Project Management

Female Element

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Female Element blog is about experience and current trends in project management, digitalization and agile organizational transformation seen by eyes of a woman. Why to distinguish such view? Female and male brain operates differently and we may have various interpretations for the same situation. Female leadership is a thing and should be recognised. But mostly because more inclusivity for women is good for all aspects of business and we still have way to go.

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Ability to deal with complexity is among the top required job skills. How do you stand?

Complex problem solving was predicted as the top required skill by 2020 by the Future of Jobs Report by WEF in 2016. Now, in 2018, the report highlights need for analytical thinking and innovation with complex problem solving remaining in the top 10. Skills demands are related to the trends in job market driven by adoption of sophisticated technologies such as AI, urge for digitalization, IoT and big data analysis.

So I was thinking to introduce here Business Dynamics, a complex problem solving method that fits any situation and is designed to tackle truly complex issues. If you like challenges, try to use the method to solve an issue described in the second half of this post.

What is Business Dynamics

Business Dynamics originates in cybernetics and is basically a system theory applied in business environment. Its founder is Jay W. Forrester and its current guru is prof. John D. Sterman at MIT. The method is based on understanding principles of feedback loops that forms structure of any system constellation. Business Dynamics is the opposite to the linear, event -> consequence, thinking.

Regardless how much complex it sounds, it is not that bad… Although the method itself is designed for computer simulations that consist of number of integral equations, you can use its simplified version with pen, paper and set of basic rules.

How to create simplified Business Dynamics model

The best is to work in a group and discuss. Because your model will change as you work on it, my tip is to use large sheet of paper and post-its for the model variables. When you need to change the model, just rearrange the post-its and redraw the lines connecting them.

  1. Identify variables that occur in the problem (write them on post-its). Variable is something that you can assign a value. For instance, weather is not variable. But outside temperature is.
  2. Identify direct relations between the variables, connect them with arrow showing which variable is the influencer and assign polarity + or – to the relation. Plus means that both variables move in one direction (when the first one raises or decreases the influenced variable also increases or decreases). Minus means they grow or decrease in opposite direction.
  3. Add more variables and relations as you continue to analyze the problem
  4. Look for feedback loops, closed circles of linked variables, to predict system behavior. When you count all plusses or minuses on a feedback loop, you may see positive, reinforcing feedback loops that cause exponential growth. Negative, balanced feedback loops seek equilibrium.
  5. Read your model, follow the feedback loops and play with growth or decrease of values of your variables to identify the solution

Island Borneo bubonic plaque outbreak – test your complex problem-solving skills!

Here’s a problem that actually happened. Because people’s lives were in stake, the decided solution must have been proved to be right before applying it. The team that solved this issue used Business Dynamics method.

On the island Borneo, villagers were dying of the Bubonic plague. Seemingly unrelated to the problem, roof beams in the village are collapsing and a swarm of dead fish have washed up on the river banks. The plague is being caused by rats that transmit the disease to humans through bites. Bubonic plague causes human death, but rats are not affected, they only transmit the disease. But why have the rats suddenly started biting humans?

You have found the following facts:

  1. On Borneo island it rains a lot
  2. Villages are built from palm leaves and beams
  3. Recently, there was used DDT to kill mosquitoes who transmit malaria (DDT is now banned toxin cumulates in the body of living organisms, DDT was used in agriculture before its severe side effects were discovered)
  4. Bubonic plague is spread by rats
  5. Cats are now catching geckos; but in the past, geckos usually escaped cats
  6. Villagers bread cats to prevent rats from coming to villages from jungle
  7. Geckos are very slow due to DDT, but do not die
  8. Cats die due to DDT
  9. Geckos eats cockroaches and caterpillar who live in cribs

Problem to solve:

What must be done to save the villagers from more bubonic plague, falling cribs and dead fishes?

 

I used Business Dynamics method for several years as part of my Strategic Management course for MBA students. Island Borneo was favorite exercise for my students. Complex problem-solving is definitely a skill that can be learned and trained. Let me know if you would like to learn more.

Posted on: November 12, 2018 06:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

Looking for a powerful creative problem-solving technique? Try this one!

Project Managers need to solve problems often. Having couple of problem-solving techniques in their pocket may be very handy. Especially when there’s a need for approach that possibly engage the whole team while number of participants may vary. And wouldn’t it be just perfect if finding innovative and applicable solutions is actually fun?  

Synectics comes from the Greek language means “the joining together of different and apparently irrelevant elements”. I learned this technique couple of years ago from a coach who is also psychologist and works with leadership teams. I have a big respect for his work and I have opportunity to apply this method several times with success. Hope it helps!

 “If you look at history, innovation doesn’t come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect.” Steven Johnson

Synectics is a method that works with problem analogies and put them in a different, seemingly not at all linked, environment. Let’s demonstrate that on a potential problem from project management discipline.

Note: As any other group technique, it works the best in a smaller group, around 7-10 people. If you have bigger team you may split them in several groups and combine their outputs afterwards.

 

Step 1 Name your problem.

Example: We often misunderstand customer requirements and spend too much time working on wrong SW functionalities.

Step 2 Brainstorm analogies to your problem. Be creative at this step and encourage any ideas, this is the fun part. Analogy does not have to be from the same industry, business context or have any relation to the scope of your project. What counts is the principle of the problem to which you create the analogy.

Example: I don’t understand what my mom wants me to do and then I do something else which she does not consider helping. | The vending machine does not react to the numbers I push and then I get a wrong snack. | I’m buying the best food I can for my cat but she does not appreciate that.

Step 3 Let the team(s) pick up the analogy they like the most.

Example: I’m buying the best food I can for my cat but she does not appreciate that.

Step 4: Brainstorm ideas how to solve the analogy problem. Follow the common brainstorming rules to encourage everyone to participate and don’t dismiss any ideas.

“The history of innovation is the story of ideas that seemed dumb at the time.”, Andy Dunn

Example: Let the cat taste samples before you buy the whole bag. Let the cat cook by herself. Let the cat write her own cookbook. Teach your cat sign language so that she can point out what she likes for lunch. Ask other people who also have cats to learn what approach works for them the most. Pick up flavors the cat likes and mix them for her lunch.

Step 5: Translate the brainstormed solutions back to the context of the original problem.

Example: Pick up flavors the cat likes and mix them for her lunch -> Don’t complete large features before presenting them to the customer. Split the customer requirements in smaller pieces and gather their feedback one by one. Adjust your understanding based on the received feedback and only then process to their integration into bigger part of the software.

 

Good luck and let me know what are your favorite creative problem-solving techniques! If you practice this one, what is your feedback on synectics?

Posted on: October 24, 2018 10:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
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