Should you Organization start Thinking like an Architect?

We accept that Architects have an ability to design pleasing structures. I feel another part of their repertoire is equally as important; It is the ability to visualize the change needed between current and the future state and to successfully chart the path for evolving to it. You may believe that these traits are common in organizations through engineering, project management and operations but Architects do it a different way. They do it through the lens of design.

How do Architects think? A study, Thinking like an Architect. by Kyle Gabhart explores the subject of architects and how they view and ultimately solve problems.

The overwhelming indication here is that building-style toys (LEGOs, blocks, Lincoln Logs, etc.) were a favorite toy of those individuals that eventually grew up to become architects. Could it be that the abstract thinking and pattern-recognition that is inherent in building-style toys was already being developed and enhanced at such an early age? The second contender is board games, which has a strong component of rules sets and also pattern-recognition. Here again, the impressionable mind of the future architect may already be creating mental categories, placeholders, and thought patterns for future architecture activities.

LEGOs is not that surprising but another part of the survey listed these results:

• 53.08% of respondents studied / trained with a musical instrument
• 36.97% pursued mathematics studies beyond the basics required by a degree program
• 22.27% engaged in formal singing activities, including music theory and sight-reading

What does that tell us? A background in music may mean a great deal of regimented practice and the ability to take instruction. In combination with LEGOs it shows the ability to build on an existing process and achieve future results. It may also say a lot about teamwork, since many that play music in high school participate in the band. 

Architects offer traditional core services but they also balance human, technical and business factors as well, managing these factors to achieve their outcomes. Architects build and coordinate teams from a variety of services. Just doing this within our own organizations seems insurmountable at times. Think about outsourcing your entire business?

Our products/services are increasingly become more strategic. We must enable the use of our product/service to serve clients more effectively and to increase customer engagement. Architects add a great deal of value to this thought process. They have always started with customer engagement in their design practice. Design is not an afterthought, it is the reason for engagement. There is no such thing as features and benefits at this point. That only comes through a definition of the needs of the clients. Interesting? 

Tomorrows podcast is with Zachary Evans, an architect and partner at Kelty Tappy Design, Inc., a Fort Wayne architecture, planning, and urban design firm.

Related Information:
Define the Expectation, Delight the Customer
Lean Engagement Team Book Released
How to Design like an Architect
Co-Creation and Open Innovation from HYVEinnovation
An Architects view of Prototyping and Modeling

Getting Resistance to Appreciative Inquiry?

In this weeks Business901 Podcast, my guest will be Sara Orem, co-author of Appreciative Coaching: A Positive Process for Change (Jossey-Bass Business & Management). Our conversation centered on the Appreciative Inquiry approach. From Wikipedia:

Appreciative Inquiry (sometimes shortened to "AI") is primarily an organizational development method which seeks to engage all levels of an organization (and often its customers and suppliers) to renew, change and improve performance. Its exponents view it as being applicable to organizations facing rapid change or growth. David Cooperrider is generally credited with coining the term 'Appreciative Inquiry'.

The Appreciative Inquiry model is based on the assumption that the questions we ask will tend to focus our attention in a particular direction. Some other methods of assessing and evaluating a situation and then proposing solutions are based on a deficiency model. Some other methods ask questions such as “What are the problems?”, “What’s wrong?” or “What needs to be fixed?”.

Instead of asking “What’s the problem?”, some other methods couch the question in terms of challenges, which AI argues maintains a basis of deficiency, the thinking behind the questions assuming that there is something wrong, or that something needs to be fixed or solved.

Appreciative Inquiry takes an alternative approach. As a self defined "asset-based approach" it starts with the belief that every organization, and every person in that organization, has positive aspects that can be built upon. It asks questions like “What’s working well?”, “What’s good about what you are currently doing?”

Some researchers believe that excessive focus on dysfunctions can actually cause them to become worse or fail to become better. By contrast, AI argues, when all members of an organization are motivated to understand and value the most favorable features of its culture, it can make rapid improvements.

Strength-based methods are used in the creation of organizational development strategy and implementation of organizational effectiveness tactics. The appreciative mode of inquiry often relies on interviews to qualitatively understand the organization's potential strengths by looking at an organization's experience and its potential; the objective is to elucidate the assets and personal motivations that are its strengths.

From the upcoming Business901 Podcast:

Joe:  What are some of the pushbacks that you get when Appreciative Inquiry is first addressed? Is there or do you just approach it positively that it's really not a pushback?

