Core Competencies · Protecting · Component
The dependency map
What each competence actually rests on — the people, systems, relationships and knowledge without which it stops working.
The deliverable
What it is
Competences are usually described at the level of what they do and rarely at the level of what makes them possible. The second is where the fragility sits.
External dependencies are the ones most often missed — a supplier, a platform, a licensing arrangement or a single long-standing relationship.
One level in
What it is made of
Each element is a constituent part of the component. Follow one to see the attributes it carries.
The dependencies
Each thing the competence requires in order to function.
3 attributes: Dependency · Dependency type · Internal or external
LearnThe criticality
How severely the competence degrades if each dependency is lost.
3 attributes: Impact · Time to recover · Priority
LearnThe single points
Dependencies with no alternative, listed and decided on.
3 attributes: Dependency · Decision · Owner
Learn
Look outside the organisation. Platform, supplier and single-relationship dependencies are the ones most often missing from the map.
The other components in protecting
The embedding record
What has been done to hold each competence in the organisation rather than in individuals — and what that has cost.
LearnThe erosion watch
The indicators that would show a competence weakening, checked by someone, before the loss becomes obvious.
Learn