Project X Discussions

Can You Change the Future?

A great technique which can help us change our future is called future pacing.  The steps are very simple but extremely powerful.

• Select a future outcome that you desire.  Describe it in detail.
• Test whether you really want his outcome by asking.
  • What will happen if outcome occurs
  • What will not happen if the outcome occurs
  • What will happen if the outcome does not occur
  • What will not happen if the outcome does not occur, consider carefully
• If the honest answers to these questions are simple we have a well formed outcome
• Now visualize the outcome happening in the next week.
• Describe what it is like in detail
  • What it looks like
  • What it feels like
  • What it sounds like
  • What you are saying to yourself about it

• Now visualize the outcome in three weeks answering the same questions.
• Next imagine the outcome in two months answering the same questions.

 

Be careful to only do this exercise with things you really want to occur because it is very, very powerful. 

This exercise should be done quickly and if you have a friend who could ask you the questions you will find it easier.  

 

Project X Ltd launches Project X Labs

Project X Ltd is pleased to announce the formation of Project X Labs Ltd a wholly owned subsidiary software development lab. See the release .  Also feel free to drop by www.pxlabs.ca

 

Trying New Things

One of the favorite parts of my job is being able to participate in doing new and interesting things.  This can be new technology, new approaches or just stepping outside my comfort zone.

I really strongly suggest you find ways in your life to get a chance to do this.  Make sure you have a communication plan and a way to work with others so that you do not frustrate them or yourselves.  But go out and try it.  Make sure you have your personal guidelines.  Here are some of mine:

1. Ensure you know what your objective is
2. Surround yourself with REALLY smart people
3. If you fail, fail fast so you have more time to recover
4. Do not be affraid to make mistakes
5. Communicate and communicate often.  Remember that often we are all getting exposed to new things and need to adjust our perspectives and filters
6. Define success and completion
7. Have fun

For those who know me, they know I generally have about 7 new things on the go, and they are areas I am passionate about.  I also have a bunch of folks that I link with that are equally as curious on other things and we share.  This isn't all about what I do, but on a rounded life (like cooking, family, home projects, you name it).

Most of all embrace it and make it your own.

Getting Help Solving Problems

Do you notice how easy it is to see somebody else's problem and solutions?  Do you wonder why they cannot see it themselves?  

Dan Pink produced a blog that gives an insight on the reasons. Tricks for solving problems faster

• Reach out to others and asked them to come up with some solutions.  
• Pretend the problem is a friend's problem
• Put some distance between you and the challenge.
• Let yourself dream and process the problem at a unaware level

Apparently experiments have shown that people are more creative solving other people's problems than our own.   The real key to effective theraphy is asking for help and being ready for suggestions.  

I resolve to ask help from others for my problems.  I do that now for golf with my teacher who is very creative.  More to come.

 

 

Methodology Versus Creativity

In my consulting practice, I have not developed many methodologies and notice that many people create methodologies and I wonder why.  I know with my approach I look at each situation as unique and use simple principles and checklists.  The main idea is to assess the current situation and the desired future state and develop an approach to deal with the issue.  Based on my experience, I have many different approaches I can propose but I avoid trying to shoe horn my ideas into a formal methodology. 

One of the most difficult things for a consultant is to avoid using your last approach on the next project.  I believe we need to use our creativity to develop a approach that deals with the issues of each situation uniquely.

However I am firm believer in checklists to use a guide in considering the way to approach any issue.  I think the term methodology is the problem.  Checklists and guidelines are extremely useful and help deal the many difficult issues we encounter on projects.

Another use of a methodology is for training.  Without a structure, training is not difficult. The difficulty in such training is to help to student understand that these are checklists as opposed to steps in a process.   The use of case studies in training is an excellent way to teach how to deal with consulting and project issues.  If the methodology is applied rigorously, following the steps in the methodology becomes the project as opposed to dealing with the issues that arise.  We can follow all the steps and check all the boxes and the issue is unresolved because of some factor which was not considered in the methodology.   Good training will help students cope with circumstances that do not fit into the methodology.

I have written several blogs on hidden factors and readiness in consulting and these factors can rise up and bite your project at any time.  Good consulting and project management must cope with surprises without losing site of the goal.

I recall a project that had as one of the early steps a risk assessment.   The assessment came up with some substantial risks associated with the project but did not suggested a method of managing these risks.  However the report was ignored by the project manager.  The reason the assessment was done was because it was part of the methodology.  That project had huge risks and in the end was not successful.  The methodology was followed but the risks were not addressed.   An example of checking off the boxes but not addressing the issues.

Methodology and creativity can coexist on a project but requires leadership and sound management.  We must all encourage innovation and not allow a methodology to stifle creativity.