Sarah:  I would say that I get lots of pushback. When I first was Dr. Orem and I was doing some consulting for a person who had been my boss and I said that I wanted to introduce a new sales program that we were going to do in a bank and we introduced the same sales person in a bank where this person had been my boss. He moved to another bank. I described how I wanted to initiate it with Appreciative Inquiry and he looked at me with his face scrunched up and I didn't know what the scrunch meant but I knew something was coming that he didn't like. He said to me, "Could we use different words?" The words for the four or five stages depending on how you characterize the very beginning are define, which is to define your topic, then discover, next is dream, then design, and finally, destiny.

Well, "dream" and "destiny" are woo woo, you know, words that we don't use in organizations very much. Fortunately, I'd had a learner in one of my classes who was a consultant in Canada, and she dreamed up the four Is or four stages rather than discover, dream, design, and destiny, and I won't be able to recite those to you right now, but they were essentially had the same meanings. They were much harder‑edged organizational words.

One of the areas of pushback is the language of Appreciative Inquiry. One of the things that Cooperrider says is that words are so important; the words we use have different... People have different reactions to two words that essentially mean the same thing. So I think I have to be careful when I change those four stages to different words, and believe that I'm honoring his original intentions.

Words are one thing. The second thing is, there are lots and lots and lots and lots of people in organizations who believe that you should find the culprit, beat the culprit to a pulp, go about something new.

I don't mean to be too cute about that, but what I'm saying is that the process is to really go looking for what's wrong, then do a root cause analysis, which is how did it go wrong, and what's really wrong, even though the presenting symptom may not be the whole thing, then design some sort of solution, or brainstorm about possible solutions, and then design an action plan.

When I tell people that there's another way to do that and that we may end up in a better place, some people just don't believe it. They don't want to consider it; they don't believe it, because they believe that problem‑solving works for them. I don't doubt it. I mean, I would never say it didn’t.

I just did a brief introduction to Appreciative Inquiry from my own website, and I said problem solving works if there's something very specific that's wrong, but if it's a negative culture, for instance, in an organization, where do you start? I mean, what do you fix? Appreciative Inquiry really, really is, I think, a better way to approach systemic issues.ach

Could this be the missing link between Lean and Sales and Marketing? Appreciative Inquiry instead of Problem Solving

Related Information:
Value can no longer be defined as What a Customer will pay for!
Evolution of Standard Work in my Sales and Marketing
Prototypes provide a Pathway for Connecting with Customers

Using Design Thinking for Growth

Using Design Thinking for Growth is a transcription of a the Business901 podcast, Design Thinker exposed as Left Brain Dominant. I am not sure if it was the title or the timing of the podcast (it was released around the 4th of July) but this podcast did not reach the listenership that I had thought it would.

Great thoughts on how Design Thinking may be to Business Growth the way Lean and Six Sigma has been to quality.

Using Design Thinking for Growth

In a recent blog post, It’s not your Grandmother’s Lean anymore! I introduced a few thoughts from Tim Ogilvie, CEO of innovation strategy consultancy Peer Insight new book Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Toolkit for Managers. I would encourage you to visit that post before reading the transcription or listening to the podcast and leave the diagram up or print it out as the discussion takes place.

Recent Posts:
Podcast: Design Thinker exposed as Left Brain Dominant
How new is Service Dominant Logic and does it apply now?
Asking the right questions about Lean?
Service Design Thinking

re-think privacy and recycling

Following publication of his book "Shaping Things (Mediaworks Pamphlets) ", American Science Fiction author Bruce Sterling share his views and visions at LIFT France 09 about the future of Design, the broad concept of an "Internet of Things", and reflects on two important issues: Privacy and Recycling. Bruce has been a regular speaker at LIFT events.

Some great thoughts on application and a nice “How to” video on asking questions and how to work with a client in this new framework. Your thoughts?

Related Information:
Design Thinker exposed as Left Brain Dominant
Will Product Managers embrace Open Innovation?
Accomplished Innovator creates an Open Innovation Incubator
A Beginning Step to Co-Creation

Learn, Solve, Save with PDCA

Why do we need to use a continuous improvement methodology. Look how Dave Snowden of Cognitive Edge describes creativity and innovation:

Starvation, Pressure, Perspective Shift

However, when you have a passion for a project,  look at Michael McDaniel , a senior designer at frog design. Prior to joining frog design in 2008 as a Senior Designer, he worked on large, diverse teams to solve complex interaction, experience, transportation, wayfinding, environmental, and branding problems for a variety of industries.

His Motto:

• Learn what problems keep reoccurring.
• Solve permanent long term solutions.
• Save Lives the next time this happens.

Learn, Solve, Save

In Michael’s example we can see the starvation of resource, the pressure(passion to do something about it) and maybe more importantly the shift in perspective. Lean Thinking, PDCA can really assist someone in creating that shift. Using a structured approach enables each element of the decision or problem to be considered; systematically and sufficiently. The outcome is almost always more complete and more effective than one done instinctively.

