Adaptive Operating Model
An Adaptive Operating Model defines how an organisation is structured to deliver value in conditions of uncertainty, complexity, and continuous change. It is a way of working designed around learning, fast feedback, and decentralised decision-making rather than prediction and control.
The core premise is simple: when outcomes cannot be reliably known in advance, the organisation must be designed to sense, respond, and adapt as work progresses.
An adaptive operating model is not a set of practices or a delivery framework. It is the structural foundation that makes adaptation possible at scale.
Operating Model Etymology
Core Characteristics
An adaptive operating model is defined by a small number of structural properties:
Outcome-oriented value delivery
Work is organised around outcomes and value, not projects, phases, or task completion. Success is measured by realised impact, not adherence to a predefined plan.
Decentralised decision rights
Decisions are intentionally pushed as close as possible to where information emerges. Clear boundaries exist, but authority is not centralised. This reduces delay and increases responsiveness.
Explicit learning loops
Learning is not incidental. Feedback from customers, users, systems, and markets is deliberately built into the operating model, enabling evidence-based adjustment of direction.
Stable structure, flexible execution
Teams, roles, and accountabilities are stable over time. What changes is the work, the priorities, and the direction, not the organisational shape itself.
Governance that enables flow
Governance focuses on enabling progress and managing risk through transparency and accountability, not on enforcing compliance with predefined plans.
Relationship to Product-Centric Operating Models
The adaptive operating model provides the foundational structure for product-centric organisations.
Both the Product Operating Model and the Agile Product Operating Model are specialisations that sit within an adaptive operating model. They apply the same underlying principles of learning, decentralisation, and outcome focus, while tailoring structure and decision-making to product delivery.
The adaptive operating model answers the organisational question:
How do we structure ourselves so learning and adaptation are normal, safe, and effective?
Product-focused models then answer:
How do we apply that structure to sustained product value delivery?
What an Adaptive Operating Model Is Not
To avoid common misuse, an adaptive operating model is not:
- A synonym for Agile, Scrum, or DevOps
- A collection of ceremonies, tools, or delivery practices
- A team-level process improvement
- A change initiative layered on top of an existing structure
It replaces the underlying assumptions about how work is coordinated, how decisions are made, and how value is discovered.
Why Organisations Adopt an Adaptive Operating Model
Organisations adopt an adaptive operating model when:
- Customer needs evolve faster than plans can be updated
- Technology change introduces continuous uncertainty
- Coordination costs and handoffs slow delivery
- Centralised control becomes a bottleneck
- Learning speed matters more than plan accuracy
In these conditions, adaptability is not a competitive advantage, it is a prerequisite for survival.
Summary
An adaptive operating model is the organisational expression of empiricism. It creates the conditions where learning drives progress, accountability replaces control, and structure enables change rather than resisting it.
It is the operating model required for modern product-centred, knowledge-based work in complex environments.
