Understanding your organization’s UX maturity is not an exercise in vanity. It is a vital diagnostic tool that allows you to identify strengths to celebrate and weaknesses to address. It provides a realistic, shared language for improvement.
The path forward is incremental. You cannot leapfrog stages. The practices and cultural shifts of each stage create the necessary foundation for the next. Progressing even one stage can take years of dedicated effort. Don’t be discouraged. Start with an honest assessment, build a coalition of champions, celebrate small victories, and always, always tie your work back to both user value and business impact.