cbso Framework Phase 2: Stabilization – Operator’s Guide
Objective: Build discipline. Restore rhythm. Reset expectations and accountability.
You’ve stopped the bleeding. Leadership is clear. Critical workflows function. Now you need to build the operational rhythm that sustains momentum.
Stabilization is where discipline takes root. You realign people to roles that match capability. You establish cadence and accountability. You stabilize workflows so they run without daily heroics. You catalog broken systems and extract quick wins from existing tech.
This phase restores operational rhythm. When teams execute without constant management intervention, when processes are repeatable, when systems reliably support the work, you’re ready to advance.
The Reality Map: Diagnostic Clarity
Before you stabilize operations, you need to know what you’re stabilizing. The Reality Map is a two-week exercise that closes the gap between perception and reality.
Week 1 – Gather
Ask every director:
- What does your team actually do?
- Who are your internal partners and dependencies?
- What tools do you use?
- Who are your internal customers?
No goals. No narratives. Just the work.
Week 2 – Compile & Review
- Overlay all responses into one map
- Highlight overlap, ghost work, and unowned critical functions
- Present to leadership: “This is what we actually run on.”
What You’ll Find:
Overlap consuming 20-40% of capacity. Ghost responsibilities no one owns. Mission-critical work buried in the wrong place. Zombie processes from five years ago.
Why It Matters:
You cannot stabilize what you cannot see. The Reality Map becomes your operating system for this phase. It exposes where ownership is unclear, where work overlaps, where critical functions have no owner, and where zombie work consumes capacity without delivering value.
Do not skip this step. It’s the quiet work that makes everything else possible.
People – Stabilization
The Question: Who is in the wrong seat? Who needs training? Where are communication breakdowns?
Actions:
- Realign people to roles that match capability
- Identify and close skill gaps with training
- Fix cross-functional communication failures
- Establish cadence: expectations, accountability, check-ins
What Good Looks Like:
- Right people, right seats
- Communication flows
- Weekly check-ins happen and produce action
- No one is surprised by missed commitments
Process – Stabilization
The Question: Where is the engine misfiring? What cadence restores rhythm?
Actions:
- Stabilize core workflows
- Establish operational cadence (daily stand-ups, weekly reviews)
- Document just enough for consistency
- Make processes repeatable without constant intervention
What Good Looks Like:
- Workflows run without daily heroics
- Cadence is followed
- New hires onboard without chaos
- Delivery timelines are predictable
Technology – Stabilization
The Question: What systems aren’t working? What tools create friction? How do we get quick wins with existing tech?
Actions:
- Catalog broken systems and plan replacements
- Fix or work around friction-causing tools
- Extract quick wins from current stack
- Sunset unfixable tools
What Good Looks Like:
- Replacement plans exist
- Tools support, don’t block
- Quick wins are live
- Tech debt is mapped, not mysterious
When to Advance
Rhythm is restored. Teams execute without constant management. Processes are repeatable. Systems are reliable.
Discipline takes root.
When you can answer yes to these questions, you’re ready for Turnaround:
- Do workflows run without daily heroics?
- Do teams follow established cadence without reminders?
- Can new hires onboard without chaos?
- Are delivery timelines predictable?
- Do systems support work instead of blocking it?
If yes, advance. If no, keep stabilizing.
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