Graduation Path is the practice of designing service relationships with clear progression toward client independence and capability—the opposite of managed services models that profit from ongoing dependency.
The Principle
Service success measured by:
- Client capability development
- Growing independence
- Sustainable internal capacity
- Reduced reliance on external support
- Ability to “graduate”
What It Looks Like
Phase 1: Intensive Support
- Heavy external involvement
- Knowledge transfer focus
- Capability building
- Foundation laying
Phase 2: Collaborative Partnership
- Shared responsibility
- Guided independence
- Skill development
- Confidence building
Phase 3: Independent Operation
- Minimal external support
- Internal capability
- Self-sufficiency
- Graduation readiness
Why It’s Different
Managed Services:
- Profit from dependency
- Maintain complexity
- Retain knowledge
- Prevent independence
Graduation Path:
- Profit from transformation
- Simplify systems
- Transfer knowledge
- Enable independence
The Business Model
Graduation Path works when:
- Priced for transformation, not time
- Success measured by capability
- Reputation builds through graduates
- New clients attracted by success
- Sustainable through referrals
True service success is when clients no longer need you—not when they can’t live without you.