35049409 Coaching Winners a Coaching Development Guide

Coaching Winners!  A Coaching & Development Guide

Ronald C. Page, Ph.D.

A Leader’s Toolkit for Coaching and Development

Coaching Winners!  A Coaching & Development Guide

Ronald C. Page, Ph.D.

A Leader’s Toolkit for Coaching and Development

Copyright © 2007 Ronald C. Page All rights reserved.

Published by: Assessment Associates International, LLC 11100 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 620, Minnetonka, MN 55305 www.hrconsultants.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

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Coaching & Development Guide for Performance Excellence

Contents Preface ........................ .................................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ....................... ........... v Introduction: Using the Coaching & Development .................................... .......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... .................1 1 Guide ....................... Self Management Competency Cluster 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Initiative & Risk Taking ............................................... ............................................................13 .............13 Learning Agility & Self Development .......................................21 .......................................21 Drive for Results.............................................. Results......................................................................29 ........................29 Adaptability & Change Management .......................................37 .......................................37 Emotional Resilience......................... Resilience .................................................. ......................................45 .............45

Relationships Competency Cluster 6. 7. 8. 9.

10. 11. 12. 13.

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Problem Solving & Critical Thinking ......................................97 ......................................97 Decision Making .............................................. ..................................................................105 ....................105 Innovation............................................................................113 Technical/Professional Expertise ........................................125 ........................................125

Management Competency Cluster 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

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Communication & Influencing.......................................... Influencing..................................................57 ........57 Interpersonal Skill & Relationship Building ..............................69 ..............................69 Teamwork & Team Building ................................................ ....................................................77 ....77 Customer Focus ................................................... ......................................................................85 ...................85

Analytical Competency Cluster

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Delegation & Performance Management ............................135 ............................135 Project/Program Management ............................................143 ............................................143 Coaching & Developing Talent ............................................151 ............................................151 Managing Differences/Conflict ............................................159 ............................................159 Negotiating Solutions ................................................. ..........................................................167 .........167

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Coaching & Development Guide for Performance Excellence

Leadership Competency Cluster 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

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Approachability & Fostering Openness............................... 177 Strategic Thinking & Planning............................................. 185 Business Acumen ............................................................... 193 Leading & Inspiring Others ................................................. 201 Integrity, Ethics & Credibility ............................................... 209

Appendix: Development Action Plan

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Coaching & Development Guide for Performance Excellence

Preface The content of this book was developed and has accrued over several years of research, development and application. The competencies and development recommendations in this book have evolved from our research on hundreds of jobs and involving thousands of employees from organizations on both sides of the Globe. I want to thank our Assessments Associates International Colleagues in Asia for their insights and contributions regarding cross cultural effectiveness. With such an extended development process the content of this book is the result of the insights, suggestions and hard work of a number of people. Special recognition and appreciation goes to the following individuals:

Claudia L. Brueber Michael J. Chanaka Linda B. Draze Nancy A. Fritzke Chaitra M. Hardison Timothy M. Johansson Nathan D. Page Thomas L. Payne Sidney L. Teske

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Coaching & Development Guide for Performance Excellence

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 Introduction

Introduction: Using the Coaching & Development Guide

What this Guide Is This Guide has been designed as a support tool for coaching and developing individuals. Using a competency framework, it provides specific and detailed instructions to enable individuals to develop and practice new behaviors and skills. Moreover, it helps in creating and implementing action-oriented development plans. It provides suggestions in easy-to-follow steps for on-the-job activities to assist in further developing and enhancing an individual’s competencies. Research has shown that the most effective form of employee learning and development is through on-the-job experiences. Capitalizing on this fact, this Guide provides suggestions and guidance on specific work activities. Like a recipe book, this guide provides step-by-step procedures (i.e., “recipes”) for developing and honing specific  job-related behaviors, skills, and competencies. Following the step-by-step activities in this Guide will lead to increased competence and effectiveness in those areas. The Coaching & Development Guide assists managers, coaches, mentors, and employees in helping increase an individual’s performance, capability and career potential. It: 

Provides concrete, step-by-step suggestions for activities that develop and hone an individual’s skills.

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Enables employees to create a focused development plan.

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Enables employees to take responsibility for their own development by providing clear guidance.

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Helps assure that employees have the right skills to maximize their career potential.

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Helps assure that employees have the right skills to meet the organization’s evolving skill requirements.

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Provides a process in which action-based development suggestions are identified and implemented, leading to new skills.

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Contributes to improved employee and organizational performance.

How This Book Is Organized This Coaching & Development Guide contains three primary components: 1. Competency Model. A broad-based model that is relevant for a wide range of   jobs and organizations. It provides over 300 examples of highly effective and less effective behaviors. 2. Development Suggestions. Over 250 high-impact step-by-step development actions organized by the 23 competencies.

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Coaching & Development Guide for Performance Excellence

3. Development Action Plan. A form (the Appendix) for detailing an individual’s specific plan of action. Individuals typically identify about three competencies for development and select a couple of development actions for each competency. This Guide is organized according to the 23 competencies in the Assessment Associates International (AAI) core competency model. This model has five clusters of competencies, which comprise each section of this book, and are shown in Figure 1:     

Self Management Cluster Relationships Cluster Analytical Cluster Management Cluster Leadership Cluster

Each chapter provides a definition of the competency, examples of Highly Effective and Less Effective behaviors and provides at least 10 development activities. This format allows the identification of development activities that are targeted at the individual’s unique development needs. The Development Action Plan (DAP), which is presented in the Appendix, is designed to enable the development of a specific plan of action. Typically, it is recommended that an individual identify about three competencies or development areas to work on in a development cycle (typically six months to a year). The DAP provides a format for: 1) recording the competencies that are to be developed, 2) the specific development objective for the competency, 3) the actions to be taken, 4) who is involved in the development activity, 5) the resources that are required, and 6) the time frame for the development process. In addition, the DAP provides a format for recording the results of a Progress Update after three months, six months and nine months.

An Introduction to the Coaching & Development Process The coaching and development process is a cyclical, ongoing process. Throughout one’s career, the process is continuing as the individual continues to grow and develop new capabilities. These new capabilities enable the individual to adapt to changing work roles, new technologies and customer demands. Moreover, these new capabilities enable the individual to take on more responsibility and to progress through larger positions. Figure 2 presents a visual model of the coaching and development process. It shows the components of the typical coaching process and how these components are related to each other. The five steps in this process are as follows:

2

1.

Start. The development process may be triggered by performance review, self-identification, or a recommendation by someone in the organization.

2.

Development Diagnosis. Assessment information is provided about the individual’s current capabilities by 360° Assessment, self-report, performance assessment or feedback from others.

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 Introduction

Figure 1

Core Competency Model for 

Performance Excellence 

RELATIONSHIPS

ANALYTICAL

6. 7.

10. 11. 12. 13.

8. 9.

Communication & Influencing Interpersonal Skill & Relationship Building Teamwork & Team Building Customer Focus

Problem Solving & Critical Thinking Decision Making Innovation Technical/Professional Expertise

SELF M ANAGEMENT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

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Initiative & Risk Taking Learning Agility & Self Development Drive for Results Adaptability & Change Management Emotional Resilience

MANAGEMENT

LEADERSHIP

14. Delegation & Performance Management 15. Project/Process Management 16. Coaching & Developing Talent 17. Managing Differences/Conflict 18. Negotiating Solutions

19. Approachability & Fostering Openness 20. Strategic Thinking & Planning 21. Business Acumen 22. Leading & Inspiring Others 23. Integrity, Ethics & Credibility

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Coaching & Development Guide for Performance Excellence

3.

Development Planning. Using the development diagnosis information, the individual creates a Development Action Plan (DAP). The template for the DAP appears in the Appendix.

4.

Coaching & Mentoring. Using this book as a key resource, the coach or mentor may guide the individual in implements learning and development activities.

5.

The coach/mentor will periodically meet with the individual to review progress, identify observed behavioral change, and update the plan of action.

