Create Better Products Using a Structured Process for Collaboration

Create Better Products With a Structured Process for Collaboration by Steve Tennant [email_address] (P.S. Not a technology discussion) Flickr: Voj

What’s On Your Mind? Flickr: Brian Hillegas

Today, 70-95% of new products fail .

The reasons products fail can be addressed. The reasons products fail can be addressed Flickr: Cynfreelancer

To do so requires a paradigm shift that challenges many of your current beliefs .

I’m going to give you a glimpse of the paradigm shift. Flickr: Jurvetson

The process is a highly effective alternative to the hierarchical organizational structure used to build products today.

Solution Monday Solution Monday Problem Served in Three Tasty Morsels

Solution Monday Solution Monday Problem Part 1: The Problem

Issue #1 Groups Don’t Know How to Align Around A Problem

No agreement on the problem = No agreement on the solution + infinite arguing about solutions Middle East Conflict Global Warming Health Care Reform Economic Crisis War

Issue #2 Product Teams Don’t Align Around the Customer’s Problem They Intend to Solve

Most teams fixate on the solution, not the customer problem What are Their Needs and Wants? How Do They Solve It Today? How Do They Buy? What Do They Value/Pay? How Big is the Problem? Market? How Are We Different? How Do We Deliver Value? What Do We Build/Buy/Partner? How to Balance Speed & Quality? What’s Our Solution?

"In a crisis if I had only an hour I'd spend the first 50 minutes defining the problem and the last 10 minutes solving it." - Albert Einstein

If your team has no alignment on an important Customer Problem it is much more likely to create a poor performing product.

Issue #3 The team uses an implicit process to do its work. This results in more arguing.

What How Group Interaction Content Process

There are many more problems #4 – Because there’s no explicit process, we’ll repeat the same mistakes #5 – Boss tells people what to do, decreasing ownership and engagement #6 – Hierarchical organization is insufficient for external collaboration #7 – New products are a special class of “wicked problems” #8 – Diverse stakeholders are difficult to align

Solution Monday Solution Monday Problem Part 2: The Solution Flickr: Jurvetson

Better products result from a win/win process that doesn’t allow the group to fragment and then implode. Problem Solving

People and groups solve problems iteratively. Problem Solving

A structured collaboration process takes the group through an explicit, agreed upon process together. Process Process

Collaborative Operating System TM Key Principle: Ownership & Alignment

Adopting the principles of ownership and alignment transforms the group. Ownership is the degree to which people believe or feel that a process, decision or outcome is theirs. Alignment is the degree to which people see and understand the problem the same way. Ownership & Alignment

Ownership is like getting everyone in the same boat. Alignment is like getting everyone rowing in the same direction. “ This shift in emphasis from power and authority to ownership and alignment creates a sweeping change in how work is done and how the workers experience it. To those who practice it, it is truly magical.” - Rachel Conerly, Collaborative Leaders, Inc.

Maximum ownership and alignment results from unanimity without reservations. Flickr: Auro

The Collaborative Process Identify the Problem Involve Relevant Stakeholders Form a Collaborative Team Create a Collaborative Plan Design & Facilitate Collaborative Meetings

Step 1: Identify the Problem Build Ownership & Alignment at each step Problem Intent Desired Outcomes Action Plan

Case Study: What One Person Said “ I enjoy coming into work again. I feel like we’re having the conversations we need to have. I’m being heard. I feel like we’re finally addressing these problems that have been holding us back.” -- VP of Marketing (after three days)

Is the process your team uses for solving problems hurting enough to try something new?

But what about Time? Flickr: Piccola Faccia Using the collaborative operating system takes longer to make decisions. The implementation is faster and the product is better. The group gets faster with experience.

Solution Monday Solution Monday Problem Part 3: What Do You Do on Monday?

Flickr: Martino! Can your team agree: “The problem we want to solve is…”?

Notice: Is the process the team is using to solve the problem explicit? Does everyone feel like the process is theirs?

Design & Facilitate Collaborative Meetings. Making the process explicit applies to each moment in a meeting : Old Way How to address X Collaborative Operating System Way Review Proposed Process – upgrades? O&A. Council: How can we address X? Dialogue: Does anyone see convergence? Own & align on top 3 action items

Where to start implementation? Flickr: Sir Mervs

Take the Collaborative Operating System for a Test Drive Flickr: Clemson

Learn the Collaborative Operating System (COS) Weeklong COS process training in April in the Bay Area Support for product management projects using COS

Apply the Collaborative Operating System to your Product Development Process. Stage-Gate Agile Collaborative Operating System or

Drop me a business card for freebies and to learn more Free white paper, “The Collaborative Organization” Article on “Wicked Problems” Future training session announcements Free email newsletter Or talk to me! [email_address] (925) 258-9100

An opportunity to transform how you work lies before you. Flickr: John-Morgan

Improve how your team works with a structured process for collaboration. Flickr: RalphBijker

Dramatically enhance your company’s performance through a better method for collaboration .

And grow your company. Faster.

Drop me a business card for freebies and to learn more Free white paper, “The Collaborative Organization” Article on “Wicked Problems” Future training session announcements Free email newsletter Or talk to me! [email_address] Office: (925) 258-9100

Create Better Products Using a Structured Process for Collaboration

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