Facilitators As the New Facilitators As the New IndustrialistsIndustrialists

Robert O. Briggs, Ph.D.Robert O. Briggs, Ph.D.

Director of Methodology and Director of Methodology and Process ToolsProcess Tools

Production Lines for the Production Lines for the Knowledge EconomyKnowledge Economy

MethodologyMethodologyRisk Management -- Strategic Planning -- Product Definition -- Etc.Risk Management -- Strategic Planning -- Product Definition -- Etc.

MethodologyMethodologyRisk Management -- Strategic Planning -- Product Definition -- Etc.Risk Management -- Strategic Planning -- Product Definition -- Etc.

Inform Inform ActAct

FindArchive

CategorizeSearchShare

ExecuteCoordinate

TrackAdjust

Goal AttainmentUnderstand the Problem

Develop alternativesChoose an Alternative

Plan for Action

Goal AttainmentUnderstand the Problem

Develop alternativesChoose an Alternative

Plan for Action

Group Dynamics

DivergeConvergeOrganizeAnalyze

ElaborateAgree

Group Dynamics

DivergeConvergeOrganizeAnalyze

ElaborateAgree

Inform

RepositorySearchEnginesUnified

Messaging

Inform

RepositorySearchEnginesUnified

Messaging

Act

MS ProjectPeopleSoft

SeibelE-room

Act

MS ProjectPeopleSoft

SeibelE-room

Collaboration InfrastructureChat -- Whiteboard -- Application Sharing -- Virtual Workspace

Internet -- ASP -- Telco

Collaboration InfrastructureChat -- Whiteboard -- Application Sharing -- Virtual Workspace

Internet -- ASP -- Telco

ReasonReasonReason

Constraints on ProductivityConstraints on Productivity

• Agrarian economy – muscleAgrarian economy – muscle

• Industrial economy – capitalIndustrial economy – capital

• Information economy – info accessInformation economy – info access

• Knowledge economy – methodologyKnowledge economy – methodology

Delphi Group Study:Delphi Group Study:E-commerce Near TermE-commerce Near Term

• E-commerce will be $5 trillion by 2003E-commerce will be $5 trillion by 2003

• Key barriers to participationKey barriers to participation– Lack of infrastructureLack of infrastructure

–Lack of standard processesLack of standard processes

h

Facilitators As Master Craftsman

Facilitators As Master Craftsmen

Where Are the Production Where Are the Production Lines for the Knowledge Lines for the Knowledge

Economy?Economy?

• Steam power – computersSteam power – computers

• Railroad – InternetRailroad – Internet

• Production line? Production line? – Repeatable GroupSystems methodologyRepeatable GroupSystems methodology

•Shorter Cycle Time

•Fewer Hours

•Regular People

•Predictable Quality

Facilitators As the Facilitators As the Industrialists of the Industrialists of the Knowledge EconomyKnowledge Economy

•Shorter Cycle Time•Fewer Hours•Regular People•Predictable Quality

Production Line Pay-off:Predictable, Repeatable

Quality

thinkLet™thinkLet™ The Machine Tools for the The Machine Tools for the

Knowledge EconomyKnowledge Economy• All the intellectual capital you need All the intellectual capital you need

to create one predictable, repeatable to create one predictable, repeatable pattern of interactionpattern of interaction

• Components of a thinkLetComponents of a thinkLet– GroupSystems toolGroupSystems tool– ConfigurationConfiguration– Facilitation techniqueFacilitation technique

Hands-On With thinkLetsHands-On With thinkLets

• PointCounterpoint™PointCounterpoint™– Dynamics: Impasse-BreakingDynamics: Impasse-Breaking– Tool: EBSTool: EBS– Settings: DefaultSettings: Default– Prompts:Prompts:

1. Put in your strongest argument in favor of your position2. Now trade pages3. Demolish the argument on the screen in front of you 4. Now trade pages5. Make an argument that bridges the two mutually exclusive

arguments on your screen6. Now let’s talk. Any interesting resolutions on your screen?

Capturing thinkLetsCapturing thinkLets

• Until this year, thinkLets have been Until this year, thinkLets have been largely oral tradition.largely oral tradition.

• Briggs and DeVreede are collecting Briggs and DeVreede are collecting and writing them downand writing them down

• Share your thinkLetsShare your thinkLets

thinkLetsthinkLets

• Leaf Hopper™Leaf Hopper™– Group Dynamics: Multiple issues -- Heterogeneous Group Dynamics: Multiple issues -- Heterogeneous

group members work where they care and know the group members work where they care and know the most.most.

– Tool: CA, TC, or GOTool: CA, TC, or GO– Settings: Comment numbers onSettings: Comment numbers on– PromptsPrompts

• We have posted a number of issues for you to address.