How to Use this Book  Coaching Winners! has been created as a support tool to the Development Action Planning process. Working with this Guide might be one of the most significant things you do in your career. Whether you are working on your own development or are a Coach, Supervisor or Mentor, the activities outlined in this Guide will help you and others grow and enhance individual competencies. The following sections provide steps for using this Guide for four different types of users, including whether:    

You are the Coach. You are the Supervisor You are the Mentor You are Your Own Coach (Self-Development)

You are the Coach! Many times organizations will bring in external professional coaches to work with their executives, managers and/or employees. They also may have internal people designated to this role as well. The different areas of coaching may include business, executive, career, employee/management development, life and presentations. This Guide focuses on development and as a coach who will be working with this Guide; your role is to focus on "development" as it applies to work performance. 1. Your Client. – You might be working with a variety of positions, as well as an array of different personality styles. Whether you are working with one person or several, each one has specific needs and will have a unique and special working relationship with you. a. Executive. – This position might have a different focus than a middle manager or an employee with no supervisory responsibilities. Some of the key areas may include leadership, risk taking, drive, influencing, decision making, strategic planning, and approachability. This is a very important focus because you may possibly be playing a role that will have a major impact on the organization and its employees. While the latter has more of a focus on Executive Coaching, one of the reasons the client has brought you in might be relating to performance or leadership styles. Because this is at the executive level, certain sensitivity is involved. Executives are used to making the decisions and not having someone question their authority. Make it clear that the two of you are a team and help them share in the ownership of the outcome.

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 Introduction

Figure 2

Co a c h i n g & De v e l op m e n t Pr o c e s s Start of Process

Development Diagnosis

Progress Updates

Coaching & Mentoring

Development Planning

b. Manager. – This position also has very unique responsibilities. They answer to their supervisors and possibly their management. Motivating their employees to perform is one of their organization's main expectations. The manager might be considered a star performer and your role will be to enhance their strengths. By the same token, you might be brought in to coach them based on input from their management, peers or employees (360° Assessment). This will require finesse and may focus on communication, team building, management implementation, conflict and openness. c. Employee. – This will cover a wide range of possibilities and could include a specific department or different employee positions. You may be coaching someone who is being considered for management or someone who has issues with conflict or meeting goals and expectations. d. Personality Styles. – When you are coaching someone, one of the most important things to remember is that this is a very personal experience for them. Everyone's personality and behavior is unique and different. For some, it's a positive because they are on the fast track. For others, it's about improvement and everyone is going to react differently. Review the different styles outlined in Chapter 6 on Communication and Influencing. This will help you in how you approach them. 2. Development Action Plan. – The Plan will consist of a Developmental Goal, Developmental Objectives, Activities, Vision Planning and Progress Updates. Every person you coach will follow this Plan, and their accountability and willingness to work with you will determine their success.

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Coaching & Development Guide for Performance Excellence

3. Goals. – Establishing the goal for the individual coaching session is a must. What are you and the person you are coaching trying to accomplish? Some examples of goals could include the following: a. b. c. d.

Enhancing Leadership Capabilities Instilling Team Building among Employees Channeling Conflict into Productive Behavior Improving Customer Service

The goal should be revisited each time you meet. Typically, it's good to have one main developmental goal at a time because you will be achieving that goal through multiple objectives. 4. Developmental Objectives. – These objectives are identified to attain the developmental goal. Let's say the goal is "Improving Customer Service" as previously identified. You might be working with one person or a group of people. The development objectives might be similar or different for each individual. Some of the objectives might include the following: a. b. c. d.

Improving Communication Skills on the Phone Focusing More on the Customer Enhancing Follow-through Negotiating “Win-Win” Solutions

5. Development Activities. – Numerous proven activities are outlined in this Guide. Apply the activities that support the development goals and objectives you have identified with your coaching recipient. Let's continue with "Improving Customer Service" and select the objective of "Focusing More on the Customer". One of the activities you can work on is "Improving Customer Service through Information Sharing". Have them go through the activities and develop a plan to create a customer-focused environment. This is where coaching a group of people would benefit if they have the same developmental goals. 6. Vision Planning. – "Envisioning where you want to be" goes beyond reaching your goal. It's a "state of mind". As a coach you can work with an individual and help them improve or change the kind of person they portray. Using our example of Customer Service, say you work with someone who is self-centered. Coaching them to focus on others, like their customers and work with their team to do the same, can produce a very empowering feeling for them. By getting them out of their self-serving ways, a new healthy perspective is achieved. Vision Planning is almost like "brainstorming" with a focus on the desired outcome. You encourage the person you are coaching to envision the ideal scenario. Some additional examples might include the following: a. Being recognized as one of the "Most Valuable Technical People" in their organization b. Achieving the "Top Salesperson of the Year" award c. Leading an organization to produce record breaking profits d. Merging two acquired companies successfully Vision Planning helps people achieve their developmental goals because it encourages a change in their behavior and how they perceive themselves.

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 Introduction 7. Schedule. – Setting up a schedule is very important and will vary depending on the number of people, type of positions and number of individual goals that are identified. Coaching agreements are usually 3, 6 or 12 months in length. The first session is typically one to two hours in length. From this point the coaching might occur weekly, biweekly or monthly. The duration will depend on the number of people being coached and the number of goals, objectives and activities. 8. Progress Updates. – Meeting with those you are coaching, on a regular basis is key to their success. You will meet with them personally or speak with them on the phone. The time frame for meeting objectives and carrying out the activities is reviewed. If objectives and activities are completed, it will then be determined to move on to the next objective. If, however, objectives and activities are not completed, this needs to be noted and why. This is very important and is where your coaching expertise can play an extremely valuable role. It should also be noted that during this time you will be updated the group who brought you in to coach. Since this is usually upper management you should be prepared with either a formal presentation or one-on-one meetings updating them on the progress of the sessions.

You are the Supervisor! Whether you are a Manager, Director, Vice President or running your organization, leading and bringing out the best in your people is one of your primary responsibilities. The workplace environment you establish can foster growth, performance and shape people for life. Feel free to copy the Development Action Plan in the back of the Guide for each employee you coach. Make copies of the Progress Updates for your records to track their individual progress. 1. Performance Reviews. – Using the Guide in tandem with the Performance Appraisal process is an excellent way to develop your people. The competency areas that need to be strengthened or enhanced can be identified and supported through the numerous activities outlined. Progress Updates can be scheduled to measure the degree of change and objectives and activities completed. 2. Motivation. – Everyone is motivated by different things. You are encouraged to review the information on "Motivating Your Employees", in Section 6 on Communication and Influencing. Identifying what motivates your employees is up to you. Once you have determined this, you can use the activities mentioned in the Guide to bring this out on an individual basis. 3. Team Building. – This is an element that is essential to the success of your organization. Teaching people how to work together, by using activities from this Guide, will help them capitalize on their individual strengths. Review Chapter 8, Teamwork/Team Building. 4. Project Management. – You at some point might be directing your employees and other manager's employees on a project team. This can be a real challenge because you are trying to direct people that don't report to you. To help move everyone in the same direction, some pertinent sections to review for

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ideas and activities include: Chapter 3, Drive for Results, Chapter 6, Communication & Influencing, Chapter 7, Interpersonal Skills & Relationship Building, Chapter 8, Teamwork & Team Building, Chapter 14, Delegation & Performance Management and Chapter 15, Project/Program Management. 5. Top Performers. – It's always great to have an employee who is always up for a challenge and a good role model for her or his coworkers. To keep them motivated, assign additional responsibilities, including leadership roles, to keep them on the right path and enhance their skills and expertise. Chapter 22, Leading & Inspiring Others is a good one to review, along with encouraging programs to update their business knowledge. 6. New-Hire Employees. – New employees require a great deal of guidance. Virtually all the activities in this Development Guide could be used to help them acclimate to their job and the business environment. 7. Challenged Employees. – Sometimes employees are overwhelmed for a variety of reasons. Taking them aside and telling them you are there to help them, will ease their mind. Find out what areas are challenging for them. For example, they might have a real struggle in solving problems. A good area for ideas would be, Chapter 10, Problem Solving & Critical Thinking. 8. Performance Improvement Plans. – This is an area in which this Guide will be invaluable. Since it is targeting 23 Competency Areas, they will all tie in to Work Performance issues. When you have to put one of your employees on a Plan, it is stressful for both of you. Inevitably, whether it's a one-month, threemonth or six-month plan, your employee might feel threatened and feel “what's the point?” Emphasize the positive, and pick out activities from this Guide that support the expectations laid out in their plan. Tell them you want this to work and that this is an opportunity for growth. 9. Discipline Problems. – When issues come up that go beyond the norm, many times they involve conflict and behavior which goes against organizational policy. Many groups have a zero tolerance when it comes to discipline and usually is grounds for termination. There are times, however, when intervention can turn a situation around and put an employee on the right path to a productive future. The activities in this Guide, particularly, Chapter 17, Managing Differences/Conflict are advised.

You are the Mentor! Remember that special teacher we all had or that person you looked up to and respected. Guess what? Now it's you! Many organizations take special pride in selecting their mentors. The guidance you provide and impact you will have on the people you mentor, will stay with them for a lifetime. Many times the employees you work with will be a new-hire or someone who is new to a department or division. These are some activities you can work on with the employee you are mentoring. This Guide is a complement to them and provides additional activities you can use along with a Development Action Plan. Help them identify Competencies that support these activities, along with a copy of the Plan. Schedule meetings for monitoring progress and provide feedback on improvements.

