Maturity Models for Managing Organisational Capabilities
This purpose of this document is to provide the reader/user with guidelines on how to use
the maturity models included in these resource pages. The maturity models reflect the
capability areas identified and discussed in Chapter 8 of the book. I have refrained from
including these maturity models in the body of the book as they are likely to change and
evolve as our learning in the field advances. Keeping these models on a more easily
updatable website provides the opportunity to keep them up-to-date without the need for
updating the book.
In total there are seven maturity models organised to reflect the Operational Capability
(vertical axis) and the Dynamic capability (horizontal axis) of the two-by-two matrix
discussed in the book and illustrated below.
These seven maturity models enable the reader/user to assess the maturity of their
organisations against the following capability areas:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Strategic capability
Product leadership capability
Customer intimacy capability
Operational excellence capability
Dynamic capability
Ambidexterity and learning capability
Organisational culture
These are generic maturity models designed to be relevant to a wide range of organisations.
I would, therefore, recommend use of generic maturity models, with some caution. For the
maturity models to be really impactful my recommendation is that you use the generic
models as a basis but develop your own maturity models, using your own language and
terminology, making them meaningful for everyone in the organisation. This way you can
ensure that you can consider what good looks like for your sector, market, region, etc. You
can take into account your customers, competitors, suppliers, country, regional economic
conditions and so forth, to develop a maturity model that is meaningful for your business,
products, markets and economy. To enable each reader/user to tailor the maturity models
to suit their own organisation I have provided the maturity models as MS Word documents.
Some models are more transportable than others. As such, organisational culture and
learning capability models are more widely applicable as generic maturity models compared
to the product leadership model, which will need to be quite specific to the product/service
of the organisation.
Maturity models serve three purposes:



They enable organisations to manage their organisational capabilities by enabling them
to more objectively assess and position their organisational capabilities and capability
gaps.
They provide a platform for discussion, reflection and collective learning amongst the
management and wider team.
They can show changes in the organisation’s capability over time.
I would strongly recommend that you read Part 3 of the book before you embark on a
project to assess the maturity of your organisation in the capability areas provided. Also
ensure that you involve as many diverse views as you can from different parts and levels of
the organisation. Sometimes you may find it helpful to have an external facilitator to help
manage the discussion.
Conducting Maturity Assessments:
Step 1 – Select the maturity area you wish to assess, e.g. Strategic Capability, Product
Leadership, Organisational Culture, etc.
Step 2 - To conduct a maturity assessment, review all five levels of maturity and discuss
which statements best reflects the current practices in your organisation. Here, inevitably
there will some differences of opinion. Discuss these differences until you are satisfied that
a sensible agreement is reached. Identify the practices and allocate a score that reflects the
position of the organisation as illustrated below.
Repeat this for each element of the maturity area.
Step 3 - Once the assessment for a maturity area is complete you can then workout the
maturity score (out of 100 pints) for that area by following the guidelines provided at the
end of each one of the maturity models.
On completion of all the maturity assessments there is a process to help you position your
organisation on the following two-by-two matrix. Here you simply average the scores for
each maturity area that corresponds to the vertical and horizontal axis, as follows:
Operating capability (Vertical axis)
 Strategic capability
 Product leadership capability
 Customer intimacy capability
 Operational excellence capability
Dynamic capability (Horizontal axis)
 Dynamic capability
 Ambidexterity and learning capability
 Organisational culture