This is something that I crave for these days.
I have been trying to impress upon my internal customers (Sales, Other practice heads, project managers) and my team of designers, developers, quality control members that they are my key critics who can give me the much valuable impression from their respective field.
However, often, I receive a muted affirmation or a non-compliance (I figure later through micro management) to the communication channels of either power point presentations, documents, excel based templates for number crunching or even short/long emails.
Johari window (nice explanation in this link) indicates that we need to be express ourselves (Free Area) and ensure that the eco-system perceives the same about us (address the blind areas).
The information process as per the quadrants is to allow for:
Expression > Feedback > Disclosures >SelfDiscovery/Mutual Enlightenment
Thus, Feedback from the field is the first key point that allows for closed loop communication. Going beyond this basic need is collaboration that allows for disclosures to open up hidden areas and through careful analysis move craftily to the open area from the unknown areas.
Wanna aim for perfection ? Insist on feedback and ask for critics eye review on the communication. Back channels or trackbacks are the easy routes that enable customers, vendors, project teams, client teams to work effectively as a true ecosystem enabling successes in business.
I rarely do get the feedback from field. Whenever it has come through, it has always been a revelation and innovations and marketing initiatives have been fast tracked making our maturity quicker. When a partner from the eco system takes interest in my work, then the work gets exciting and interesting.
Feedback from Field is a most respected job. Get that in place for all communications to be successful.
Award Winning Speech
Showing posts with label best practices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label best practices. Show all posts
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Highs and Lows are the real Middle Ground: A good principle to "price" services
Many times over, people say, "good is the evil for great" and "mediocrity is least desired path for growth". I had my moments earlier too and the realization hit hard today.
In talking to my project team about a proposal, I realized that we had offered a low entry cost to break the barrier. Now when upgrades and maintenance is to be undertaken, we ourselves cannot come to argue with the fact that this should be lower than the initial price. Many arguments and points were floating around on how much could be a desired range and how much can be a climb down.
At the end, one of my colleagues said "You know we suffer from median syndrome. We never have a high-low or low-high price model. Take a look at product companies. Initial cost is high, while upgrades and maintenance are at a high discount price. We should follow a similar model or a reverse of it." A person who considers real estate business his forte said "Right. Either make it clear at start or keep a tight mix as in housing loan EMI: Initially a high premium + low principal which reverses as you move along years.)
True, either keep a higher price point for fresh work (consequently deliver equivalent value) and charge significantly lower for recurring services or keep an optimum price point for fresh work, but make it clear that the same price would be maintained in case of recurring services as well. (In analysis, low entry price and same price for recurring services means higher price for significant perceived low value of maintenance and support.)
Keeping middle ground is a difficult business. Have a high-low/low-high price mix in your arsenal to make good business sense.
In talking to my project team about a proposal, I realized that we had offered a low entry cost to break the barrier. Now when upgrades and maintenance is to be undertaken, we ourselves cannot come to argue with the fact that this should be lower than the initial price. Many arguments and points were floating around on how much could be a desired range and how much can be a climb down.
At the end, one of my colleagues said "You know we suffer from median syndrome. We never have a high-low or low-high price model. Take a look at product companies. Initial cost is high, while upgrades and maintenance are at a high discount price. We should follow a similar model or a reverse of it." A person who considers real estate business his forte said "Right. Either make it clear at start or keep a tight mix as in housing loan EMI: Initially a high premium + low principal which reverses as you move along years.)
True, either keep a higher price point for fresh work (consequently deliver equivalent value) and charge significantly lower for recurring services or keep an optimum price point for fresh work, but make it clear that the same price would be maintained in case of recurring services as well. (In analysis, low entry price and same price for recurring services means higher price for significant perceived low value of maintenance and support.)