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 Introduction

1. Walk them through a typical day. – When an employee is new, it is nice to have someone give them a perspective on what to expect. Give them insight into the pace of the day, operational expectations, when meetings occur and a feel for the culture of the organization. 2. Give them a thorough tour of your facility and introduce them to different departments. – Two of the things that seem so basic, but are sometimes forgotten are tours and introductions. Many times organizations are so large that new employees never get the opportunity to just wander around and familiarize themselves with the different departments. It's also difficult to get to know people and where they work if there are no preliminary introductions. By doing this you help enhance communication and the working relationships of the employees you are mentoring. 3. Take them to an internal business meeting. – This is always good for employees new to a department, division or organization. Take the time to introduce them to everyone and make them feel welcome. Others might take a personal interest in them and what you are doing as a mentor. 4. Have them partake in one of your staff meetings. – A staff meeting can really open the eyes of someone new because everyone is a little more comfortable in being themselves. This can mean different outcomes, but it will give them an opportunity to see how you and your group interact. 5. Take them to a customer site. – Customer visits can be a lot of fun and can illustrate your relationship with your client, and how they use your organizations products and/or services. 6. Let them participate in one of your project teams. – Based on their background and education you might be able to use them on one of your projects. It will give them an opportunity to demonstrate their expertise and allow them to interact with other team members. 7. Have them audit a training program with you. – Observing a training program together can be a great educational experience. It might even be an external seminar, a college or vocational course or even a class you are facilitating. Particularly, if you are the instructor, introducing your colleague will make them feel special and part of your program. 8. Take them to a professional association meeting. – Helping them grow professionally is very important. Introducing them to business and associations relating to their field will help them build their career, and they will have you to thank!

You are Your Own Coach! - [Self-Development] You are now in charge of your own self-development. This is quite an exciting prospect. The competencies and activities covered in this Guide are designed to help you strengthen key aspects of your background. An easy step-by-step process is provided for different growth areas, and you are encouraged to carry out each activity you choose in their entirety.

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Coaching & Development Guide for Performance Excellence

1. Review what a Coach does. – Take the time to review the previous Chapter on what a professional coach does. It will give you great insight into the process and techniques that are necessary for success. 2. Read the section for Supervisors. – This section will give you an overview of the different areas a Supervisor will use this Guide. The benefits of this will be to give you an idea as to what your Supervisor is monitoring in terms of work performance. It will also help you in your working relationship with her or him. Knowing this will point you in the right direction in being a stellar performer. 3. Review the Mentor's section. – You might be assigned a mentor or as you carry out designated development activities, realize you need the support or feedback from a colleague. 4. Identify Your Competencies. – Look at this Guide closely and decide which areas you want to develop further. Since you are doing this on your own, did you decide to use this Guide based on feedback you received from your Supervisor, a coworker or through your own initiative. If it's through your own initiative, you will have the say as to which Competency you want to work on first. If it's through input from your Supervisor, they might have a specific idea on which area you need to address. 5. Copy the Development Action Plan. – Make a copy of the Plan in the back of this Guide. Identify the Competency you want to focus on and write down your Developmental Goal. Typically, you should only work on one to three Competencies at a time. Document why you are working on this and your expectations of yourself. 6. List Your Objectives and Activities. – Once you have determined what your Developmental Goal is identify the Developmental Objectives. These will be the objectives that will help you obtain your Goal. Once this is accomplished, identify the activities you want to carry out. Document everything on your Plan. Remember, you might want to focus on one Developmental Goal per plan, which is fine. Customize the plan to make sense for you and what you are trying to accomplish. 7. Implementation. – Make copies of the Activities you have chosen and carefully review them. Modify them accordingly to enhance your learning and development. Carry out the steps and track how things are going. When you complete an activity decide whether you want to repeat it. If you feel you have accomplished your Developmental Objective, you might want to move to another Ob jective and activity. Make sure you document your progress on your Plan. 8. Support. – You might want to have someone review your Plan, Goals, Objectives and Activities if you have initiated this on your own. If your Supervisor was the driving force, then you will be working with them. It is important that you decide how your progress will be monitored. It might be entirely you who has this responsibility, but it is nice to receive perspectives from people who can support you and help you achieve your goals. Your can schedule your progress updates accordingly. 9. Accomplishment. – It's a great feeling when you know you have achieved your Goals and Objectives! Even more importantly, when you can see enhancement and improvement in your own behavior, your career is on the right path.

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Analytical Cluster 10. Problem Solving & Critical Thinking 11. Decision Making 12. Innovation 13. Technical/Professional Expertise

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 Problem Analysis & Critical Thinking

10. Problem Solving & Critical Thinking Core Characteristics: Effectively gathers, researches, analyzes and/or assimilates information; uses logic and critical thinking to address issues and problems; generates and selects effective solutions and checks their results.

Ex a m p l e H i g h l y E f f e c t i v e B e h a v i or s 

Thoroughly assesses and diagnoses problems; analyzes various perspectives and weighs alternatives to reach logical conclusions.

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Gets to the root of the problem; probes the facts and doesn’t take information at face value.

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Actively solicits diverse perspectives and remains objective; draws appropriate conclusions by effectively researching issues.

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Cuts to the core of an issue and is incisive; remains objective under pressure and differentiates root causes from symptoms.

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Has excellent critical thinking skills; listens, asks the right questions, checks, and double-checks.

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Assesses probabilities and options; analyzes pros and cons and provides fact-based justifications for recommendations.

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Uses systems thinking and sees the whole while addressing the parts; anticipates consequences of actions.

Ex a m p l e L e s s E f f e c t i v e B e h a v i o rs

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Analyzes things at an inappropriate level of detail; over analyzes or under analyzes issues.

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Has difficulty analyzing problems and identifying underlying structures; fails to recognize patterns in data.

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Provides superficial or haphazard analysis or solutions; analysis identifies only the most obvious alternatives.

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Pursues preconceived or politically favored solutions; uses gut reaction to analyze issues.

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Fails to separate relevant from irrelevant information; develops partial or impractical solutions.

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Is unwilling to act without all of the data; refers to a higher authority or follows procedures or the lead of others.

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Doesn’t distinguish root causes from symptoms; fails to identify alternative approaches.

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List of Development Activities: 1.

Implementing a Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) Process

2.

Implementing a Six-Step Problem-Solving Process

3.

Identifying the True Cause of Problems

4.

Avoiding Problems through Preventive Action

5.

Improving Problem Diagnosis

6.

Coping with Unforeseen Problems

7.

Improving Analysis by Following-Up on Decisions

8.

Anticipating Potential Problems by Identifying Risk Areas

9.

Generating Innovative Solutions to Work-Related Problems

10. Improving Your Critical Thinking Skills by Brainstorming New Ideas

Development Activities Implementing a Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) Process The PDCA process is an approach that may be used to support problem analysis, continuous improvement, and organizational effectiveness. Systematically used, this process helps assure that effective approaches are implemented and that the lessons learned from these approaches are leveraged for even more effective and productive solutions in the future. The PDCA process consists of the following four steps: 1. Plan. First, you should assess the situation and identify an approach, including your objectives, the steps to be undertaken, and the time frame for undertaking these steps. 2. Do. Next, implement the plan of action. By implementing your plan of action you assure that your planned steps are accomplished. 3. Check. Next, review the progress that you have made against the plans you made in the Step 1. Did your efforts result in positive outcomes? What could you have improved? 4. Act. Finally, you should act upon the “lessons learned” that emerged from checking the results of your actions (i.e., Step 3). You may identify “improvements” to your process or approach. In this way, you may help assure that future actions will benefit from your actions and the lessons you have learned.

