People-process maturity ladder

The question it helps answer

Use the people-process maturity ladder to organise the reasoning behind this question: When should a company add structure to leveling, promotion, feedback, and compensation decisions? The working view makes stage, risk, and minimum process visible so discussion can move from general opinion to a specific action or decision.

When to use it

Use the people-process maturity ladder when people working on organization and culture are using different mental models for stage, risk, and minimum process, and that difference is changing choices or coordination.

What it is

The people-process maturity ladder is a set of connected concepts for examining one situation from several necessary angles. Its core working elements are stage, risk, minimum process, and roles. Those elements belong together because each changes how the others should be interpreted or acted on.

Core elements

Stage

Use a small controlled set of states, define the entry and exit condition for each, and record the date of the latest change. Within the people-process maturity ladder, connect this entry to risk so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Risk

Describe the cause, possible consequence, early warning signal, owner, and proportionate prevention or response. Within the people-process maturity ladder, connect this entry to minimum process so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Minimum process

Capture minimum process only at the level needed to answer: When should a company add structure to leveling, promotion, feedback, and compensation decisions? Use observable evidence, name any unresolved judgment, and state what action or choice this entry can change. Within the people-process maturity ladder, connect this entry to roles so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Roles

Assign one accountable owner and distinguish final accountability from contributors, reviewers, and people who must be informed. Within the people-process maturity ladder, connect this entry to data so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Data

Name the evidence, its date and owner, and any limitation that affects how confidently it can be used. Within the people-process maturity ladder, connect this entry to consistency so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Consistency

Capture consistency only at the level needed to answer: When should a company add structure to leveling, promotion, feedback, and compensation decisions? Use observable evidence, name any unresolved judgment, and state what action or choice this entry can change. Within the people-process maturity ladder, connect this entry to transparency so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Transparency

Capture transparency only at the level needed to answer: When should a company add structure to leveling, promotion, feedback, and compensation decisions? Use observable evidence, name any unresolved judgment, and state what action or choice this entry can change. Within the people-process maturity ladder, connect this entry to trigger for next stage so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Trigger for next stage

Record only the context that changes the work, separating verified facts from interpretations and assumptions. Within the people-process maturity ladder, connect this entry to transparency so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.