Depthfinding

Solve your biggest cross-functional problems... finally

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Modern problems,
outdated moves

Your biggest challenges are cross-functional. Your organization is not. Any provocative strategy—from embracing AI, to choosing your next op model, to launching a new product—requires horizontal collaboration.

You’ve probably tried adding project, delivery, and change managers into the mix. Maybe you’ve hired a big consultancy to keep things on the rails. You’re tiger team, task force, design sprinted-out. The harder you work, the harder work gets.

That’s because the environment is changing faster than your strategy, and your strategy is changing faster than your organization. The longer your company survives and the bigger it gets, the wider those gaps grow.

The Sky - External Why - Threats and opportunities sensed in the environment The Sunshine Zone - What - Visible organizational assets and structures The Twilight Zone - How - Murky ways of working and experimenting The Midnight Zone - Internal Why - Invisible individual experience

Better than "best practice"

The best practices most companies rely on are decades old and treat companies like aquariums—controlled, closed environments.

Depthfinding is a modern framework that treats companies like oceans—uncertain, complex environments.

Inspired by real oceanographic terms, Depthfinding breaks down organizational challenges into four distinct yet interdependent zones, from the external marketplace down to individual experiences.

From Aquarium to Ocean

Depthfinding is a framework designed for those ready to guide their organization through complexity with greater ease and impact. Here's an example of one client's journey.

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Shallow strategy, failed Execution

Last year’s strategy deck took months of research, work, and politicking. Those aims were shared with the board and cascaded through the organization. So why wasn’t it well understood and seamlessly executed?
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While investment in the Sunshine Zone was necessary, it wasn’t sufficient. The critical question remained unanswered: What was the priority in the Sky? Without clarity at this level, the strategy wasn’t related to the external environment.
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Meanwhile, the Midnight Zone was churning with invisible responses—from uncertainty to excitement—that amplified the instability. Without addressing these deeper undercurrents, the strategy was destined to fail.

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Deep Strategy, Real Progress

Depthfinding changed this client’s strategy practice for the better. Patterns in the market inform the explicit strategy, which is no longer a PowerPoint full of vague jargon, but a concrete intention with added nuance: nearer-term outcomes and explicit tradeoffs.

Strategy aims are steered quarterly based on progress and shifts in the environment. Critically, they’ve revamped their practices in the Twilight Zone to bring these priorities to life.  New practices for making complex decisions, understanding meaningful progress, and communicating with the organization have closed the strategy-execution gap.

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Depthfinding for the Intelligence Age

Depthfinding isn’t just about improving performance; it’s about creating healthy, sustainable organizations that can solve the next hundred challenges.

IN Our Clients' WORDS

"A year ago, there’s no way we could have come up with this picture of an operating model, nor could we have dialogued about it as a leadership team."

— C-Suite Executive, Financial Services

"The Ready’s expertise was invaluable in transforming our marketing organization’s operational challenges into opportunities. They helped us break down longstanding silos which dramatically improved cross-functional collaboration."

— Senior Director, Technology

"Some of these things have been asks for five years and with The Ready we got it done in six weeks."

— Vice President, Health Care

"You’ve shown us that if it’s safe to try, we should dive in and try it. I appreciate the guardrails you have given us, and the energy and thoughtfulness with which you guided us into unchartered but charter-able territory."

— Senior Director, Public Sector

"Through The Ready’s guided approach to testing new operating models, we’ve improved the speed and quality of our decision-making and have greater clarity alignment around shared objectives."

— Senior Director, Technology
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