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 Problem Analysis & Critical Thinking

Implementing a Six-Step Problem-Solving Process The following six-step process provides guidance for analyzing problems and making decisions based on the use of data and logic. It helps make the process consistent and understandable across all levels of an organization. To effectively diagnose problems, identify root causes and implement effective actions, undertake the following six steps. 1. Identify the Project. The definition of the project addresses such issues as: What is it? What does it look like? These questions may be addressed by defining: a. Background Information. This defines what the project is, why it is useful, and its characteristics. b. Customer Viewpoint. This analyzes the project from the customer’s perspective and helps assure that the process addresses key issues pertaining to end results of the organization. c. Indicators. This establishes appropriate measures to clearly measure the outcomes of the initiative. 2. Determine Area of Focus. The purpose of this step is to stratify the project so as to isolate a significant area of focus. It is used to help differentiate the “vital few” from the “insignificant many.” Do the following: a. Stratify the Data. Chart relevant data to identify trends using such techniques as a checklist, Pareto diagram, or histogram. b. Understand the Process. Prepare a visual display of the steps of your process that shows who is responsible for each step. This frequently results in a Process Map. c. Create a Problem Statement. A problem statement is a concise statement of the problem. It highlights the essence of the project as identified by the stratification process and it sets the direction for what needs to be analyzed. d. Define the Goal. The goal identifies the target for addressing the problem. It helps establish standards that can be used to measure the effectiveness of solutions. 3. Analyze the Problem. Next, gather relevant data to prove or disprove the identified causes. Thus process digs below the more superficial symptoms to get at the underlying root causes. a. Perform a Cause-and-Effect Analysis. In this analysis you will work to determine the effect, analyze contributing factors, and select probable causes. b. Verify Root Causes. This provides a focus for the initiative supports (i.e., proves or disproves) the true causes. 4. Select and Implement Solutions. Do this by doing the following: a. Select Solutions. Identify potential solutions and systematically analyze their relevance, ease of implementation, and relevance. b. Perform a Cost-Benefit Analysis. This determines the magnitude of the benefit by addressing the relative cost of the problem vs. the cost of the proposed solution. ©

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c. Create an Action Plan. Create a formal plan to assure successful implementation and carefully analyze factors that may hinder or enable the identified solutions. It should identify the steps, responsibilities, and time frames. 5. Assure Improvements. Next, check to assure that the solutions have reduced the root causes by: a. Reduction of Root Causes. Did the effect of the problem improve? Was the goal achieved? b. Overall Results. Identify the overall results by showing the before and after data for the measures that were identified in Step 2. c. Changes to the Process. Assure that the process is changed so that the improvements are maintained on an ongoing basis. 6. Plan Next Steps. This step will address: a. Learning Points. Using hindsight, identify what was learned from the problem solving process. b. Future Plans. Identify plans for the future, including if appropriate, recommended system enhancements.

Identifying the True Cause of Problems Identifying the true nature of a problem is a critical element of effective problem solving. Often, people try to solve the wrong problem. By undertaking the following steps you will hone your skills in locating the exact nature of the problem. 1. For the next three problems in which the cause is not immediately apparent, generate a list of possible causes and methods for checking these. Organize the list in order from the most simple to check to the most difficult. 2. Identify and document the data/information that demonstrates the problem. Share this information with management to gain support for addressing it. 3. Do not be misled by the obvious. Continue the diagnostic process until you have verified through facts and data the key that the key problem areas have been identified. 4. If necessary, your manager will supplement this suggestion by having you review resolutions to problems in similar areas (i.e., best practices).

Avoiding Problems through Preventive Action An effective means of reducing problems is to take preventive action in avoiding them. Although there are many unforeseeable circumstances that are completely out of your hands, in certain cases preventive action could be undertaken to avoid problems. 1. Over the next month, keep a list of all problems that occur within a particular process, recording the cause, how they were handled, and the effect they had on the project or service performance. Use facts and data to support this.

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 Problem Analysis & Critical Thinking 2. At the end of this period examine your list to determine patterns, limits of control, exceptional situations or reoccurring issues. For example, the listed cause of a problem might suggest a lack of planning, a failure to attend to detail, poor communication, etc. 3. Record what actions could be undertaken to avoid the problems. Develop a simple plan of action. 4. Initiate steps to ensure preventive actions are a part of your regular work pattern within the next two weeks. 5. Check your results by repeating the diagnostic process you used in Step 1.

Improving Problem Diagnosis In certain cases, the cause of a problem will be readily diagnosed. However, the explanation for a problem is not always so self-evident. In these situations, skill in diagnosis will be called upon. 1. Select three or four general areas in which you frequently encounter jobrelated problems. 2. Ask your manager or a colleague with strong diagnostic skills to give you advice on how to find the facts required to properly evaluate a problem in each of these areas. 3. Over the next 3 months, each time you are faced with diagnosing a job-related problem, follow this procedure: a. Find the facts required to anticipate and verify the problem. Utilize others with these skills to coach you through the process. b. Develop alternative causes for the problem. Generate a list of all possible causes of the problem. Strive to come up with at least 5 possible sources. A fishbone, or affinity diagram are suggested tools to use for this. c. Verify the cause having the most significant impact. d. Verify the root cause, brainstorm solutions, weight the appropriateness of each solution and identify the most appropriate solution(s). e. Gain support to implement the solution, if needed.

Coping With Unforeseen Problems In your day-to-day planning and decision-making, identify alternative solutions to various problems that arise. Then, if an unforeseen emergency arises and the chosen solution must be abandoned, you will be able to come up with an alternative quickly. Try the following activities. 1. Break an issue or problem into its parts. Use a fishbone, or affinity diagram to visually see the parts of the problem or issue. Are there aspects that you did not originally anticipate? 2. Participate as a member on a cross-functional team. Sharing ideas and solutions with others can help uncover issues and problems that were unforeseen ©

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to you. 3. Review best practices for an issue or problem. How have others addressed this? Have they identified problems or issues that you have not foreseen?

Improving Analysis by Following-Up on Decisions One of the ways to improve your analysis of problems is to investigate the situations that result from your decisions. 1. Keep a journal of decisions that you make and considerations that you made prior to making that choice of action. 2. Ask the following questions for each decision: a. Did it result in what you expected? b. If it did not, what did you fail to consider in analyzing the situation that could have helped you to better predict the outcome? c. In looking back, do you still think other plans of action that you discarded would have resulted in negative outcomes? d. Was this a successful decision or did it result in something less desirable than you would hope for? e. For successes, how can you duplicate that in the future? For failures, what can you do to avoid repeating the same mistake? 3. For each of the actions that you have taken, re-evaluate the current state on a regular basis to determine if changes need to be implemented because of unanticipated events.

Anticipating Potential Problems by Identifying Risk Areas It is important to identify and anticipate potential problems to ensure timely corrective action. One way in which this can be done is via the identification of risk areas in the initial stages of work planning. Over the next 3 months each time you begin work on a project or assignment, institute the following procedure: 1. Prepare a breakdown of all the functional tasks involved in the project. 2. Analyze each of these to determine any areas of risk. For example, data necessary for effective work planning might be missing. The project might involve implementing a procedure that is new. Perhaps one of the service groups on which you rely is currently undergoing staffing problems. Try to think of everything that could go wrong. 3. Categorize these into high and low risk areas. 4. Generate several possible approaches to these problems in the event that they, in fact, do occur. Explore all potential trade-offs and alternatives in choosing the best approaches. 5. Incorporate safety factors into your planning for high-risk areas. For example, perhaps more time and/or funds should be allocated to these areas. If you are

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 Problem Analysis & Critical Thinking not working on an area identified as high risk, ensure that you are kept fully informed of all developments, either through actual observation or written reports. 6. If an identified risk does become real, turn to your proposed strategies and determine which should be implemented. Be sure to get input from all other technical people involved before implementing the action plan.

Generating Innovative Solutions to Work-Related Problems By looking at organizational activities from an innovative perspective, it is possible to generate new solutions to old problems. 1. Select one major problem that co-workers have repeatedly encountered over the past 6 months. 2. Record the nature of the difficulty, how and if it has been handled in the past, and the success with which the solution was met. 3. Meet with co-workers to generate as many alternative solutions as possible. 4. Do not limit yourself to one or two solutions, since this will curtail creative thinking and cause too much concentration on detail. For the moment, concentrate on innovation rather than on the limiting factors of implementation. 5. Review this list of potential solutions and see if it is possible to combine the best parts of several solutions into one superior solution. 6. Seek additional input from your manager or mentor and discuss the feasibility of implementation. 7. Arrange for follow-up a month later with the individuals affected by the innovation to determine if it is serving its purpose.

Improving Your Critical Thinking Skills by Brainstorming New Ideas It is almost impossible to be innovative and critical at the same time. Critical thinking tends to stifle innovation because novel ideas usually seem ridiculous at first glance and are rejected as unrealistic before they are fully developed. When you encounter obstacles to your normal work methods or approaches, and need to generate new or improved procedures, temporarily let yourself be innovative at the expense of being critical and analytic. Follow these steps. 1. Idea Generation. Whenever you encounter a major obstacle to progress within your current work method or approach, generate as many solutions as possible before evaluating them. a. First, define the problem that is impeding your progress. State the problem in the most general terms possible. This will help you avoid getting locked into a particular perspective. b. Set aside a period of time (30 to 60 minutes) to devote to generating potential solutions to the problem. If you run out of ideas before the time is up, force yourself to generate ridiculous suggestions. One of them may start you on a novel and productive train of thought. ©

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c. Record all your ideas, no matter how ridiculous they may seem at the time. 2. Critical Analysis. Following the idea-generating period, review your ideas and carefully analyze the ones that seem most likely to yield a successful approach. a. Write down all the steps involved in implementing the new approach. b. Carefully scrutinize and evaluate each step to see whether this approach would, indeed, allow you to overcome the current obstacle, and also to anticipate future obstacles that might arise if you adopted this approach. c. If no major obstacles seem to be associated with this approach, implement it. If you do foresee a major obstacle, then choose another reasonable idea from your list and repeat this critical analysis phase.

