Levels
This section provides explanation about the Levels in the MINCE Maturity Model.
Levels: overview
As explained elsewhere, each Tower in out MINCE castle has five Levels (a couple more than there were found for the Tower in adjecent photograph). The higher the level in a Tower we are able to reach, the better we can see who is approaching through our looking holes (Criteria).
From the first floor we will, obviously, via our Criteria-holes only notice anyone approaching as soon as the oncomer is very near. Only at that moment will the organization be able to decide whether to consider the newcomer a friend or a threat. The organization, as a result, will have little time to prepare a warm welcome of a proper defense.
This is much easier if the organization is able to check for new arrivals from higher floors. That will leave time to get prepared: prepare complex meals (friendly visitor) or put out the oil cauldrons above high fires (enemy ahead).
In MINCE we are particularly interested in the height of the top floor that we can reach. This is the Level: what is the maximum height (Level) for the five looking holes (Criteria) we will be able to reach in our Towers?
Secondly, MINCE gives a view on the perspective of the castle lord. What height will he want to be from which the workers are to look out for visitors? He will have to realize that it will not possible to add a couple of floors over night. Adding a floor in a tower requires craftsmanship, patience and dedication. It will take its toll and such things can only be speeded up to a certain degree.
The combination of a Tower and a Criterion is evaluated using MINCE and this results in an appreciation of what has been found. That is the measured Level. Next to that, there is also an ambition Level set: the level at which the organization's management team would like to be in the near future.
MINCE uses the following Levels:
As you might notice, the MINCE Level is derived from the levels defined by the 2004 version of EFQM. The difference lies in the MINCE combination of Level and Tower/Criterion, which is unlike the approach of EFQM. Nevertheless the level indication suits both models.
The higher the level in MINCE (the higher the floor), the better an organization deals with the issues related to the Tower/Criterion-combination. The lower the level (the lower the floor), the worse the organization deals with these issues.
Level 1: Activities
An organization operating at Level 1, the Activities-Level, is glad if a result is accomplished. It is difficult to predict whether activities will indeed result in the product that is intended, since there are few lessons learned from past findings. Some of the employees will be able to improve their performance on the basis of their personal experience, but as there is no platform to share their knowledge with collegues, it will hardly be spread any further.
If an employee decides to advance his career elsewhere, the lessons he learned leave the company with him. Knowledge entering the company together with the more experienced new employees is not spread, so almost nobody will benefit.
Processes are rarely available in writing, the way things are done is explained via word of mouth. Since we all handle such things differently, without written descriptions, the processes are explained differently, depending on the staff member doing the talking.
Nobody really has a particular vision regarding the customer or supplier chains. We buy materials via the companies that we have become used to and we sell to companies asking for our products.
There is no particular quality goal set. We are happy with what we are producing and we stick to the way we have always done it.
Each and every working day we are focusing on the activities leading to results (products, services). We are so busy doing just that, we don't really have any time left in order to describe the processes we use, the systems we've implemented, our supplier or customer chains. We have no idea what to do with regard to quality. We hardly know what the word means.
Note that any organization not truly focusing on production related activities is not considered to be at Activities-level yet. Such organizations are off the MINCE scale.
The activity driven nature of organizations at this MINCE maturity Level allows for the greatest open minded flexibility which is particularly beneficial to creative processes. It will in the long run remain effective when there is a limited number of people and it is highly dependent on the personal skills of such a relatively small group.