• Contribute first to the one where you have the most interest or experience

• Contribute to other sections only as you know and care

thinkLetthinkLet

• GoldMiner™GoldMiner™– Group dynamics: the group converges, but Group dynamics: the group converges, but

ideas stay in the context where they were ideas stay in the context where they were generatedgenerated

– Tool: any tool with comment windowsTool: any tool with comment windows– Configuration: annotations onConfiguration: annotations on– Prompt:Prompt:

• Read through these ideas and drop an annotation on any idea you think is worth further attention.

thinkLets™thinkLets™Building Blocks for the Building Blocks for the

Production LineProduction Line

• DivergeDiverge– Free Brainstorming™Free Brainstorming™

– Comparative™ Comparative™ Brainstorming™Brainstorming™

• ConvergeConverge– Fast Focus™Fast Focus™

– BroomWagon™BroomWagon™

• OrganizeOrganize– Popcorn Sort™Popcorn Sort™

– Bucket Walk™Bucket Walk™

• EvaluateEvaluate– MultiCriteria™MultiCriteria™– Rank Order™Rank Order™

• ElaborateElaborate– Could-be-should-be™Could-be-should-be™– Leaf Hopper™Leaf Hopper™

• AgreeAgree– Point-Counterpoint™Point-Counterpoint™– Crowbar™Crowbar™

Production LinesProduction Lines

• Repeatable, step-by-step way to Repeatable, step-by-step way to accomplish a mission critical task using accomplish a mission critical task using an industry best-practice methodologyan industry best-practice methodology– Strategic PlanningStrategic Planning– Risk AssessmentRisk Assessment– Marketing Focus GroupsMarketing Focus Groups– IT Requirements Definition….IT Requirements Definition….

• Composed of thinkLetsComposed of thinkLets

Production Line Example: Production Line Example: USC’s EasyWinWin™USC’s EasyWinWin™

• Step-by-step methodology for Step-by-step methodology for requirements definitionrequirements definition

• Explicitly embraces the political Explicitly embraces the political nature of requirements definitionnature of requirements definition– FasterFaster– More exhasutiveMore exhasutive– More buy-inMore buy-in– Less expensiveLess expensive

Free-Brainstorming Win Free-Brainstorming Win ConditionsConditions

What are your win conditions for the new battle staff planning system

FocuSort™ Win Conditions FocuSort™ Win Conditions based on a Taxonomybased on a Taxonomy

MultiCriteriaMultiCriteriaPrioritizationPrioritization

“Low hanging fruits”“Maybe Later”

“Forget them” “Important with hurdles”

MultiPass™ to Elaborate the MultiPass™ to Elaborate the WinWin TreeWinWin Tree

Win Conditions

Issues

Options

Agreements

WinWin EquilibriumEvery Win condition has an agreement

Elements of a Elements of a GroupSystems GroupSystems MethodologyMethodology

• Moderator’s GuidebookModerator’s Guidebook

• Action Stack – Tech StackAction Stack – Tech Stack

• PowerPoint Slide ShowPowerPoint Slide Show

• GroupSystems TemplateGroupSystems Template

Contents of a Contents of a GroupSystems Methodology:GroupSystems Methodology:

Things you SayThings you Say

Contents of a Contents of a GroupSystems Methodology:GroupSystems Methodology:

Things You DoThings You Do

Contents of a Contents of a GroupSystems Methodology:GroupSystems Methodology:

Things To RememberThings To Remember

Methodology Tames The Methodology Tames The Cyber FrontierCyber Frontier

• Early experience showed distributed Early experience showed distributed teamwork to be toughteamwork to be tough– People didn’t show upPeople didn’t show up– People didn’t know what was expected of themPeople didn’t know what was expected of them– People lost track of what they were doingPeople lost track of what they were doing– They forgot who they were doing it withThey forgot who they were doing it with– Some tasks work better face-to-faceSome tasks work better face-to-face

Methodology Tames the Methodology Tames the Cyber FrontierCyber Frontier

• Distributed teamwork goes smoothly Distributed teamwork goes smoothly with repeated methodologywith repeated methodology– People are trained to methodologyPeople are trained to methodology– They know what to expect – they have a They know what to expect – they have a

guidebookguidebook– They understand the processThey understand the process– The methodology tells them when to work The methodology tells them when to work

distributed and when to work face-to-facedistributed and when to work face-to-face

Pay-offs For Your ClientsPay-offs For Your Clients

• Competitive advantageCompetitive advantage– Execute methodology fasterExecute methodology faster– With lower-skilled, less expensive peopleWith lower-skilled, less expensive people– Achieve higher quality with less effortAchieve higher quality with less effort– Predictable, repeatable successPredictable, repeatable success– Far lower learning load for GSFar lower learning load for GS

Pay-offs for YouPay-offs for You

• Much bigger engagementsMuch bigger engagements

• Far better access to follow-on workFar better access to follow-on work

• You become part of day-to-day You become part of day-to-day operationsoperations

• You earn money when you are away You earn money when you are away

Bigger Engagements With Bigger Engagements With Repeatable MethodologiesRepeatable Methodologies

• Charge for mapping the guidebookCharge for mapping the guidebook

• Charge for facilitating the pilotsCharge for facilitating the pilots

• Charge for training the trainersCharge for training the trainers

• Charge for training the usersCharge for training the users

• Charge for use of the methodology Charge for use of the methodology

The ResultThe Result

• You Become the Henry Fords of the You Become the Henry Fords of the Knowledge EconomyKnowledge Economy

Questions?Questions?

Earn While You Are AwayEarn While You Are Away

• Your Methodology – junior consultants Your Methodology – junior consultants can high-quality facilitationcan high-quality facilitation

• Partner’s methodology, your machines – Partner’s methodology, your machines – charge to build it, charge by the minute for charge to build it, charge by the minute for its use.its use.

• Partner’s methodology, our machines: Partner’s methodology, our machines: charge to build it, buy minutes low, sell charge to build it, buy minutes low, sell minutes high.minutes high.