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 Decision Making

11. Decision Making Core Characteristics: Makes quality decisions based on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, judgment, and due diligence.

Example Highly Effective Behaviors 

Demonstrates excellent judgment, even when facing complex, ambiguous or unique situations.

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Remains objective under pressure and makes good decisions within constraints; anticipates difficulties, including those of an interpersonal nature.

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Shows awareness of who and what is affected by decisions and keeps stakeholders informed and involved.

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Supports and defends good decisions that may adversely affect others in the short-term and stands firm when unpopular decisions need to be made.

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Actively solicits diverse perspectives and draws appropriate conclusions; remains objective and unbiased in making decisions.

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Balances the need to gather information with the need to make timely decisions; does not delay decisions unnecessarily.

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Addresses ineffective decisions appropriately; admits to mistakes, takes corrective action and identifies, assesses and mitigates risk.

Example Less Effective Behaviors

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Makes poor decisions under time constraints or lacks objectivity when making decisions; under or over estimates ability to deliver.

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Avoids responsibility for making decisions or is indecisive in resolving work issues.

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Refuses to make difficult or unpopular decisions; delays or postpones certain decisions that need to be made.

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Makes impractical or poorly thought-out decisions; has difficulty applying policy to new or unique situations.

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Relies heavily on personal opinions to make decisions; prejudges and ignores the perspective or experience of others.

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Lacks objectivity or uses “gut feeling” rather than knowledge when making decisions.

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Makes impractical decisions; implements quick fixes rather than permanent solutions.

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List of Development Activities: 1.

Minimizing Last-Minute Decision Making

2.

Choosing the Best Available Solution

3.

Improving Decisions by Increasing Your Flexibility

4.

Generating Alternative Solutions by Addressing Obstacles and Alternatives

5.

Assuring Timely Decision Making

6.

Assessing the Strengths and Weaknesses of Alternative Solutions

7.

Responding to Crisis Situations Swiftly and Resolutely

8.

Avoiding Hasty Decisions While Under Pressure

9.

Making Good Decisions and Avoiding Overreacting in Crisis Situations

10. Taking Responsibility for Decision Making

Development Activities Minimizing Last-Minute Decision Making Having to make last-minute decisions is an inevitable part of the work function. However, a practical goal is to reduce the number of decisions made in this manner and replace them with systematic planning. 1. Keep a record of your spur-of-the moment decisions for the next month. 2. Analyze this record at the end of this time period. Devise methods to incorporate as many of these last-minute decisions as possible into regular systematic planning. 3. Maintain the record for another 1-month period once you have implemented the above methods into your work planning.

Choosing the Best Available Solution A plan is more likely to work well if it is the best one rather than the only one. 1. Choose two goals and generate at least three different plans, programs, or options to meet these goals. 2. Outline the strengths and weaknesses of each, comparing your perceptions with those of others who may be involved in the project. 3. In making choices among them, be prepared to offer a rationale for your decision. The best rationale will be one that outlines specific strengths and weaknesses of the chosen plan in comparison to the alternatives.

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 Decision Making 4. Discuss or debate the merits of the different options with a co-worker. Provide a rationale against the option that seems to be the best to clarify if it is truly the best choice.

Improving Decisions by Increasing Your Flexibility Learn to keep an open mind even after arriving at a decision. Additional information can sometimes be critical and make the revision of your decision appropriate or necessary. 1. Think back over the past several months to instances where you now realize you were too rigid in sticking to your point of view once you had made up your mind. 2. List as many negative consequences as you can recall of your rigidity at these times. For example, were you unable to meet a project deadline because you had already decided that no additional personnel were needed for the project? 3. Determine if some outcomes might have been more positive had you been willing to reevaluate your decision in light of new information. 4. Over the next month keep a record of decisions you make and the information on which you base those decisions. 5. Consider these decisions as tentative and then actively seek additional input. 6. Revise your decisions when new information warrants it. 7. At the end of the month compare the quality of final decisions you made prior to and during the1-month period. Determine if your increased flexibility over the past month has had a positive impact on your decision-making.

Generating Alternative Solutions by Addressing Obstacles and Alternatives In your day-to-day decision-making process, make a conscious effort to generate additional alternatives to those that seem most obvious initially. 1. To aid in developing alternatives in decision-making, consider the following questions. a. What will happen if I do nothing about it? Some problems clear up by themselves, while others call for immediate action. b. What principles or practices, if applied, would offer solutions to the problem? c. What obstacles stand in the way of a solution? Considering obstacles one by one can help yield ideas for solution. 2. Once you have developed several possible solutions, generate ideas about them. Do not limit yourself to one solution; this will limit creative thinking and cause too much concentration on detail. The availability of several solutions will make it possible to combine the best parts of them into one superior solu-

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tion. Also, alternatives provide something to fall back on in case your one best solution falls through.

Assuring Timely Decision Making Decisions that are not made in a timely fashion can often be more detrimental than making a less informed decision at the crucial moment. Many decisions that managers are faced with require immediate attention, yet people are less comfortable with these decisions because they may result in a poor choice. 1. List all of the occasions in which you postponed a decision and it resulted in a less effective outcome than if you had not postponed it. List all of the times that you made a decision but felt uncomfortable about it because you lacked all of the information to make the decision. 2. For the decisions that you felt uncomfortable with, was there a positive result? Use the positive results to remind yourself in similar situations of the benefit gained by making that decision. For the negative results, were they worse than if you had made no decision at all? 3. When you postponed the decisions, evaluate how you could have made a faster decision. 4. Part of making prompt decisions is feeling confident in your ability to make a decision. Consider how you and co-workers can boost your confidence in decision-making. Part of empowerment is having the tools to make quick decisions. Do you have all of the tools that could be provided by your peers and superiors? If not, ask them if they can help to enable you to make decisions more quickly.

Assessing the Strengths and Weaknesses of Alternative Solutions Once you have clearly defined a problem, it is necessary to assess the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions so that an effective action plan can be developed. A thorough assessment of the possible alternatives requires an initial decision as to which factors to optimize in the solution and a consideration of all the constraints under which you are operating. 1.

Prepare a brief written statement of the problem.

2.

List all factors that should be considered in choosing the solution, such as: a. Controlling expenses within established budget figures. b. Meeting scheduled deadlines. c. Specifications.

3.

Rank order these factors according to their priority.

4.

List all constraints (external forces) under which you are operating that might prevent certain decisions from being made or possible.

5.

Generate several possible solutions in which the highest-ranking factors are optimized and all operating constraints are accepted.

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 Decision Making 6.

Contact other individuals who are involved in the situation to determine which of these would most feasibly be implemented.

7.

Document all assumptions on which investigated alternatives are based to refer to if unforeseen developments require a change of strategy.

8.

Put the chosen action plan into operation.

9.

Document your actions.

10. Keep a record of alternatives and background assumptions so that you will have a second course of action to fall back on, should the chosen course prove inoperable. 11. Record the final outcomes on each selected action plan. Note the extent to which the factors chosen for optimization were met.

Responding to Crisis Situations Swiftly and Resolutely Following a clear series of steps, especially when in a crisis situation, will make your actions more effective and allow you to remain objective under pressure. 1.

Respond to a crisis using the following sequence: a. Recognize and acknowledge that a problem exists. b. Diagnose the problem for possible remedial action. Establish the cause of the problem. c. Generate several possible courses of action and choose from alternate solutions. d. Apply the solutions. e. Evaluate the situation for better solutions or ways to have prevented the crisis.

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2.

Apply the first four steps as an immediate response to the situation; postpone the last until the crisis is past and there is time for reflection.

3.

The first thing to ask yourself in times of possible crisis is what is wrong. Later, when things have returned to normal, you can ponder why it went wrong.

4.

If immediate action is called for, respond. It is usually better to offer a lessthan-perfect intervention than to let matters go completely awry.

5.

Be willing to go out on a limb in a crisis situation. This is not the time to sit back and let someone else handle it.

6.

In times of crisis, it is important to think clearly and act swiftly. Avoid directing stress and frustration at others. While there may be occasions when you must act alone, try to enlist the aid of a co-worker in such a situation.

