Category Archives: creativity methods

04-Managing a project team, creativity methods, feedback, stress-testing recommendations, team dynamics, team roles

4 Ways You Can Drive Seismic Performance

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As I reflected on Professor Noonan’s closing remarks last week, I thought about how can I make a difference to my team. How can I bring value not only to my department, but also to my employer. Professor Noonan emphasized that everyone has the potential to make a contribution, to think of some process or task that can help drive results and improve productivity.

I came across this article on Forbes that drove home this point for me, “4 Ways You can Drive Seismic Performance”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericschiffer/2014/08/13/3-ways-you-can-drive-seismic-performance/

The article suggests the following key takeaways:

1) Face Yourself On the Stand And Fire Away – Step back and reflect on what matters most to the company to elevate it. It can be as simple as automating a report.

2) Act to Kill – This sounds a little violent :), but it is just a sensational way that the article suggests that you should be deliberate and consistent in achieving your daily professional goals. Act!

3) Commit or Go Home – Commit and do not fear failure.

4) Rewire the Jet at 36000 feet – Keep progressing even in the face of hindrances.

In essence, “figure it out” and “get it done!”

01-Structuring a problem, 05-Creating & constructing good solutions, 99-Applying business intelligence, creativity methods, evaluating evidence, feedback, scoping

Performance evaluation

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As part of this semester’s MP course I wanted to solicit feedback on my performance from constituents beyond my direct supervisor. I looked through the web for different options, and I found that I favor MIT’s performance evaluation templates the most. They have two formats that I think can be used to capture a lot of information about feedback on our professional performances.

One of them is focused on a quantitative evaluation of your performance along several parameters; the other is more narrative style and asks for stories regarding your development in your role and your organization.

As a quick summary, here are the parameters around which the quant one measures performance:

1. Proficiency/skill in carrying out assignments (ability/competency)

2. Planning/organizing/prioritizing work load (analysis/time management)

3. Holds self accountable for assigned responsibilities (accountability/reliability)

4. Proficiency at improving work methods/procedures (continual improvement)

5. Effective communicator

6. Ability to work independently/ or with a team

7.  Willingness to take on additional responsibilities

8. Adeptness in analyzing facts, problem solving, decision-making, and demonstrating good judgement (sensible thinker)

All managers are different, and some people may have managers that have unclear expectations, or do not communicate their expectations. This points to the importance of being able to manage oneself. I think that pointers such as these can lead the individual to continually reflect and evaluate their own performance. Of course, we may not be as objective as an outside source (but heck, they are likely not to be objective either!), but at least we can bring a greater awareness to monitoring our performance. By bringing a higher level of awareness, we should be able to hone in on issues, and do a little trouble-shooting ourselves.

 

07a-Crafting an effective formal presentation, 07b-Using good information design, 07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation, charts & graphs, creativity methods, PowerPoint resources, slide-craft, story-boarding, storyline structure, tables

Alternatives to PowerPoint

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PowerPoint Alternatives: Will PowerPoint Ever be Obsolete?

Will PowerPoint ever be replaced?  It has become commonly accepted in the business world that ‘PowerPoint’ is synonymous with ‘Presentation’. However, when is the last time that you (or me, or anyone for that matter) questioned the validity of that accepted standard, or even gave fleeting consideration to using a different presentation platform or software program?

So, that leads to the question of whether or not PowerPoint will ever become obsolete, outdated, or replaced by something newer and shinier. In researching thoughts on this topic by folks smarter than myself (such as Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, in this article), I discovered a few things.

First of all, there are already many of alternatives to PowerPoint, and while they might not be household names, they can arguably match the functionality of PowerPoint, and perhaps even be more targeted towards your audience depending on the nature of the presentation. Some of the more popular alternatives to PowerPoint include Apple’s Keynote (which Steve Jobs popularized by using when rolling out new products), Google docs (free, ‘quick and dirty”), SlideRocket (great for folks in a sales environment), and perhaps most notably, Prezi (Intuitive, sophisticated, puts ‘slides in motion’, great for storytelling).