BTW: Problem solving can be a lot if fun when done on a regular basis versus only under panic conditions. The panic approached in Michael’s video resulted in the Astrodome being the best alternative even with a problem that has been reoccurring for years.

Related Posts:
PDCA for Lean Marketing, Knowledge Creation
Understanding Complexity utilizing Cynefin
Practical Approach to Innovation used by Disney
Lean Marketing Creates Knowledge for the Customer
Why Lean Marketing? Because it is the Future of Marketing …

18 minutes with an agile mind: Clifford Stoll on TED

Clifford Stoll could talk about the atmosphere of Jupiter. Or hunting KGB hackers. Or Klein bottles, computers in classrooms, the future. But he's not going to. Which is fine, because it would be criminal to confine a man with interests as multifarious as Stoll's to give a talk on any one topic. Instead, he simply captivates his audience with a wildly energetic sprinkling of anecdotes, observations, asides -- and even a science experiment. After all, by his own definition, he's a scientist: "Once I do something, I want to do something else." (Recorded February 2006 in Monterey, California. Duration: 17:50.)

This is a very insightful video. AND a great lesson on how to give a presentation.

Related Posts:
Key to a Successful Kaizen Event, begin with a Holy Shit Moment!
I am reading this before my next webinar, are you?
Six Tips for Remote Presenting – Nancy Duarte
The Disney Way

A Simple Exercise to Differentiate Yourself

Everyone tells you to differentiate but are you comfortable that you are different enough. A tool that I use to make a strong impact on a client is one that is from the book, The Chasm Companion: A Field Guide to Crossing the Chasm and Inside the Tornado (Revised).  Here is how you complete it:

The benefit your service/product is to the user:
    A. Provide Modest Enhancements
    B. Add substantial value
    C. Gives dramatic productivity gains.
    D. Changes the competitive field

The pain of obtaining the benefit to the user:
    4. Significant reengineering, new systems 
    3. Major changes to existing systems 
    2. Modest changes to existing systems 
    1. Integrates with existing systems

When completing this of course the more opinion and arguments the better. You will have to create a consensus, however and a decision reached. Sometimes positioning the competitor’s products/service around yours can assist. Are more changes required, do they add less or more value? If you end up at square A4, no Gain with a lot of pain, you can probably throw the product/service away. It simply will not work. In fact A2 and A3 should probably cause the same reaction. The truth to the matter is that unless you are doing a startup, you probably end up in the twilight zone. The problem being in the twilight zone, according to author Geoffrey Moore is that these offerings will cause little market movement. In other words, they are not COMPELLING. The other areas follow this pattern:   

• D4, you are in an early market category.
• D2/D3 is about market segmentation and making the pain a favorable trade-off to that group.
• C1/D1 means that your product can move to widespread adoption and you are ready for that transition.
• A1, B1 is being accepted in your target market and an easy solution. 

This description is a take-off from the book but to fully understand you have to read the Crossing the Chasm. It is a must read and still today it is one of most cited books in the innovation area. I have bought the book around 5 times. I keep giving it away.

However, the point to this entire exercise for me is differentiation relative to the gain and pain of the customer. It is an exercise that enables you to look at your product/service more objectively from your customer’s eyes. Are you really that different if all you are doing is complicating their life without making a significant gain? Another item it addresses is your market segmentation. Are you targeting a customer that your product/service causes little pain? If you are in the twilight zone, where are you headed? What will it take to move you to the outer perimeter? It is a simple answer make yourself more valuable by making the gain greater or the pain less!

Related Posts:

Evaluating your Marketing Funnel, Only Seven Levers matter

Lean Marketing, The Toyota Way

The Marketing Funnel using Six Sigma DMAIC – Define stage

Technorati Tags: Differentiate and Dominate,Differentiation,Marketing Segmentation,Define,DMAIC

Be Different or Be Dead Author Roy Osing Interviewed

My podcast next week will feature Roy Osing, the author of Be Different or Be Dead, Your Business Survival Guide. This is a little different, no pun attended, from my regular podcast but differentiation is a key term in my upcoming blogs so for me it was very appropriate and timely.

Lance Henderson of the The Bellingham Business Journal interviewed Roy this week. An excerpt is below. If you would like to read the entire interview, please click on the preceding link. 

The Bellingham Business Journal: Why do you think being different is key to business survival?

Roy Osing: Right now, the marketplace is characterized by a ton of competitors, a whole bunch of communications clutter, multiple choices, the Internet, which empowers people to research who they want to do business with, and fickle customers, who will leave you in a heartbeat for a better offer. Given those dynamics, businesses need to create relevant, compelling and unique reasons why people should buy from them. If they can’t, they won’t and if they don’t buy from you, you’ll die. It’s as simple as that.