7.

Determine how quickly remedial action is needed. If there is sufficient time, generate more than one plan of action and get feedback. Try to make the most informed choice possible under the circumstances.

8.

Whenever possible, a brief discussion before acting allows you to bounce your ideas off someone else and gives you a basis for evaluating your per-

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formance after the crisis has passed. 9.

Keep a record of your response to crisis situations over the next month. Determine at what stage in the crisis response you were weak. Did you fail to recognize the problem or were you unable to provide solutions?

10. Keep a crisis notebook on a departmental or team basis. Record problems when they occur. Include how it was recognized and by whom, what steps were taken, and how it might be avoided in the future. Use the notebook as a basis for discussion at an organization or team meeting.

Avoiding Hasty Decisions While Under Pressure Many day-to-day decisions need to be made in a short period of time while in a stressful, high-pressure situation. There are two types of mistakes that can be made with this type of decision: not making one when it is needed, or making a hasty decision too quickly. 1. Ask for feedback from co-workers using specific examples of when you have made a decision too quickly. Add to the examples provided by co-workers your own observations of mistakes you have made. For times that you made a premature decision without gathering more information, ask the following questions. Use your answers as a Guide to how to prepare ahead of time and effectively deal with the situation. a. Was I under pressure and feeling highly stressed? If stress was a factor, try to lower the level of stress by encouraging a calm, non-threatening language and climate both for yourself and others. Consider postponing the decision for a brief period of time and remove yourself from the situation to relax for a few minutes. b. Were other people making demands of me? Were they also highly stressed? If you felt that demands were being made of you, consider discussing the climate of communication during those situations. Imagine what you can do in the stressful situation to lower the level of anxiety that everyone is facing. c. Did I fail to consider information that was readily available to me? Take a step back from the situation and consider what your options are. Ask for input from co-workers who have information pertaining to, or will be impacted by, the decision. d. Was someone withholding important information, or was there a breakdown in communication? For breakdowns in communication discuss with your co-workers how you all can facilitate decision making in times of crisis. If someone was withholding information, consider why and try to address the problem before a crisis situation occurs. e. Did it seem that an immediate decision was necessary when in actuality it was not? Why? Make note of when you are wrong about the urgency and refer to your notes when faced with similar situations. f. Did I feel threatened and allow my frustration, pride, or likes and dislikes of others to influence my decision? Use this information in weighing alternatives when making a decision.

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 Decision Making g. Did I ask for other people’s opinions/ideas? Often a decision is greatly improved by asking for input. Involving individuals in less senior positions increases their feeling of involvement and may provide a fresh perspective on the situation. Involving your peers and senior co-workers can help provide insights on how your decision will impact others. 2. If you made a hasty decision, was it because of one of the above reasons? If so, then ask yourself why you made the decision without investigating alternatives, and consider what you can do to prevent it from happening again. 3. The next time you are faced with a crisis situation, ask all of the above questions and evaluate whether your decision was still overly hasty.

Making Good Decisions and Avoiding Overreacting in Crisis Situations When a crisis occurs you should avoid jumping at the first possible solution to the problem, since acting too quickly may only serve to worsen the situation. 1. Ask your manager, mentor or colleague to provide you with examples of your overreaction to crisis situations over the past several months. 2. Probe for specific examples of negative consequences of your overreaction. 3. Seek suggestions as to how you might have better responded to the crisis situation. 4. Think back to some of the crisis situations you handled relatively well over the past several months. Note in particular how the actions you took led to a positive outcome. 5. Prepare a list of “do’s and don’ts” for handling crisis situations based on the information identified above. 6. Use these Guidelines over the next 3 months to help you avoid overreacting to crisis situations that arise. 7. Keep a written record over this time period of crisis situations that arise and how you respond to them. List both the positive and negative consequences of the actions you take. 8. Review your progress at the end of the 3-month period by comparing your former and present methods of handling crisis situations. In particular, focus on the difference in outcomes or consequences to see to what extent using your Guidelines has helped you to make better, more rational decisions.

Taking Responsibility for Decision Making Learning to confidently take responsibility for decision-making is an important part of effective performance. Increased willingness to make tough decisions will allow you to take charge when necessary, and foster the confidence to accept new projects and assignments. To do this, try the following:

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1. Examine all that you do in the day-to-day performance of your job. Identify areas in which you typically go to others for help making a decision. 2. Determine the decisions for which you could begin taking responsibility. 3. Be sure you understand all the elements that need to be considered before making a judgment. Then, discuss the possibility of taking on additional responsibility with the decision-maker and with their approval, begin to take over decision-making for those issues yourself. 4. Set a meeting with them for some time in the future after you will have assumed responsibility for the area of decision-making. Try not to seek encouragement before that time (but use your judgment here, obviously in some cases it will be important to consult with your co-workers). Review your decisions with your manager or mentor. Look for new ways in which you might take decision-making responsibility. 5. Sharpen your decision making skills by looking for areas where progress is being stifled because no one has taken responsibility for the project or assignment. Often projects get stalled because others are waiting for a decision for which no one has responsibility. Use these opportunities to take ownership of the decision making to help your team function smoothly.

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 Innovation

12. Innovation Core Characteristics: Identifies new and fresh approaches to problems and issues; has a vivid imagination and creates new concepts that are not obvious to others; and is willing to try new or novel approaches.

Ex a m p l e H i g h l y E f f e c t i v e B e h a v i or s 

Formulates useful new explanations or approaches for complex problems, situations or opportunities.



Engages others in brainstorming and encourages creativity in others.

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Serves as a resource to others in coming up with creative approaches to problems or issues.



Conceives new, unusual or clever ideas or approaches for situations or issues.



Has a vivid imagination and creates new concepts that are not obvious to others.



Continues to come up with alternatives even after a workable solution has been identified.



Originates or creatively defines new techniques, criteria, standards or approaches within the organization.

Ex a m p l e L e s s E f f e c t i v e B e h a v i or s

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Rarely identifies or applies a different approach to established procedures.



Usually stops creating or defining options once he/she has found one that works.



Doesn’t contribute new ideas or approaches for addressing issues.



Doesn’t use his/her imagination in solving problems or addressing issues.



Avoids situations where creativity and imagination are required; tends to squelch creativity in others.



Rarely integrates or combines approaches in different ways to best meet objectives.



Has difficulty evaluating the quality of new ideas or approaches.

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List of Development Activities: 1.

Honing Your Innovative Process

2.

Using Customer Input for Generating Innovative Ideas

3.

Brainstorming

4.

Tips for Personal Brainstorming

5.

Open Sourcing

6.

Storyboarding

7.

Mind Mapping

8.

Dynamic Approaching to Thinking

9.

Creating an Innovative Environment

10. Increasing Innovation through Creative Goal Setting 11. Practical Activities for Innovation 12. Stretching the Mind through Daily Creative Exercise

Development Activities Honing Your Innovative Process It is important to remember that while creativity and innovation come easily for some and difficult for others, it is a skill that can be developed by anyone. Innovation is a process of gathering as much information as possible and then combining, analyzing and distilling it into its richest, most useful form. Good innovators know where to look for information and then how to combine the best components from multiple sources into something new and useful. To hone your innovative process, go through the following steps: 1.

Identify the roadblocks that keep you from innovative contributions. Write them down and list the reasons for the roadblock. Share these roadblocks with a trusted colleague, supervisor, or peer. Ask this person to help you identify your habits that prevent your from creating innovative ideas. Perhaps you “zone-out” during brainstorming sessions, or maybe you need to find someone who can have a creative conversation with you.

2.

Divide innovation into two steps: 1) gathering information and 2) distilling information. List the places where you get your ideas. Where do you go for innovative information? This could be from: ♦ Creative teams. ♦ Literature. Magazines, journals, newspapers, trusted websites. ♦ Discussions with colleagues. ♦ Seminars. ♦ Prior experiences (yours or others’).

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 Innovation 3.

Next, write down how you usually go about “distilling” information. Do you rank order ideas? Do you combine two concepts from two different sources? Remember, distilling information is all about processing ideas. Good innovators are able to consistently draw out and channel new thinking from all available resources.

4.

Draw a flow chart of your last good idea. Start with the sources, and then draw arrows linking the information flow. There is a blank flow-chart for you to fill in. The squares in the first row represent the sources; the pyramids represent the first combinations of ideas. The large oval should be your final idea. Label the connections with details about how you “distilled” the idea. You may want to take this sample and re-create a full-page version, with more intermediate steps. Remember, most innovative processes involve more than three iterations.

5.