Keeping middle ground is a difficult business. Have a high-low/low-high price mix in your arsenal to make good business sense.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Signs of Authority: An important Presentation Trait
I have seen number of presentation from junior to senior management teams. In many of them, which obviously have improved better in terms of slide quality with 2007 and lot of intelligence shared in web, the delivery mechanism has always not excited me. When I see TED Talks and compare my own experience as presenter and audience, I realize that authority and command generate and shape the presentation than slides themselves. Few areas that I find useful to concentrate during a presentation are:
1. The sign of authority on subject: When you know what is on slide, you would present a take on the slide and not read the same. You would avoid phrases like "What this slide means is...", "We have put this slide to tell that ....", "As this slide states..." etc.
Instead the audience should be able to scan the slide, make their impression and wait for you, the presenter to elucidate it further. That enables you, the presenter to have a meaning on the stage along with the presentation.
2. Command over flow and language: My dad used to say this in my child hood, that this is the most critical skills you need. Indeed he was a professor who could lecture without a break for an hour on a chosen subject. Of course, in that age I got to neither oppose nor follow.
But this is a take from politician and film speeches. They never falter. Some demand silence when they speak. They pause long enough for accolades, over powering the audience. Some intersperse with questions, for people to answer it and answer the same in their voice. This affirms their status and get more buy-in. In some presentations which are extempore in nature, the flow is so structured and still so malleable depending on the audience interest.
So some points to remember are: no hums ("uh", "umm"), no stammer pauses (like "so so", "like"), no generic, wayward phrases (like "that thing", "you know what i mean", etc).
The sign of authority on the subject is realized by the audience only in the ability to make an easy flow and flawless language.
3. Control over TIME: In some of the presentations, I have been told that if audience can stay longer than fixed time, it is a sign of attention, attraction and success. It is easier to accept this as a fact, as this line of argument too make some sense.
But counter intuition also seems to have a good argument. People who tend to stay longer, either are polite enough to let you hang around or have made their decision much earlier and hence are tuned off or have got nothing to do with the presentation and it was just an experience for them. It is like we do not antagonize a friend when we don't bother or are in a mood to pay attention any longer. We do not care for switch off point as the time limit has exceeded the attention span.
Control over time, has always been a critical skill to provide audience with a pleasure of utilizing their time craftily. This keeps them on their edge, since they know there would be something missed if they are not around at that time.
The authority that you mean business and exactly know what you are talking about gives the sign of authority, a respect and perception frame of reference.
4. Contribution: Instead of measuring audience attention, attraction through the time they spend on the session, it is good to measure the involvement through contribution. Contributory audience is a rare form of group that you could ever get. Better still, you have a couple of people who can chime with you on questions, topics, supportive statement, the better the session jives in the presentation. I make it a point to always take a supportive person alongside, to one de-risk any stage frights, I might get and to enable a tango experience that provides a relief to the audience.
Believing in user intelligence and generating user contribution in a live session, is the highest form of love and respect that a presenter can command from the audience.
5. Analogies, Stories and Queries: Let it be a good strategy presentation or a presentation of a case which is not in a good time or shape. Analogies, Stories enable the presentation better.
A few months back, I was on verge of a breakdown. Sales front was down, repeat orders were drying up and projects were coming to an end. Recession was felt all around. To keep head high required lot of inherent motivation.
In this time, my senior management wanted to know what is happening. It would have been easy to provide the facts as bullets, prepare for the worst and await their decision. The other alternative, that I chose with my bosses advice was to present a story on where we see windows of opportunity flowing in. In the last part of slides the facts came out that we are caught in storm. But the initial analogies and stories of positive turnarounds in other areas, our helplessness yet the efforts we are putting in with all our abilities helped present the case without a hard blow.
In the last review this month, my senior manager told my immediate bosses that this could be used as a case study on how to keep track of a service and ensure a fast turnaround. The slides used to present had a marked story to speak about themselves.
Not only in such instances, I have found a presentation with careful, meaningful and relevant analogy and story helps get the attention, attraction and more importantly the message across. Having a follow up call provides the stickiness factor that we all strive to attain in every engagement.