I am personally considering giving Prezi a try based on the positive reviews and feedback that I have read and would love to hear from anyone in our class who has tried the software first-hand. It does seem that one day PowerPoint might be replaced as the gold standard for delivering presentations, but that day is likely not going to come anytime soon, and we are likely better off improving our delivery method rather than changing the platform all-together.

So, what are your thoughts??

 

Articles for Reference:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2012/09/07/jeff-bezos-and-the-end-of-powerpoint-as-we-know-it/

http://lifehacker.com/5888189/five-best-powerpoint-alternatives

http://www.customshow.com/best-powerpoint-alternatives-presentation-programs/

http://www.powtoon.com/blog/10-best-powerpoint-alternatives/

 

 

04-Managing a project team, 05-Creating & constructing good solutions, creativity methods, feedback, team dynamics, team roles

Yes, Work Can Be Fun

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The phrase “work can be fun” may seem like an oxymoron. But it doesn’t have to be! Now it doesn’t mean we all should start coming to work in Hawaiian shirts and drinking mai tais at the office (as fun as that may sound).  But we all can certainly make work less monotonous in a few easy ways — and help motivate your team as well.

One simple way to boost morale is to throw a potluck. We frequently do this at my work to celebrate promotions, new babies, weddings, etc. Everyone on the team contributes, so it’s a nice way to celebrate relatively inexpensively. We usually set it up in the office so people can stop whenever they get a moment. This way, people can take a quick break from the normal workday, but it doesn’t cut into productivity.  Plus, it’s just a nice way to make your co-workers feel appreciated!

I also love Barbara Corcoran’s idea of “surprising” your office or team with something fun. Corcoran is a successful businesswoman and judge on the show “Shark Tank”.  In her article below, she described how she got some of her best ideas while “playing” outside the office. Of course, she has the resources to rent hot air balloons or camels to ride at the company picnic.  But I don’t think the surprises have to be grand. It could simply be letting everyone wear costumes to work for Halloween, or buying the first round of drinks at the company happy hour.

One thing I would not recommend is cutting “fun things” from the budget, especially when times are tough.  I know it may seem like an easy way to save money, but it can really affect morale in the office. A few years ago, management decided to cut out the annual holiday party. When they made the announcement, it was like someone had let the air out of the office. People complained for days about how unappreciated they felt. I also remember the level of animosity toward the management. Luckily, a few astute supervisors saved the day by putting together an “unofficial” party at a nearby restaurant. But it really affected the mood of the office for weeks.

So the next time your team needs a little motivation, take some advice from Barbara — and go have fun.

05-Creating & constructing good solutions, creativity methods

Six Effective Ways to Foster Innovation

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Innovation within a company is a key tool in developing business solutions.  The article generally highlights the fact that employees who are engaged are more likely to make innovative contributions to a company. On a personal level, I find myself being more interested in my job functions once I understand the bigger picture and what my overall role in a specified task contributes to the entire puzzle. According to the article, a summary of the six effective ways to foster innovation are as follows:

1. Maintaining open dialogue

2. Organizing brainstorming sessions

3. Engaging employees by encouraging them to share creative ideas.

4. Not forcing people to be innovative

5.  Remaining flexible and forgiving

6. Keeping track of company innovations

I believe that maintaining open dialogue is probably the most important but perhaps the most challenging way to go about fostering innovation. It definitely sounds easier than it looks and I look to emphasize on this particular way of fostering innovation. It begins with management and their willingness to interact with subordinates they may not deal with on a regular basis. There are at least three major factors that companies may have to bear in mind when trying to create an open atmosphere.

First of all in many companies, certain parts of the fiscal year are a lot busier than others. During these seasons, managers tend to feel pressurized, sometimes moody and may not be in the best mental  capacity to deal with individuals they do not interact with on a regular basis. It thus becomes a challenge to create open channels of communication during certain stretches of the fiscal year.