Review your results. Take an inventory of where you currently stand in your workplace and among peers. To improve your innovative process all you need to do is add more tools to your toolkit. Gather information from a broader base and then combine those ideas in myriad ways.

6.

Remember, honing your innovative process is more systematic than intuitive!

Using Customer Input for Generating Innovative Ideas Organizations need a constant stream of new ideas if they are to remain on the cutting edge of innovation. In many organizations there is resistance to change; however, innovation is built on change. Ideas are the fundamental building blocks of new products, services, processes, and strategies. As such, customers are often the end users of the organization’s new ideas. Consequently, obtaining customer input may markedly enhance the generation of new and relevant ideas. To engage customers in the process of generating new ideas, consider undertaking the following: 1. Involve Everyone in the Quest for Ideas. Organizations can enlarge their pool ©

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of ideas by including more employees in the process of new product and service ideas and in solving vexing organizational problems. Start by encouraging them to listen to customers. 2. Involve Customers in Your Process. New products are most often initiated by ideas from customers, rather than from in-house brainstorming sessions or developed internally by research and development. Identify customers who tend to buy the latest versions of your products. These "lead adopters" can provide you with insights about where the market may be headed and how your organization can best position itself. 3. Involve Customers in New Ways. Organizations evolve and embrace new ways of doing things at different rates. Nowhere is this more evident than in the ways they listen to customers. Look outside your own field or industry for ideas on how to get customer input. Automakers, retailers, consumer electronics manufacturers, for instance, are on the leading edge of customer surveying and are often considered the early adopters of idea techniques. 4. Focus on the Unarticulated Needs of Customers. How do you get feedback on ideas that don't exist? One approach growing in popularity is to probe the unarticulated needs of customers, asking them to consider hypothetical products and prototypes to see how they would respond. Learn from customers by observing what they are not doing, listening to what they are not saying. Recognize the sources of their frustration and find potential ways of eliminating it. 5. Seek Ideas from New Customer Groups. Most organizations should have a good idea of who their customers are. But if you expand your definition of customer, you can also expand your ability to generate winning ideas. Look at your customers' customers and your competitors' customers. Instead of looking at only the present, look also at the past (former customers) and the future (anyone you haven't done business with yet). Ask how you might meet those customers' needs. 6. Involve Suppliers in Product Idea Generation. Suppliers can be key partners in the idea-creation process, but many organizations are reluctant to share information with suppliers (who, after all, might be partners with the competition as well). Just as you look to your customers for new ideas (such as by detecting their unarticulated needs), think of your organization as your supplier's customer. You too, have unarticulated needs. Try articulating them and get your supplier's idea-generating capacity working in concert with yours. 7. Benchmark Idea Generating Methods. Innovative organizations actively manage the idea generation process by examining its effectiveness and questioning how the ideas-to-results process might be improved. Idea generation is not something that should be left to chance. Organizations that rely on innovation need to seriously examine the climate in which idea generation takes place and put someone in charge of making the process better, more productive, and more innovative.

Brainstorming The point of brainstorming is to generate ideas in a group situation while suspending  judgment. Splicing the generation phase from the critical thinking phase is imperative while brainstorming – it allows group members to freely contribute. No one can be

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 Innovation creative if they are being critiqued. 1. Identify your Group Members. Research has show that the ideal group size for brainstorming is 5-7 participates. This properly balances the breadth of contributions while maintaining a socially comfortable atmosphere. Also, it is important to appoint a facilitator who is capable of moving the discussion along without dominating other members. 2. Define your purpose before your meeting. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and has had time to think about the meeting before hand. Consider including with your memo a worksheet to be completed before the session. This further stimulates thinking. 3. Prepare starter questions. Begin the meeting by asking: a.

Who/What/When/Where/Why/How?

b.

Solutions to Problem?

c.

Any member with prior experience with this situation?

d.

Potential root causes?

e.

Any risks/rewards?

f.

What is obvious about this issue? What is subtle about it?

g.

Who is an expert in this area? Where are these experts?

4. Audit your information trail. Get a large whiteboard, posters, or video screen. Answer all of your starter questions and begin a flow-chart of ideas, exploring all avenues the discussion follows.

Tips for Personal Brainstorming It is possible to apply the principles of group brainstorming to create a focused program for personal brainstorming. With group brainstorming, the purpose is to generate a wealth of ideas and allow many people to piggy-back on them. When alone, it’s difficult to apply a fresh perspective to an idea. Here are some practical tips to help you increase the effectiveness of your innovative problem-solving skills: 1. Write your problem or issue down in one sentence at the top of a blank sheet of paper. Work hard at being concise and pointed. The better you can articulate yourself, the less distracted you will become. 2. Next, write down everything you know about the issue. Isolate specific factors or trends that have contributed to it. By gathering all of the information that you know about your challenge and laying it out in front of you in tangible form, you enable your brain subconsciously to begin making connections and implications about the information you've collected. Many connections are not obvious if you don’t take the time to write information down. Researchers refer to this subconscious information processing as the “incubation” phase of innovation. 3. Think about people who have faced problems or challenges similar to the one you are facing. What strategies or solutions did they use? Ask yourself: How would a person who is an expert in this area solve this problem? The point here is to begin thinking in a different frame of reference than you are used to. The main effect that group brainstorming is that similar ideas are strung together to form an excellent idea. Working from a new frame of reference allows you to string new ideas together with some of your original thoughts.

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4. Break down your issue into the smallest component pieces and write each of them down. Consider drawing a mind map or outline that shows the relationships between each element. Then, try brainstorming ideas around each element. Tackling only a few elements at a time often works well when you're faced with complex or multi-dimensional challenges. 5. Work backwards from your end goal. In golf, a long putt usually breaks in a slightly different direction the final 1-3 feet. However, this break is rarely visible when reading the line from behind the ball (or starting point). The best putters will stand behind the hole and read the putt in reverse to reveal the hidden break in the final 10% of line. Working backwards from the end goal can reveal the hidden pitfalls that are preventing your idea from complete development.

Open Source Most commonly used in reference to software, “open source” is an ideology and set of practices that promotes the free and iterative exchange of ideas. Open source projects often yields remarkably innovative results. The magic behind open source is the long-term iterative process. The best ideas rarely emerge in a single session or overnight, rather, they evolve over weeks, months, or even years. In many respects open source is large scale collaboration; however, collaboration often refers to real-time, face-to-face or group discussion with little time for highly innovative results to emerge. “Open sourcing” an idea is typically done by posting it in a public location – most often the internet – and inviting as many individual contributions as possible. “Open sourcing” is an excellent way to grow an idea or solution. Consider the following: 1.

Send a mass email to your colleagues describing your problem or invitation to build upon a good idea, post the best suggestions into one email, and then send it to the entire group again.

2.

If applicable, post your idea/invention/product in a high-traffic area of your office with a sign asking passers-by to contribute novel ideas. Incorporate any good ideas in your next iteration, then, put the improved idea on display again.

3.

Research your issue on the web; for example, join a blog, do a topic search using an internet search engine. Perhaps your issue is already being “open sourced” and you can join the current development of it.

4.

Create a webpage or blog and watch your idea develop and grow. This is how “traditional” open source projects begin.

5.

Always remember, the entire point of open source is to bring on as many contributors as possible and allow an idea to evolve over time.

Storyboarding Storyboards go back to the very beginnings of cinema and the world of animation. Walt Disney and his staff developed a Storyboard system in 1928. Disney wanted to

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 Innovation achieve full animation and for this, he needed to produce an enormous number of drawings. Managing the thousands of drawings and the progress of a project was nearly impossible, so Disney had his artists pin up their drawings on the studio walls. This way, progress could be checked, and scenes added and discarded with ease. 1. Storyboarding is a popular management tool to facilitate the innovative thinking process and can be likened to taking your thoughts and the thoughts of others and spreading them out on a wall as you work on a project or solve a problem. 2. When you put ideas up on Storyboards, you begin to see interconnections, how one idea relates to another, and how all the pieces come together. Once the ideas start flowing, those working with the Storyboard will become immersed in the problem. People will "hitch-hike" onto other ideas. To implement a Storyboard solution you can use a cork board or similar surface to allow the pinning up of index cards. There are now software programs available for Storyboarding on the computer. 3. Start with a topic card and under the topic card place header cards containing general points, categories, and considerations that will come up. 4. Under the header cards you will put sub-heading cards containing the ideas that fall under each header. They're the details of the ideas generated in the innovative thinking session, ideas that develop or support the headers. 5. There are four major types of Storyboards: • Planning board • Ideas board • Communication board • Organization board

6. During a Storyboarding session, consider all ideas relevant, no matter how impractical they appear. Think positively, hold all criticism until later and hitchhike on other's ideas. Innovative thinking sessions are held separately from critical thinking sessions. Storyboards provide total immersion in a problem that allows you to see how everything fits together.