Would love your comments on more traits that you would like to contribute to help me stand up for the next presentation as a better presenter ?
1. The sign of authority on subject: When you know what is on slide, you would present a take on the slide and not read the same. You would avoid phrases like "What this slide means is...", "We have put this slide to tell that ....", "As this slide states..." etc.
Instead the audience should be able to scan the slide, make their impression and wait for you, the presenter to elucidate it further. That enables you, the presenter to have a meaning on the stage along with the presentation.
2. Command over flow and language: My dad used to say this in my child hood, that this is the most critical skills you need. Indeed he was a professor who could lecture without a break for an hour on a chosen subject. Of course, in that age I got to neither oppose nor follow.
But this is a take from politician and film speeches. They never falter. Some demand silence when they speak. They pause long enough for accolades, over powering the audience. Some intersperse with questions, for people to answer it and answer the same in their voice. This affirms their status and get more buy-in. In some presentations which are extempore in nature, the flow is so structured and still so malleable depending on the audience interest.
So some points to remember are: no hums ("uh", "umm"), no stammer pauses (like "so so", "like"), no generic, wayward phrases (like "that thing", "you know what i mean", etc).
The sign of authority on the subject is realized by the audience only in the ability to make an easy flow and flawless language.
3. Control over TIME: In some of the presentations, I have been told that if audience can stay longer than fixed time, it is a sign of attention, attraction and success. It is easier to accept this as a fact, as this line of argument too make some sense.
But counter intuition also seems to have a good argument. People who tend to stay longer, either are polite enough to let you hang around or have made their decision much earlier and hence are tuned off or have got nothing to do with the presentation and it was just an experience for them. It is like we do not antagonize a friend when we don't bother or are in a mood to pay attention any longer. We do not care for switch off point as the time limit has exceeded the attention span.
Control over time, has always been a critical skill to provide audience with a pleasure of utilizing their time craftily. This keeps them on their edge, since they know there would be something missed if they are not around at that time.
The authority that you mean business and exactly know what you are talking about gives the sign of authority, a respect and perception frame of reference.
4. Contribution: Instead of measuring audience attention, attraction through the time they spend on the session, it is good to measure the involvement through contribution. Contributory audience is a rare form of group that you could ever get. Better still, you have a couple of people who can chime with you on questions, topics, supportive statement, the better the session jives in the presentation. I make it a point to always take a supportive person alongside, to one de-risk any stage frights, I might get and to enable a tango experience that provides a relief to the audience.
Believing in user intelligence and generating user contribution in a live session, is the highest form of love and respect that a presenter can command from the audience.
5. Analogies, Stories and Queries: Let it be a good strategy presentation or a presentation of a case which is not in a good time or shape. Analogies, Stories enable the presentation better.
A few months back, I was on verge of a breakdown. Sales front was down, repeat orders were drying up and projects were coming to an end. Recession was felt all around. To keep head high required lot of inherent motivation.
In this time, my senior management wanted to know what is happening. It would have been easy to provide the facts as bullets, prepare for the worst and await their decision. The other alternative, that I chose with my bosses advice was to present a story on where we see windows of opportunity flowing in. In the last part of slides the facts came out that we are caught in storm. But the initial analogies and stories of positive turnarounds in other areas, our helplessness yet the efforts we are putting in with all our abilities helped present the case without a hard blow.
In the last review this month, my senior manager told my immediate bosses that this could be used as a case study on how to keep track of a service and ensure a fast turnaround. The slides used to present had a marked story to speak about themselves.
Not only in such instances, I have found a presentation with careful, meaningful and relevant analogy and story helps get the attention, attraction and more importantly the message across. Having a follow up call provides the stickiness factor that we all strive to attain in every engagement.
Would love your comments on more traits that you would like to contribute to help me stand up for the next presentation as a better presenter ?
