Task D2.3: Allocate Experiments

What is Task D2.3?

Task D2.3 is part of the "Act" phase in the Viability Canvas methodology, specifically within the "Energy Map" step (Step D2). This task instructs you to "Use the experiments extracted from the Decide phase investigations. Evaluate them concerning energy and time to implement them and allocate them on the map."

Purpose of Allocating Experiments

The purpose of this task is to strategically position the experiments you've extracted from your investigations on the Energy Map alongside the efforts you've already placed there. This serves several important functions:

1. Creating a complete change portfolio: Integrating both concrete efforts and experimental initiatives on a single map
2. Balancing certainty and learning: Ensuring you have a mix of proven solutions and experimental approaches
3. Resource planning: Visualizing the total demand on organizational energy across all initiatives
4. Timeline management: Seeing how experiments and efforts distribute across time horizons
5. Identifying dependencies: Recognizing when experiments need to precede larger efforts

By mapping experiments alongside efforts, you create a comprehensive view of your entire change agenda, allowing for better coordination and prioritization.

How the Energy Map Incorporates Experiments

The Energy Map becomes more powerful when it includes both efforts (concrete actions) and experiments (learning initiatives). This creates a more nuanced view of your change portfolio:

• Efforts: Represent changes you're confident about implementing
• Experiments: Represent initiatives designed to generate learning before committing to full implementation

When both are mapped together, you can see the balance between action and learning across different time frames and energy levels.

How to Complete Task D2.3

To allocate experiments on the Energy Map:

1. Gather the experiments you extracted in Task D2.2 from your investigations. Evaluate each experiment along two dimensions: Time: How long will the experiment take to implement and evaluate? (days, weeks)
   • Energy: How much organizational resource and effort will the experiment require? Consider:
     • Number of people involved
     • Complexity of setup
     • Monitoring requirements
     • Analysis needs
     • Potential disruption to ongoing operations
2. Position each experiment on the Energy Map based on your evaluation. Differentiate visually between experiments and efforts (e.g., using different colors, shapes, or annotations). Consider sequencing and dependencies: Which experiments need to happen before certain efforts?
   • Which experiments can run in parallel?
   • Which experiments provide learning for multiple potential efforts?
3. Review the overall distribution to ensure you have an appropriate balance of immediate actions, near-term experiments, and longer-term initiatives.

Example from Canned Tornado

In the Canned Tornado case study, they evaluated and allocated their experiments on the Energy Map:

Pilot project for self-controlling teams in a production line:

• Time: Medium (4 weeks)
• Energy: Medium (involves training, new processes, monitoring)
• Positioned in the center of the map as a balanced experiment

Testing Kanban systems between selected process steps:

• Time: Short (3 weeks)
• Energy: Low to medium (involves visual tools, training, minimal disruption)
• Positioned in the lower-left quadrant as a relatively quick experiment

Prototype of a digital dashboard for real-time data:

• Time: Short (2 weeks)
• Energy: Low (using existing data, simple visualization)
• Positioned in the bottom-left quadrant as a quick, low-energy experiment

By placing these experiments on the Energy Map alongside their efforts, Canned Tornado could see how their learning initiatives complemented their action agenda and ensure they had experiments addressing their most critical uncertainties.

Strategic Considerations for Experiment Allocation

When allocating experiments on your Energy Map, consider these strategic factors:

1. Front-load critical experiments: Place experiments that test fundamental assumptions or critical uncertainties early in your timeline.
2. Balance experimentation across quadrants: Ensure you have some quick, low-energy experiments for immediate learning and some more substantial experiments for bigger questions.
3. Link experiments to related efforts: Visually connect experiments to the larger efforts they inform (using arrows, grouping, or color-coding).
4. Consider amplification potential: Prioritize experiments that could generate learning applicable to multiple initiatives.
5. Look for gaps: Identify areas of the change portfolio that lack appropriate experimentation and consider adding experiments where uncertainty is high.
6. Plan for experiment review points: Mark on your timeline when you'll evaluate experiment results and make decisions about proceeding with related efforts.

A well-balanced Energy Map that includes both efforts and experiments creates a dynamic, learning-oriented approach to change that's responsive to new information while maintaining forward momentum.