Cross Disciplinary Designing: Combining Social & Digital Technology with STS-D Principles To Support Systemic Work Design

Global STS-D Network, San Francisco 9.9.16 Bernard Mohr ◼ Richard Ordowich ◼ Ron Smith

Context

Society

Organizations

People

© B. Mohr, R. Ordowich & R. Smith

All organizations are perfectly designed to deliver the results they are currently producing.

© B. Mohr, R. Ordowich & R. Smith

BusinessEnvironment

Strategic Response Capacity

The capacity of the organization to respond given the Opportunities and Challenges facing it

Mission And

Strategy

OrganizationCulture

andBehavior

“Business”, Human and Societal Results

Classic North American STS Design Model)

Start Here ! -- Is there a good match ?

Org’n Structure, Roles,And Responsibilities

Compensation, RewardAnd Incentive Systems

People Systems(Selection, Development

Promotion, Perf Mngt.And Justice)

Planning, Renewal andContinuous Innovation

Systems

Measurement, Information& other Monitoring Systems

Core WorkProcesses, TechnologyPhysical Layout/space

DeliberationProcesses

(Adapted By B. Mohr from D Hanna)

OR….

© B. Mohr, R. Ordowich & R. Smith

four provocative propositions1. clients get increased benefits when organization designers, ICT designers and

facilities designers collaborate to design at the intersection - rather than maintaining

our “silos of improvement”

2. professionals in each domain are able to use their expertise more effectively.

3. when “all users” participate meaningfully in the design process, everyone benefits

4. concurrent, collaborative, cross disciplinary design of the organization AND the ICT

systems AND the facilities in support of the work and people, requires both new

tools and powerful glue.

• “new” Social and Digital Technology are the tools

• AND…STS Principles can be the glue that holds us and this work together.

© B. Mohr, R. Ordowich & R. Smith

Benefits from Design at the Intersection

Facilities Designing

ICT Designing

Org’n Designing

Better● Customer Experiences● Staff Experiences● Business Outcomes

Plus ● Lower cost● Increased agility

BENEFITS

© B. Mohr, R. Ordowich & R. Smith

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Pillar #4“design communities” (formerly design teams) composed of BOTH discipline professionals AND all key stakeholders (”users”?)

able to use digital collaboration tools (google drive, dropbox, zoom, slack etc)

© B. Mohr, R. Ordowich & R. Smith

Pillar #3 Adaptive Design (and Delivery) process

Facilities Design

ICT DesignOrg’n

Design

Adaptive project planning

and delivery process

to deal with “emergence”

design requirements for this pillar

• enable easy views of the interdependencies and accountabilities among the three disciplines

• easily interchangeable and interoperable data across the disciplines

• close real time data

It must also:1. energizing2. build relationships

Inspirational Sources:● The Learning Organization● Appreciative Inquiry● Complexity Science● Design Thinking

© B. Mohr, R. Ordowich & R. Smith

Pillars #1&#2

The “Glue” For Cross Disciplinary Design

STS Designing Principles The activities/process of designing should:

1. Start with shared understanding and purpose of the design process

2. Invite into the design process, for meaningful contributiona. as many of of the people who actually do the work

that is being designed, as possibleb. As well as other professionals who bring design

content and process expertise (eg - ICT designers, facilities designers and Organization designers)

c. As well other key stakeholders with special knowledge

3. Enable Conscious Choice among Multiple Options4. Generate implementation “pull” vs top down push5. Ensure Compatibility of Designing, Implementing & End-

state6. Utilize positive in-stream ref & adaptation7. Assume and build capability for Ongoing Redesign

Facilities Design

ICT Design

Org’nDesign

STS Principles

GLUE

STS Design Principles All design choices should:

1. Ensure adherence to all regulatory standards2. Specify only minimal critical performance requirements3. Optimize social system, technical system and stakeholder

requirements4. Ensure that work is Controlled and Coordinated at the

level where work is performed through:a. Boundary Location enabling Self-regulation b. Authority and Resources that match Whole-task

Accountabilityc. Multi-functionality built into into workgroupsd. ICT that supports the Primary Task/User firste. Congruent HR and Strategic Management

support systems5. Support individual Quality of Working Life for all: ie-

elbow room, variety, learning, mutual support and respect, meaningfulness, desirable future

6. Leverages Strengths - organizational and individual7. Support process Optimization ,Innovation & Agility

© B. Mohr, R. Ordowich & R. Smith

“New” Digital & Social Technology for Designing at The Intersection

Facilities Design

ICT DesignOrg’n

Design

NewDigital

and Social Technology

“New” Digital Technology that facilitates collaborative design.

1. Data communications2. Social Media3. Digital/computer literacy4. Algorithms5. Ubiquitous computing (mobile.

cloud)6. Internet of Everything7. Collaboration tech: Google Docs,

Survey Monkey, Zoom, Dropbox

“New” Social Technology for Engaging Large Groups of People as Members of a Design Community:● Search Conferencing● World Café● Open Space Technology● Appreciative Inquiry

○ Innovation Summits○ Innovation Studios

○ Deliberation Analysis○ Design Thinking

© B. Mohr, R. Ordowich & R. Smith

P/SWD = CD x CN x MP x SDT x STSD Principles

P = Positive for people, planet and prosperitySWD = Systemic Work DesignCD = Cross DisciplinaryCN = Concurrent MP = Meaningful ParticipationSDT – Socio-digital technologySTSD Principles = STSD Principles

© B. Mohr, R. Ordowich & R. Smith

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Thank You• Ron Smith RonSmith@LS3P.com or (713) 252-2032

• Richard Ordowich richord@comcast.net or (609) 203-2279

• Bernard Mohr bjmohr@innovationpartners.com or (207) 807-4974