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Why Goodness Fails
For many of is, goodness is to:
1. Finish your job without disturbing others.
2. Silently plod and fix issues
3. Never allow an escalation. Good people know to anticipate and avoid, rather than show and fix.
4. To accept credit as something normal and get on with next job.
5. Allowing ideas to take shape but leave it when it is ready for personal use.
Can you see why goodness fails ? Because, goodness is inherent, and hence is not visible. Since we have been taught and explained to be good citizens, we rarely strive for greatness.
When have you felt great? In school, may be when you are called on stage to get the prize. In college, may be when you win an election or person you support wins it, may be when you share the podium and receive an ovation. In professional life, when you are featured in a cover magazine of repute, quoted in journals, have a following for your social presence.
Does any of this mean, there aren't any good people than us in our group/community?
Greatness is antithesis of Good. What you do good, is not sufficient to be great. This is something that Jim Collins talks in his book "Good to Great".
1. To be great, disturb others unobtrusively. Meaning, get their time before hand or condition them to expect your communication at an appropriate time. Inform the utility in mutual interest terms.
Status reports, communication before a delivery and after a delivery, calling steering committees and discussing work are some greatness moments to be latched upon.
Missing commitment escalations are disturbances that are obtrusive. They dis-orient both you and the customer a lot, that it saps the energy levels.
2. To be great, silently plod, but acknowledge and let the issues be known to teams, management, customers. This way, the concerns are open and the way they are vanishing gives a great feeling from inside. The relief that it got over, without stress or more efforts from people who have the information, and the "way" will be more recognized than the work itself
3. To be great, allow an escalation: Escalate to higher ups to get a testimonial for services. Escalate and ask for more business areas you can address. Escalate to say when you have gone beyond the scope and worked keeping both parties interest in mind. Escalate to tell the customer the lessons learned and about project closure.
Silently delivering projects, is unappreciated and worse, is held against you at times.
4. To be great, relish the moment, make it memorable when you receive credit. Otherwise, you tend to be normal and doing normal work, not good work.
5. To be great, allow ideas to take shape and make them market friendly. When you use it for personal or internal purpose, you live with bugs, constraints, less than appealing interface, crowded functionality.
When you make it market friendly, you get to see the ways that didn,t occur to you. You get to see that people had similar needs as yours and they are silently appreciating the fact that you are helping them.
Take a look at sourceforge.net. There are so many good applications, that we feel great about using them. The fact that they are being used and recognized by individuals is a great factor than just having a good application to yourself.
You are great, only when the world knows it. You are good, when your close circle knows it. You are normal, when you alone know, how good you are.
1. Finish your job without disturbing others.
2. Silently plod and fix issues
3. Never allow an escalation. Good people know to anticipate and avoid, rather than show and fix.
4. To accept credit as something normal and get on with next job.
5. Allowing ideas to take shape but leave it when it is ready for personal use.
Can you see why goodness fails ? Because, goodness is inherent, and hence is not visible. Since we have been taught and explained to be good citizens, we rarely strive for greatness.
When have you felt great? In school, may be when you are called on stage to get the prize. In college, may be when you win an election or person you support wins it, may be when you share the podium and receive an ovation. In professional life, when you are featured in a cover magazine of repute, quoted in journals, have a following for your social presence.
Does any of this mean, there aren't any good people than us in our group/community?
Greatness is antithesis of Good. What you do good, is not sufficient to be great. This is something that Jim Collins talks in his book "Good to Great".
1. To be great, disturb others unobtrusively. Meaning, get their time before hand or condition them to expect your communication at an appropriate time. Inform the utility in mutual interest terms.
Status reports, communication before a delivery and after a delivery, calling steering committees and discussing work are some greatness moments to be latched upon.
Missing commitment escalations are disturbances that are obtrusive. They dis-orient both you and the customer a lot, that it saps the energy levels.
