The Difference Between Following Frameworks and Building Delivery Capability

"This will revolutionise how we deliver value."

We've all heard this promise with every new methodology that emerges. And here's the fascinating thing: they often do revolutionise delivery - but not in the way most people expect.

The real revolution isn't in the methodology itself. It's in what happens after the hype curve peaks and these approaches become part of everyone's toolkit. That's when the interesting challenges begin.

When methodologies become mainstream, execution capability becomes the true differentiator. Understanding this shift is crucial for both organisations and individuals navigating the modern delivery landscape.

The Commoditisation Curve in Action

Look at the lifecycle pattern: Every methodology follows the same predictable curve from revolutionary idea to mainstream adoption to commoditised baseline capability.

Six Sigma moved from cutting-edge statistical process control to expected quality management knowledge. Lean evolved from Toyota's competitive advantage to standard operations vocabulary. Agile transformed from revolutionary software delivery to basic project management hygiene.

Now Ways of Working and customer-centred design are becoming table stakes, while AI and automation ride the early hype curve toward inevitable commoditisation.

But here's what happens after the curve peaks: knowing the methodology becomes worthless—executing it effectively becomes everything. More importantly, knowing where, when, and why to apply different approaches becomes the critical skill that separates delivery system builders from framework followers.

The Passenger Problem

Here's where it gets interesting—and uncomfortable.

During the mainstream adoption phase, thousands of people get "experience" by proximity. They attend the training sessions. They participate in the ceremonies. They learn the vocabulary. They add it to their CVs.

But there's a massive difference between:

• Being present during an Agile transformation vs. leading an Agile transformation

• Attending Lean workshops vs. designing and implementing a value stream

• Using Design Thinking templates vs. facilitating customer discovery that changes product direction

• Talking about AI vs. implementing automation that measurably improves delivery

The passengers learned the language. The drivers built the capability.

The New Reality for Organisations

This creates a fascinating challenge for organisations. When methodologies become mainstream, they face three critical questions:

1. Do we actually need specialists anymore?

The answer is nuanced. You don't need specialists to run basic Agile ceremonies or map simple value streams—any competent delivery manager should handle that. But you absolutely need specialists when:

• You're doing these practices badly and need genuine improvement

• You're scaling or adapting methodologies to complex contexts

• You're integrating multiple approaches into coherent delivery systems

2. How do we tell the drivers from the passengers?

Look for evidence of ownership and contextual adaptation, not participation:

• Can they walk you through decisions they made, not processes they followed?

• Do they have specific examples of problems they solved, not meetings they attended?

• Can they explain trade-offs and adaptations they implemented?

• Can they apply generic knowledge to unique contexts and situations, adapting it to serve specific needs rather than dogmatically enforcing frameworks?

• Have they actually led transformation, not just been part of one?

3. What should we expect from our managers now?

The expectation has shifted dramatically. Modern delivery and transformation leaders should have working knowledge across multiple methodologies:

• Process thinking from Six Sigma

• Flow optimisation from Lean

• Iterative delivery from Agile

• Customer insight from Design Thinking

• Automation mindset from DevOps

They don't need to be deep specialists in everything, but they should be conversationally fluent and capable of basic execution. Deep specialisation in 1-2 areas is valuable, but breadth has become essential.

The Individual Career Implications

If you've built your career on methodology expertise, this commoditisation trend has profound implications:

For Current "Specialists":

• Can you prove exceptional marginal value over internal capability?

• Are you solving complex integration challenges, not just implementing frameworks?

• Do you have genuine transformation leadership experience, or just facilitation skills?

For Aspiring Leaders:

• Don't chase the latest methodology hype—build integration capability

• Develop genuine experience leading (not just participating in) change

• Focus on measurable value delivery outcomes, not process compliance

For Everyone:

• Expect to understand multiple methodologies at a working level

• Distinguish between learning the language and developing execution capability

• Be honest about your actual experience level—passengers eventually get exposed

The Integration Opportunity

Here's the real opportunity: organisations need people who can synthesise insights across methodologies, not just implement individual frameworks.

The highest value professionals today are those who can:

• Diagnose which methodological approaches apply to specific contexts

• Adapt and combine practices based on organisational needs

• Lead delivery system design that integrates multiple approaches

• Build organisational capability that transcends any single methodology

This isn't about being a jack-of-all-trades. It's about being a master synthesiser who can create coherent value delivery systems from the best of multiple approaches.

The Methodology Maturity Test

Want to assess your real capability level? Ask yourself:

For each methodology you claim experience with:

• Have I personally led implementation (not just participated)?

• Can I adapt the approach based on context and constraints?

• Do I understand the underlying principles, not just the practices?

• Can I measure and improve the effectiveness of implementation?

• Have I integrated this with other methodologies successfully?

These questions help clarify where your real strengths lie and where you might want to build deeper capability.

What This Means Moving Forward

The methodology landscape is maturing rapidly. The organisations and individuals who thrive will be those who:

Focus on integration over implementation - Building coherent delivery systems rather than following individual frameworks

Develop genuine execution capability - Leading transformation rather than facilitating workshops

Measure value delivery outcomes - Proving impact rather than demonstrating process compliance

Build adaptive expertise - Synthesising insights across methodologies rather than specialising in one

The days of commanding premium rates just for knowing Agile vocabulary are over. The future belongs to those who can actually deliver value using whatever combination of methods gets the job done.

The Uncomfortable Question

So here's a valuable way to frame your methodology experience: Focus on the systems you've built, problems you've solved, and value you've delivered. This approach naturally highlights your execution capability and demonstrates how you've adapted methodologies to create real impact.

When you can articulate the outcomes you've driven rather than just the processes you've followed, you position yourself as someone who builds delivery capability rather than simply implements frameworks.