or 12-Factor App principles) as the capability reference.
This approach lets you visualise gaps, inertia, or legacy blockers that may hinder strategic progress. It also helps guide investments in enablement and tooling where needed most.
Practical Benefits
- Strategic Awareness: Spot where heritage practices may be holding you back.
- Prioritisation: Identify low-hanging fruit that can accelerate progress.
- Psychological Safety: Encourage honest reflection on maturity without blame.
- Readiness for Change: Assess if you’re truly prepared for cloud-native, platform, or AI transformations.
Making It Real
We’ve used this technique across diverse organisations—often starting with secure development or cloud-native capability maps. Even mature tech teams are surprised at the insights. Sometimes, a “pet project” thought to be highly advanced turns out to be holding the org back due to lack of alignment with industry practices.
You don’t need to wait for a big transformation. You can start today:
- Pick a capability set (e.g. security, data engineering, ML ops).
- Use the Concept–Accepted axis.
- Map where your organisation (not individuals) stands.
- Look for patterns and gaps.
- Start the conversation.
The Future of Mapping Org Capability
As we move into a GenAI-driven era, the importance of mapping will only grow. Organisational clarity is foundational for navigating complex change and making smart bets on emerging technology.
Whether you’re evolving your cloud strategy, enabling platform teams, or figuring out how to adopt AI responsibly—capability mapping is a lightweight, high-impact tool to guide your next step.
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