2. To be great, silently plod, but acknowledge and let the issues be known to teams, management, customers. This way, the concerns are open and the way they are vanishing gives a great feeling from inside. The relief that it got over, without stress or more efforts from people who have the information, and the "way" will be more recognized than the work itself
3. To be great, allow an escalation: Escalate to higher ups to get a testimonial for services. Escalate and ask for more business areas you can address. Escalate to say when you have gone beyond the scope and worked keeping both parties interest in mind. Escalate to tell the customer the lessons learned and about project closure.
Silently delivering projects, is unappreciated and worse, is held against you at times.
4. To be great, relish the moment, make it memorable when you receive credit. Otherwise, you tend to be normal and doing normal work, not good work.
5. To be great, allow ideas to take shape and make them market friendly. When you use it for personal or internal purpose, you live with bugs, constraints, less than appealing interface, crowded functionality.
When you make it market friendly, you get to see the ways that didn,t occur to you. You get to see that people had similar needs as yours and they are silently appreciating the fact that you are helping them.
Take a look at sourceforge.net. There are so many good applications, that we feel great about using them. The fact that they are being used and recognized by individuals is a great factor than just having a good application to yourself.
You are great, only when the world knows it. You are good, when your close circle knows it. You are normal, when you alone know, how good you are.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Paradox that Collaboration is still an Issue
Paradoxically, in this age of twitter, blog, wiki, portals:
1. email usage has not come down. People still send attachments when they can upload and share a link.
2. Top management still address cross-team dysfunctions due to lack of information flow between groups.
3. Information and knowledge hoarding is still prevalent and is considered a strategy for safe employment.
4. Employees still rely on newspaper and finance portal to get "breaking news" stories of their own company.
5. Innovations, rewards are at group/division level improvements and not at company level.
6. Training sessions are still around, when a team of trainers could put together a You-Tube learning program for users in a span of hours. "Best of" series is never commissioned in organizations.
7. Presentations still have text text text. Why not publish a book, instead ?
8. When you can get slick and multi sensory medium to tell stories, why still stick of PPT and Word or their open office equivalent?
hmm. Be serious to look at platforms and distributed communication solutions for a revived organization.
Open all doors. Do not be Translucent in the name of transparency.
1. email usage has not come down. People still send attachments when they can upload and share a link.
2. Top management still address cross-team dysfunctions due to lack of information flow between groups.
3. Information and knowledge hoarding is still prevalent and is considered a strategy for safe employment.
4. Employees still rely on newspaper and finance portal to get "breaking news" stories of their own company.
5. Innovations, rewards are at group/division level improvements and not at company level.
6. Training sessions are still around, when a team of trainers could put together a You-Tube learning program for users in a span of hours. "Best of" series is never commissioned in organizations.
7. Presentations still have text text text. Why not publish a book, instead ?
8. When you can get slick and multi sensory medium to tell stories, why still stick of PPT and Word or their open office equivalent?
hmm. Be serious to look at platforms and distributed communication solutions for a revived organization.
Open all doors. Do not be Translucent in the name of transparency.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Perfection paralysis
“Perfection paralysis” is expensive. More than cost, it is time and opportunity, that once missed never present themselves again.
Sometimes it is not worth the effort to make things “perfect.” Take a look at time costs involved and weigh these against the benefit of perfection. Always, second best in operation is better than first best on the drawing board.
How much ever I have said, this is one point, that I have not been able to convince my team. May be, I never had a story to drive my point on this one.
We have been eternally working on the perfect communication logo, perfect out-of-world site, perfect phrases in communication, that is still iterated, scrapped and reinvented.
Today, after much coaxing, we have launched our work in progress site to a focus group. It is now nowhere near the perfection aimed at start. However, I sense the pride that at-last, the team has broke its shell and courageous enough to test with what is considered v1.0.
Lofty ideals, need hardships, practice and courage to achieve their eternal perfect state. Sensing hardships and trying to workaround practice and courage, never gets you out of paralysis stage.
You have something to share and sooner you get to the market is the best survival tactic.
Sometimes it is not worth the effort to make things “perfect.” Take a look at time costs involved and weigh these against the benefit of perfection. Always, second best in operation is better than first best on the drawing board.