What Can We Learn From Bob the Builder

In a recent blog, Dan Pink talks about how we prepare ourselves for success. I had always thought that a positive approach with positive self-talk was the best way. However Bob the Builder introduces doubt when he asks the question of the team "Can we fix it?" The team always responds "Yes we can!" Apparently researcher have found that starting a task by asking "Can I?" or Will I?" The probability of success increases significantly. Can you help you? Recent research by University of Illinois Professor Dolores Albarracin and Visiting Assistant Professor Ibrahim Senay, along with Kenji Noguchi, Assistant Professor at Southern Mississippi University, has shown that those who ask themselves whether they will perform a task generally do better than those who tell themselves that they will. See Pinks article in the Sunday Telegraph for more details. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/7839988/Can-we-fix-it-is-the-right-question-to-ask.html I also recommend Dan Pink's blog which has some fascinating ideas. See

Pink: "Can we fix it?"

Pink looks at self-motivation and the management wisdom of Bob The Builder. An excerpt: In a nifty set of experiments, three social scientists explored the differences between what they call "declarative" self-talk (I will fix it! ...

Publish Date: 06/25/2010 13:55

http://www.execupundit.com/2010/06/pink-can-we-fix-it.html

I invite your comments.

CoffeeCAST - #56 - Carbon Footprint Reporting

Welcome to the 56th CoffeeCAST with Stephen Hayward of Project X Ltd.

Today I welcome Scott Boundy as guest moderator with Michael Ianni-Palarchio and me where we discuss the building of a Carbon Footprint Reporting application where we followed our RapidBI methodology.

This is Scott's first CoffeeCAST and with it we asked him to start the discussion and ask any questions he thought of.  The following is a summary of the discussion:

1. Rapid Prototyping
2. Carbon Footprint Rules Conundrum
3. Lessons Learned
4. Where we think this will go

So sit back and join the conversation.

56 CoffeeCAST #56 - Carbon Footprint Reporting

The solution was built on Teradata, MicroStrategy (free and licensed version) and Big Data Labs GeoDash.

Rex on Motivation

A great blog on motivation by Rex Lee: see http://rexsthoughtspot.blogspot.com/2009/10/maximizing-business-value-from.html  He talks about how we introduce social computing to an enterprise.  

The idea of "if we build it they will come" will not work.  He points out the very low participation of people who make additions so Wikipedia, 1%.   

We need to make it fun and a challenge that makes people want to participate.   I participate in Facebook because I find it fun and am able to keep in touch with lots of people easily.  

So for the enterprise how do we make it a fun and rewarding activity?  

I welcome comments and suggestions.

Big Data Labs - Welcome GeoDash

Our friends over at Big Data Labs have made their GeoDash solution generally available.  Take a look at this press release.  We have been using it for a proof of concept and have been really happy with our results and the process.  You will hear more about that next week.

Congrats everyone over at Big Data Labs.

What Tools to Use?

I was asked an interesting question recently with regards to what tools I used for carrying out strategy sessions or business requirements gathering.  In truth, I use a wide range of techniques, exercises and software tools when carrying out that type of work.  I assess what to use and how to use it based on the client and the nature of the stakeholders I am working with.  Often, this is done on-the-fly, sometimes even in the midst of a facilitated workshop.  The person I was chatting with was surprised by that, which is why I thought I'd flush out some thoughts regarding the topic.

The individual I was talking to seemed surprised because "as a professional, an expert, you should know what you need to use.  It's like a carpenter, he know's exactly what tools he's going to need to build an addition to my home."  I liked the analogy, and in part I agree, but still feel that my approach is what a seasoned professional must do in order to best meet the needs of his clients.  The carpenter, for example, doesn't show-up on the job site solely with hammer and nails.  He brings a variety of hammers, different sizes of nails, saws, drills, ladders of different heights.  He does this things because, despite knowing exactly what he is doing that day, he doesn't know what he might find out once he gets there.  

The same is true in consulting.  I show up at facilitated working sessions with an array of different tools: flip-charts, 3x5 cards, stickers, markers, laptops, mind mapping software, Powerpoint templates, instructions for various exercises.  Do I use all these things?  No.  I have an ideas of how the session will progress, but I wait and see how it actually evolves.  If the group, for example, is really getting some momentum discussing and debating things, then I might record content in an audio format, I might capture things in a mindmap.  If, however, I encounter a group that isn't as engaged, I might split them into breakout groups, give them each a laptop and tell them to respond to scenarios I've given them.  It is dynamic!

While we do use methodologies to ensure success, those methodologies are flexible enough to meet the real-world needs of our clients.  Trying to follow too much of a cookie-cutter approach leaves the strategic output as too 1-dimensional.  Rarely do clients realize the value that they expect and need if you simply follow a step-by-step approach with no allowance for creativity in the process.