Operationalising the Cube

For the Cube to come alive, it must move beyond theory and into the daily cadence of how people work. This happens through:

• Planning: Before any initiative is launched, ask: What Theme are we addressing? What Levers will activate change? What will success look like, and how will we track it?

• Delivery: As work progresses, check alignment. Is each action traceable back to a Theme? Is it empowered by the right Lever? Are measures being captured in real time?

• Review: After execution, reflect. Did the initiative move the needle on the defined KPI or XLA? Were the Levers effective? Were the right capabilities built?

These questions should not live in templates — they must become second nature.

Examples of embedded use:

• A monthly governance board uses the Cube to validate portfolio investments, ensuring each one has multi-dimensional alignment.

• A team retrospective reviews not just what went wrong, but what Theme was neglected, or which Lever was under-utilised.

• Dashboards are built with the Measurement Chain in mind — leading with Objectives, followed by CSFs, KPIs, and finally XLAs or granular metrics.

When embedded well, the Cube doesn’t slow work down — it focuses it.

Embedding the Cube enables a powerful shift: from isolated fixes to a performance operating model. This model doesn’t sit in a PMO or a reporting team — it’s woven into how services, functions, and change programmes are managed.

Key traits of a Cube-aligned operating model:

• Theme owners are assigned to ensure each domain of performance is actively steered

• Lever custodians monitor the maturity and usage of orchestration mechanisms

• KPI and XLA stewardship is shared across delivery, strategy, and operations

• Review cycles are aligned to feedback velocity, not just calendar quarters

This ensures that performance is not a parallel layer — it’s the language of day-to-day leadership.

The most successful Cube adoption happens when responsibilities are deliberately distributed:

• Executives ensure strategic decisions activate the right Levers and address core Themes

• Managers translate strategic goals into measurable team outcomes using the Measurement Chain

• Analysts shift from passive reporting to active interpretation and challenge

• Service Owners act as integration architects — balancing all three dimensions in their domain

• Governance bodies assess the alignment integrity of proposals and ongoing initiatives

Cube alignment becomes a competency — a signal of leadership maturity.

To make this way of working sustainable, we must grow the muscle across the organisation. That means:

• Induction sessions that introduce the Cube as part of organisational onboarding

• Simulated exercises where teams run scenarios to explore multi-dimensional thinking

• Cross-role workshops that break silos and create shared language around performance

• Digital nudges in collaboration platforms (e.g. “Which Theme are you addressing?”)

The goal is to reduce reliance on central teams and empower distributed, confident use.

Certain events present perfect opportunities to reinforce Cube-based thinking. These can be formalised as SPARA triggers:

• Designing a new process? Validate which Themes it affects and which Levers will reinforce it.

• Declining CSAT? Trace through the Measurement Chain — is the XLA aligned to the right KPI? Is a Theme misaligned?

• Organisational restructure? Reassign Theme and Lever stewardship as part of the redesign.

Embedding these triggers within workflow (e.g. as gates in project lifecycles) ensures the Cube is used when it’s most valuable.

Practical enablement is essential. SPARA provides:

• SPARA Operating Rhythm Toolkit: Templates for monthly, quarterly, and annual cycles

• Theme-Lever Alignment Matrix: A fast-reference map to accelerate structured conversations

• Role Alignment Canvas: Clarifies how different roles interact with Cube dimensions

• Performance Operating Model Blueprint: Shows how to institutionalise the Cube over time

• Maturity Ladder: Helps teams self-assess their level of Cube adoption

These are not optional extras — they’re the scaffolding that helps the Cube hold its shape under real-world pressure.

A large IT organisation struggled with low engagement, fragmented reporting, and a lack of accountability across services. By adopting the SPARA Cube:

• They assigned each Theme to a member of their leadership team to ensure consistent ownership

• Introduced monthly KPI governance reviews aligned to the Measurement Chain

• Created a cultural campaign around their chosen Levers: Empowerment and Collaboration

• Used Cube logic in every new initiative proposal, requiring all three dimensions to be mapped and justified

The results? Faster decision-making, more coherent initiatives, and visible gains in employee engagement and customer trust.