How much ever I have said, this is one point, that I have not been able to convince my team. May be, I never had a story to drive my point on this one.
We have been eternally working on the perfect communication logo, perfect out-of-world site, perfect phrases in communication, that is still iterated, scrapped and reinvented.
Today, after much coaxing, we have launched our work in progress site to a focus group. It is now nowhere near the perfection aimed at start. However, I sense the pride that at-last, the team has broke its shell and courageous enough to test with what is considered v1.0.
Lofty ideals, need hardships, practice and courage to achieve their eternal perfect state. Sensing hardships and trying to workaround practice and courage, never gets you out of paralysis stage.
You have something to share and sooner you get to the market is the best survival tactic.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
What is a good communication ?
What is a good communication ?
There are lots of way to get a point across. The best and most preferred one: TALK.
In professional environment, is it sufficient though ?
When every person in their roles are awarded multiple responsibilities, wouldn't it help, if I remember the context, why,
1. A discussion went a certain way, OR
2. The information and advice provided in taking a decision OR
3. The current problem is linked to my earlier/prior action OR
4. The assumptions, were left unaddressed/unstated during prior meetings ?
5. Did I confuse between my 2 distinct responsibilities when we talked last time ?
TALK is a transient medium. To give credence, it is always required to create a record that leaves a trail to trace, track and find out where the deviations occurred. When things go right, the records give a case study for future team to follow.
Have you noticed that many times, bad news is always learnt through long winding emails ? Is it fear of guilt or fear of retribution ?
Avoiding any of these problems always requires diligence, discipline and detailed record keeping of you, your customer and your customer bosses.
A unknown side effect is that, you will learn to do your duties in more organized manner, as you cannot keep a bad communication in your records.
"Leave a Trail" was my main message in this appraisal cycle.
There are lots of way to get a point across. The best and most preferred one: TALK.
In professional environment, is it sufficient though ?
When every person in their roles are awarded multiple responsibilities, wouldn't it help, if I remember the context, why,
1. A discussion went a certain way, OR
2. The information and advice provided in taking a decision OR
3. The current problem is linked to my earlier/prior action OR
4. The assumptions, were left unaddressed/unstated during prior meetings ?
5. Did I confuse between my 2 distinct responsibilities when we talked last time ?
TALK is a transient medium. To give credence, it is always required to create a record that leaves a trail to trace, track and find out where the deviations occurred. When things go right, the records give a case study for future team to follow.
Have you noticed that many times, bad news is always learnt through long winding emails ? Is it fear of guilt or fear of retribution ?
Avoiding any of these problems always requires diligence, discipline and detailed record keeping of you, your customer and your customer bosses.
A unknown side effect is that, you will learn to do your duties in more organized manner, as you cannot keep a bad communication in your records.
"Leave a Trail" was my main message in this appraisal cycle.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Instruments as Weapons
Any task requires instruments. Software is one. Transport is another. Document is the evergreen, must have, all purpose instrument for reference.
Whenever you use anything, have you thought, how they are channelized? How they can be used for best benefits. Be it a bag, for a seemingly simple task of carrying vegetables.
Weapons are instruments that serve the purpose they are created for. Use and Misuse is the same. The pedestal they reach is always on a target. Missing the real target they hit another target. Isn't that the reason why they are so powerful, dreaded, lot of committees, safeguards, efforts go in creation, maintenance and securing them. Isn't the same effort goes in using them at the time they are required. Even diffusing a weapon before it is put to work, has lot of tension and precision to disarm them COMPLETELY.
The point is, if we take weapons as a benchmark for all instruments, then in simplest plane, they need to exhibit the following character:
1. Purpose: All instruments should have one purpose. Instruments in e-Learning content could be Video, Animation, Graphics, Text, Polls, Surveys, FAQ's, Glossary, etc. If you want to use them in your project, then you need to define their single purpose channel used in the course. For example,
Video: Seeing an action is easy to imitate. Do we imitate voices in radio more than actions of heroes TV or Movies? Providing videos give more answers and aid in easy comprehension.