My thesis is to be relevant and understand the compelling needs of your customer, create unique value that only you provide and deliver it flawlessly. If you can do that, you’ll not only survive, you’ll thrive. Your top line will go through the roof and you won’t have to worry about survival because you will be so busy growing.

BBJ: Why is this message relevant in today’s economy?

Roy: This material wasn’t created because of the recession. It was created independent of any economic cycle. The reality is it has applications in every economic cycle because they are basic fundamental axioms to succeed. In these recessionary times, I say, ‘Guys, let’s take a step back and a deep breath and let’s renew our business. You have an opportunity here.’ I think of the recession as a friend, in a way, if it forces you to reflect on creating a “Be Different” strategy for your business. It is an opportunity to reform yourself and be successful and survive even in a recession.

When times are really good, you can hide a lot in a business. If your top line is healthy, you can hide a lot of inefficiencies, but in a recession, you stand raw naked to the world.

P.S. Check out the BE DiFFERENT Quiz on Roy’s website http://www.bedifferentorbedead.com/quiz/. This tool is a fun way of assessing whether an organization is living the BE DiFFERENT Practices or not. It tells you whether your organization is DiFFERENT or dead :) People have enjoyed this and it is a very popular section of his site.

Technorati Tags: strategy and planing,marketing sales,customer service,differentiation

How much is the Internet worth today?

This was a LinkedIn question the other day. Read on!!!

Let's say for the sake of discussion, the Internet had a complete world wide failure this afternoon, and a new one had to be put together....how much do you think the world should collectively be willing to spend to get it up and running again? A million dollars? 20 million? A billion dollars?

Ok, let's see..All seeing, All knowing, and is everywhere. Not for this message to be misconstrued but after 12 years of Catholic education, I could see answering a question in a certain class incorrectly??

"Is Your Market Researcher Some Yahoo Named Google?"

Here's a bit of an interesting scenario (real names withheld to protect and maintain privacy):

I got an email yesterday from Person A who had received a cease and desist letter from Company B. Person A had named their business fairly recently, while Company B had been in business for well over five years using the same name. Both are working in the same industry. Person A had secured the .org domain name, while Company B owned the primary .com domain name.

Company B's email was not so much a "cease and desist" as much as it was a very kind email asking Person A to reconsider the name considering the equity and trademark work that Company B had already done. Company B also, rightly, stated that they would need to defend all infringements on their trademark (a truism we know all too well in Marketing). From a legal standpoint, if a company does not defend their trademarks legally, it dilutes any and all ability to do so as time goes by.

Person A wanted to know how they should handle it.

Here was my response:

"If you did know that the .com was taken, and had done a basic search to see that the name you were thinking about using was the same as this company, then they are right.

I would also say that if you didn't do that... you probably should have... and the other company is right.

They are asking you nicely to respect the fact that they have been running a business using the same name in the same industry for some time.

The question is: why did you name your company by the same name?"

It seems simple enough, but I am constantly amazed at how few Businesses use the existing (and free) channels to do basic and preliminary leg work to see who else is out there and what they're doing.

The lesson is very simple and reminds me of an Entrepreneur's Conference session title from a few years back: "Is Your Market Researcher Some Yahoo Named Google?"

We all need to be choosing our names wisely. We all need to run every name we're thinking of using (including mis-spellings and different versions) through the Search Engines. It's no longer "good enough" to just register a business in your local state or province. Everything is global when it hits the Web (and everything hits the Web), so be smart, be kind and be online. The above scenario was easily avoidable, but now it's sucking the time and energy out of two Entrepreneurs who should be putting all of their energy against building their business instead.

Nomenclature is a function of Marketing. Maybe legal isn't, but that doesn't preclude any of us from doing some preliminary leg work.

Always be Googling.

Borrowed from the TwistImage, one of my favorite blogs by Mitch Joel.

Tags: brand business domain name entrepreneur google incorporation internet legal market research marketing name nomenclature research search engine trademark web yahoo

Know the answer before you ask the question

I received this in my joke folder today and though it probably has been circulated for years, I am never first to get these, I thought it have a valuable lesson. How many times have you heard that a lawyer should know the answer to the question before he asks? Well, we do try to our hand at discovery, a lawyer does it before the trial, and maybe research, a lawyer does it before and during a trial. Well should I go on! Think about if you don't do your homework, accept the answers you get.

Now for the Story: Lawyers should never ask a Mississippi grandma a question if they aren't prepared for the answer.

In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know me?' She responded, 'Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you'll never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.'

The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?' She again replied, 'Why yes, I do I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him.' The defense attorney nearly died.

The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, 'If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send you both to the electric chair.'