Secondly, in a diverse work environment, there may be cultural barriers that make it a bit more of a challenge for individuals or minorities of a particular background to interact with others. Managers and team leaders should be mindful of this and should at times go the extra mile to ensure all workers feel comfortable enough to present ideas that might have been very effective in a completely different environment but may never be considered due to underlying barriers.

Thirdly, the architecture and set up of an office environment could be prohibitive in creating open dialogue. I once worked on a project with a major imposing deadline where all the stakeholders were located in different part of the office building. The project however took a dramatic turn when all key stakeholders were placed in the same room and were able to immediately communicate ideas throughout the course of the day.

I believe that maintaining open dialogue can be a prelude to the other five ways of fostering innovation as it encourages brainstorming and offers opportunity to reward innovation as well as track innovation. The article in full can be read from the link below:

http://www.businessdictionary.com/article/510/ways-to-foster-innovation/

07b-Using good information design, charts & graphs, creativity methods, deliverables

Infographics on the Job

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In my earlier post on this subject, I discussed the history of information design and some best practices associated with its use today.  It’s great to consider the past and present of this art, but what about the real context for most of us on a day-to-day basis?

In my career thus far, I haven’t to do much of this type of work.  In fact, between undergrad and business school, I don’t think I touched PowerPoint more than a few times.  Well, those days are over!  I’ve been serving in my new role at Arby’s for almost a month now, and I’ve already been asked to create what we call “one pagers.”  These summaries are a brief overview of a topic, usually presented via a PowerPoint slide.  It’s important that they present only the most critical information, and are used during the numerous meetings that happen on a daily basis.

So what role do infographics play?  Let’s just say that they’re a team player and not the star.  Our one-pagers are generally mostly text, organized in a way that is very clear and easy to read.  The graphs, data, etc. typically plays a support role or is left out altogether, only to be presented in more thorough presentations.  The key here is to extract the data into bullet points or going beyond that, make your point or recommendation based on the data.  I found a good example of the general form we use on, of all places, the Citizens for Public Justice website.  I agree with their format, and it can be seen here: http://www.cpj.ca/content/how-write-one-page-brief

I still believe that I will have to create a good bit of graphs and charts, however I think the true, modern form of infographics are typically left up to the design types and corporate communications department.  Luckily, the organization is fairly flat and meeting with those people, collaboration, and learning from them is eminent.

Although I may not be presenting as much of this type of work as I had expected, I believe I will certainly know how to create meaningful visualizations of data to support my future recommendations.  I look forward to the challenge and continued learning!

01-Structuring a problem, 04-Managing a project team, 05-Creating & constructing good solutions, 06-Building a case, creativity methods, evaluating evidence, problem statement, scoping, team dynamics

How Effective Leaders Solve Problems

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Effective leaders tend to find a strong balance between data analysis and intuition. Many times, the aspect of intuition comes from recognizing patterns or trends. A big part of problem solving is recognizing these trends and finding ways to minimize its reoccurrence. Additionally, it is important for leaders to understand the true essence of the problem rather than finding a temporary fix that will likely rise again in the near future. This gives leaders more time to focus on other areas of the business rather than continuing to fix the same problem over and over again.

Understanding the intricacies of every aspect of the business is one way to develop a strong sense of how your decisions can affect specific areas of the business. Effective leaders don’t look at problems as a nuisance; effective leaders see problems as an opportunity for ongoing improvements.

Forbes has come up with four characteristics that make an effective leader:

1) Transparent Communication: The main takeaway is that transparent communication allows for other people to be heard. It fosters an environment where people are willing to speak up if there is an issue.

2) Break Down Silos: The importance of this characteristic is to eliminate boundaries. It is important to solve problems that affect the overall business rather than one segment of the business.

3) Open-Minded People: Effective leaders are ones who are not discouraged to find innovative ways to solve a problem. They are individuals that do not avoid the problem; they are not afraid to face problems head-on.

4) A Solid Foundational Strategy: As we have learned in our Strategy course, a business without a strategy is dangerous. Effective leaders go beyond figuring out the problem; they find ways to implement a strategy to solve the problem. This includes resource allocation and budgeting.