Animation: Kids love illustrated motion than real motion. Seeing my daughter, I realize that illustrated motion (Animation) gets more attention to details, with fun, than real action. Using the same analogy, I suggest use of animation for providing low level details along with action for better application.
2. Precision: While instruments are created with purpose, their execution determines their effectiveness. Using instruments at their appropriate place gives the precision of a weapon, that can be used in a good place for best intent. For example,
Video: Executing a video has multiple challenges. First, feature a model, if you want a diversion. We recently saw a video explaining a product demo, and half the attention went in noticing the mis-act sequences of the lead. When a normal person needs to be the lead/host, just get a close up. I may be a best actor when my wife is around, but cannot do the same in front of the camera. The strain of getting the body language correct and relishable by the viewer is beyond normal man bounds. We recently saw a video with key top people explaining the values - at times, I need to admit, the actions were funny.
Second, Zoom slowly. There is no hurry to reach the destination. A little bit of action, suspense, aids better comprehension than focussing on the object and holding the camera as if it is a still picture.
One more for this post, cover multiple angles: A video is a movie format of delivery. To ensure precision of the intent, use its potential to give better views than normal eye can perceive in normal circumstances. Can you now understand, why fight sequences are captured in angles, that overwhelm you or there is so much attention on camera man as the director?
3. Preciseness: When precision can acquire its purpose is the timing when it is used. In content design, animation initially is always felt more entertaining than concluding a module.the results. While concluding a module, a little bit of action is better refreshing and leads to a continuation action than a passive conclusion. Recently, we started showing the learning objectives as a static screen while the summary slide acts as a recap and option for user to comment on the learning. Will keep you posted on the results.
4. Passion: One of the elements I missed in my last post, Execution Attributes is passion. There is a reason. Reason is, execution involves things that need not be liked by you. As a practice lead, I detest testing. But in a small team, where the function is managed internally, I need to do it. To do it properly, I cannot bring passion with me; but I need to bring focus, discipline and course correction to do the job right.
The case of instruments is different. Execution, timing and creation purpose requires passion to bind them all together. When you find an instrument, not living up to expectations, then passion will be missed block. Either preciseness will miss what precision and purpose want to achieve or preciseness and precision will miss the purpose for which the instrument is designated.
5. Pointers: In olden days, instruments always had a mental model towards sharpness, pointed objects with a target object in reference plane.Example, sharpening a saw to cut a tree, to have a sharpened pencil to draw a thin line, a sharp dart to indicate target attack and sharpness to hit the target. In India, it is always bow and arrow that are used for pointers to mean target and sharpness to hit it hard.
Ensure your instruments have enough pointers. Simply put, is the instrument used with right set of references. References could mean users too. Are users familiar with animations, polls, surveys, assessments? In one of the recent projects, I learnt this lesson. Good instruments cannot be used everywhere when the pointers are blank and blunt. For the customer, polls, surveys as instruments were not aimed at them and their target audience. So utilizing them without a pointer would result in vaccum zone. Isn't that a great insult to the instrument itself.
So use instruments where they are capable of making an impact.
Like weapons, instruments should boom with sound, visual and match them in their functional effects. Videos should have music, sound and matching action, while animations should have music,visual effects and attention to detail,while glossary should have letters, words, definition along with pictorial depiction of their meaning for better attention and knowledge reference.
Did you read the related post for knowing what instruments can do for you?
Whenever you use anything, have you thought, how they are channelized? How they can be used for best benefits. Be it a bag, for a seemingly simple task of carrying vegetables.
Weapons are instruments that serve the purpose they are created for. Use and Misuse is the same. The pedestal they reach is always on a target. Missing the real target they hit another target. Isn't that the reason why they are so powerful, dreaded, lot of committees, safeguards, efforts go in creation, maintenance and securing them. Isn't the same effort goes in using them at the time they are required. Even diffusing a weapon before it is put to work, has lot of tension and precision to disarm them COMPLETELY.