Mind Mapping The human brain is very different from a computer. Whereas a computer works in a linear fashion, the brain works associatively as well as linearly—comparing, integrating and synthesizing as it goes. Association plays a dominant role in nearly every mental function and words themselves are no exception. Every single word and idea have numerous links attaching them to other ideas and concepts. Mind Mapping is an effective method of note-taking and useful for the generation of ideas by associations. 1. To make a mind map, start in the center of the page with the main idea and work outward in all directions, producing a growing and organized structure composed of key words and key images. Key features are: • • • •

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Organization. Key Words. Association. Clustering.

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• • •

Visual Memory—Print the key words, use color, symbols, icons, 3D-effects, arrows and outlining groups of words. Outstanding Center—every mind map needs a unique center. Conscious involvement.

2. Mind Maps are beginning to take on the same structure as memory itself. Once a Mind Map is drawn, it seldom needs to be referred to again. Mind Maps help organize information. 3. Because of the large amount of association involved, they can be very creative, tending to generate new ideas and associations that have not been thought of before. Every item in a map is in effect, a center of another map. 4. The creative potential of a mind map is useful in brainstorming sessions. You only need to start with the basic problem as the center and generate associations and ideas from it in order to arrive at a large number of different possible approaches. By presenting your thoughts and perceptions in a spatial manner and by using color and pictures, a better overview is gained and new connections can be made visible. 5. Mind maps are a way of representing associated thoughts with symbols rather than with extraneous words something like organic chemistry. The mind forms associations almost instantaneously, and "mapping" allows you to write your ideas quicker than expressing them using only words or phrases. 6. To get started, ask the six key questions for any issue: What? Where? When? How? Why? And Who? Then create a mind map of the issue with these six words as nodes on the map.

Dynamic Approaches to Thinking An important aspect of innovation is distilling many ideas down to only the richest ones. Research tells us that all great innovators go through similar exercises when distilling ideas down to their idea form. Either in groups or alone, take the following actions when you are ready to start boiling down your information: 1.

Combine like ideas. Group your ideas in as many ways as possible. This could be by similar: intended applications, required resources/personnel, timeframes, drawbacks, costs, etc…

2.

Force analogies. Compare the problem with something else that has little or nothing in common and gain new insights as a result. You can force a relationship between almost anything and get new insights. For example, companies and whales, management systems and telephone networks, or your relationship and a pencil. Use the following as a Guide: A useful way of developing the relationships is to have a selection of objects or cards with pictures to help you generate ideas. • Choose an object or card at random and see what relationships you can force. • You can use a matrix to record the attributes and then explore aspects of the problem at hand. Rank order. In groups, have everyone do an individual rank order of ideas and then tally up the rankings to create a master ranking. Compare the •

3.

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 Innovation master ranking with each of the group members’ rankings. Let this generate further discussion. 4.

Use a “what if” scenario. Ask, “what if this idea was implemented today?” Or, “If this idea was implemented 5 years ago, what would be some problems we would be facing now?”

5.

Reverse the issue. Have you ever thought about all of the ways that Customer Service could be bad?  Or if you wanted to increase sales, how would you decrease  them? This exercise yields remarkable insight into current practices and also gives an entirely fresh perspective to your issue.

6.

Physically change your point-of-view. Often termed “walking around an issue,” go sit in the desk of your peers, subordinates, and (if appropriate) your boss. How do they see the issue from there?

7.

“Fivewise” it! -- Fivewising is a term for determining the root cause of a problem or identifying the origin of an idea. If you ask “Why” five times, you become all the wiser. Try fivewising the next time you have a simple computer problem or fivewising your businesses’ main product or service. Consider a classic example: • • • • • •

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Why has the press stopped printing? The power unit blew from an  overload. Why was there a power overload? The bearing locked up. Why did the bearing lock up? The lubrication pump failed. Why did the pump fail? The pump shaft has excessive vi-  bration from excessive wear. Why was the shaft worn down? The filter was missing so materials en-  tered the pump. After making the repairs and replacing the filter, the problem will be solved.

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Creating an Innovative Environment When faced with the challenge of managing a creative team or trying to bring out the creative ability of employees, many mangers would resort to traditional techniques that too often impede creativity. It is important to identify the road blocks to creativity and then develop an environment that fosters innovation. 1.

Realize employees may be skeptical. Too often employees are not sure if management is truly committed to real and meaningful change. It is important to display a commitment to innovation by openly recognizing high-quality suggestions and then taking steps to implement them. Over time as employees begin to see this commitment, high-quality innovation will follow.

2.

Organize the physical environment. Promote productive discussions by keeping doors open and sightlines free from obstacles. Consider re-designing a large workspace by removing unnecessary walls, turning desks to face open areas rather than walls or corners, and create a central hub where ideas can be posted in high-traffic areas. Proctor and Gamble’s famed “Clay Street” Think Tank is a model of creativity and innovation. The company sends cross-functional teams to a warehouse loft in downtown Cincinnati for 10weeks. It’s designed with wide-open spaces, many handy objects to write on, tinker with, and sit on. Clay Street has allowed P&G to transform itself into a forward-thinking innovative giant.

3.

Flatten the chain of command. Ensure procedural justice by implementing a transparent and standardized evaluation process of all ideas. If ideas have to work too far upstream through the organization, any single manager who is averse to change can squash it without fair review. For an employee, nothing is more defeating than this. Having multiple managers review ideas not only will ensure fairness, but also improve the likelihood that the best ideas will emerge.

4.

Let ideas incubate. Ideas need time to incubate in the right environment with the right nutrients. Setting aside time on a regular basis for workers to escape their desks enables them to tap their innovative capabilities. It will also signal to employees that you truly value their innovative input. Try this: • • •

Let employees suggest where to go for a monthly off-site trip. Schedule a weekly 30-45 minute, round-table group session, tackling one important issue. Have employees “trade places” with each other for a half-day.

Increasing Innovation through Creative Goal Setting Setting appropriate goals can enhance your creativity and innovation. Follow these guidelines to set effective goals for stimulating your creativity: 1. Think outside the box. Break out of familiar grooves. For example, set a goal to spend five minutes every morning coming up with a new answering machine message that may reflect your mood or attitude. Have fun with it. 2. Make connections between two unfamiliar things. Everyday, make it your goal to think of five different ways you can combine two unrelated things to produce something new. For example, a book and a bubble, or a chair and a wheel. Freewheeling propels you toward inspiration.

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 Innovation 3. Go after what you're afraid of. Write down one thing every day that you're afraid to do, and do it. Invite a prospective employer out for lunch. Volunteer to sing in the church choir. You may be surprised at the creativity that will flow once you leave your comfort zone. 4. Change your perspective. Next time you're stuck on a particular problem, think about it from another person's perspective. How would your grandmother view the situation? Set a goal to view a situation from another viewpoint at least once a day. 5. Hone in on your target. Divide your big goal into small pieces. Chopping up big things into little things not only makes your goal more attainable, it can also give you more options to explore and solve the problem. 6. Setting goals can foster your innovation. Maintain a clear, confident, goalsetting frame of mind. Fear and distress shuts off the part of the brain where creativity and problem solving live. Here are the top four ways goal setting can help foster innovation: • • • •

It helps you take risks. It pushes you out of old, familiar grooves. It helps you stay organized. It helps you accomplish new things.

Practical Activities for Innovation Implement the following: 1. Define your problem. Grab a sheet of paper, electronic notebook, computer or whatever you use to make notes, and define your problem in detail. Until you’ve done this, it’s difficult to begin generating new ideas. 2. Build creative teams, with highly creative people as leaders. Empowering each individual employee to be a creative genius is not practical. Indeed many staff are quite happy doing their work as they always have done. Forcing them to be creative on their own will only increase the angst. But, once they are part of a creative team with a creative leader, they will loosen up 3. Creative teams should comprise people from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds. If you are trying to invent a better wheel, don't just put wheel specialists on the creative team. The important thing is to get the widest range of disciplines possible. However, the team leader should be a naturally creative person who inspires others. 4. Brainstorm problems regularly. If properly carried out, brainstorming can help you not only come up with several new ideas, but can help you decide which is best. 5. Establish a means of publishing, sharing and storing ideas. This can be as simple as a bulletin board where people can pin ideas or as complex as an Intranet based idea bank. 6. If you can't think, go for a walk. A change of atmosphere is good for you and gentle exercise helps shake up the brain cells. Most people, however, are at their creative worst sitting behind a desk with a stack of papers on the left and a computer on the right.

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