Some final takeaways are:

  • Always step back and assess the situation; never take a blind guess when solving a problem.
  • Find ways to solve the cause of the problem to eliminate it from reoccurring.
  • Learn from your previous failures and use those lessons learned to solve future problems.
  • Don’t avoid problem solving; challenge yourself to solve the problem head-on.

To read more about becoming an effective leader, feel free to visit the article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/11/04/the-4-most-effective-ways-leaders-solve-problems/.

05-Creating & constructing good solutions, 99-Applying business intelligence, business databases, creativity methods

Bridging the Gaps for Future Mobile BI Users

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Most of us utilize Business Intelligence software mainly on our laptops, but the world has started to drift towards the mobile trends. Many workers travel and rely on tablets or phones for presentation aides yet there are still gaps between the corporate data and these mobile devices. Below are some examples;

Culture Gaps

  • Fast Data vs. BI Reporting
  • Friendly Users
  • Post PC Diversity

Technology Gaps

  • Cloud Platforms
  • Social Interaction
  • All Encompassing Ecosystem

The 2 articles in the embedded links below, focus on the current gaps that we see today between the mobile world and business intelligence in terms of culture and technology. Hopefully in the near future we can bridge the gaps and truly rely on the cloud and other internet services to tailor to our business needs.

05-Creating & constructing good solutions, 07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation, creativity methods

making the ordinary extraordinary

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http://www.fastcocreate.com/3016916/creation-stories/ricky-gervais-tells-a-story-about-how-he-learned-to-write

“It is so much easier to make the ordinary extraordinary than to try and start off with the extraordinary”  – Ricky Gervais

One of my favorite comedians and writers, Ricky Gervais, has a very curious observation about his own creative process (link above). In the interview he emphasizes how and why he writes the way he does. No matter what the topic is- always start with a story line that is relatable and focus on honesty above all else.

I was thinking about this as you all may struggle with what to present on; start with what you know or is important to you and then use your development plan to help foster a great presentation. Effective communication means convincing the audience or client that you believe in the subject too.

 

 

 

05-Creating & constructing good solutions, creativity methods, stress-testing recommendations

Let the data speak for itself

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I’ve been interested in developing models and using data to drive business decisions, and so I was recently reading “Doing Data Science”, which is available at http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Data-Science-Straight-Frontline/dp/1449358659/.  The book contains a fair bit of math, which might make it seem a bit daunting, but I believe it’s worth the read since the authors offer some interesting insights into how to incorporate data analysis and modelling into solving business problems.   There are two sections in particular that I found useful.  The first is on exploratory data analysis, which is the process by which you start to construct a solution to your problem.  As the author states, “Exploratory data analysis (EDA) is often relegated to chapter 1 (by which we mean the ‘easiest’ and lowest level) of standard introductory statistics textbooks and then forgotten about for the rest of the book… But EDA is a critical part of the data science process…”  One of the challenges for me, especially when facing a (messy) business problem, is figuring out what is relevant to the issue, and so I think the framework laid out in this book for doing EDA gives me a good structure for how to approach this step.  This involves both asking what information might be available to help me develop correlations between with the desired business result as well as strategies for teasing out those correlations.  Related to this is the chapter on extracting meaning from data, where the author effectively makes the point that just asking more questions and getting more information doesn’t necessarily lead to a better outcome/model if the data you are gathering is not relevant to the problem at hand.

The book also includes a number of useful vignettes about the real-life application (and misapplication) of data-driven business decisions.  For instance, here is an example from IBM where they wanted to find potential customers for their online business service:

At IBM, the target was to predict companies that would be willing to buy “websphere” solutions.  The data was transaction data and crawled potential company websites.  The winning model showed that if the term “websphere” appeared on the company’s website, then it was a great candidate for the product.  What happened?  Remember, when considering a potential customer, by definition that company wouldn’t have bought websphere yet (otherwise IBM wouldn’t be trying to sell to it); therefore no potential customer would have websphere on its site, so it’s not a predictor at all…  Doing simple sanity checking to make sure things are what you think they are can sometimes get you much further in the end…