The point is, if we take weapons as a benchmark for all instruments, then in simplest plane, they need to exhibit the following character:
1. Purpose: All instruments should have one purpose. Instruments in e-Learning content could be Video, Animation, Graphics, Text, Polls, Surveys, FAQ's, Glossary, etc. If you want to use them in your project, then you need to define their single purpose channel used in the course. For example,
Video: Seeing an action is easy to imitate. Do we imitate voices in radio more than actions of heroes TV or Movies? Providing videos give more answers and aid in easy comprehension.
Animation: Kids love illustrated motion than real motion. Seeing my daughter, I realize that illustrated motion (Animation) gets more attention to details, with fun, than real action. Using the same analogy, I suggest use of animation for providing low level details along with action for better application.
2. Precision: While instruments are created with purpose, their execution determines their effectiveness. Using instruments at their appropriate place gives the precision of a weapon, that can be used in a good place for best intent. For example,
Video: Executing a video has multiple challenges. First, feature a model, if you want a diversion. We recently saw a video explaining a product demo, and half the attention went in noticing the mis-act sequences of the lead. When a normal person needs to be the lead/host, just get a close up. I may be a best actor when my wife is around, but cannot do the same in front of the camera. The strain of getting the body language correct and relishable by the viewer is beyond normal man bounds. We recently saw a video with key top people explaining the values - at times, I need to admit, the actions were funny.
Second, Zoom slowly. There is no hurry to reach the destination. A little bit of action, suspense, aids better comprehension than focussing on the object and holding the camera as if it is a still picture.
One more for this post, cover multiple angles: A video is a movie format of delivery. To ensure precision of the intent, use its potential to give better views than normal eye can perceive in normal circumstances. Can you now understand, why fight sequences are captured in angles, that overwhelm you or there is so much attention on camera man as the director?
3. Preciseness: When precision can acquire its purpose is the timing when it is used. In content design, animation initially is always felt more entertaining than concluding a module.the results. While concluding a module, a little bit of action is better refreshing and leads to a continuation action than a passive conclusion. Recently, we started showing the learning objectives as a static screen while the summary slide acts as a recap and option for user to comment on the learning. Will keep you posted on the results.
4. Passion: One of the elements I missed in my last post, Execution Attributes is passion. There is a reason. Reason is, execution involves things that need not be liked by you. As a practice lead, I detest testing. But in a small team, where the function is managed internally, I need to do it. To do it properly, I cannot bring passion with me; but I need to bring focus, discipline and course correction to do the job right.
The case of instruments is different. Execution, timing and creation purpose requires passion to bind them all together. When you find an instrument, not living up to expectations, then passion will be missed block. Either preciseness will miss what precision and purpose want to achieve or preciseness and precision will miss the purpose for which the instrument is designated.
5. Pointers: In olden days, instruments always had a mental model towards sharpness, pointed objects with a target object in reference plane.Example, sharpening a saw to cut a tree, to have a sharpened pencil to draw a thin line, a sharp dart to indicate target attack and sharpness to hit the target. In India, it is always bow and arrow that are used for pointers to mean target and sharpness to hit it hard.
Ensure your instruments have enough pointers. Simply put, is the instrument used with right set of references. References could mean users too. Are users familiar with animations, polls, surveys, assessments? In one of the recent projects, I learnt this lesson. Good instruments cannot be used everywhere when the pointers are blank and blunt. For the customer, polls, surveys as instruments were not aimed at them and their target audience. So utilizing them without a pointer would result in vaccum zone. Isn't that a great insult to the instrument itself.
So use instruments where they are capable of making an impact.
Like weapons, instruments should boom with sound, visual and match them in their functional effects. Videos should have music, sound and matching action, while animations should have music,visual effects and attention to detail,while glossary should have letters, words, definition along with pictorial depiction of their meaning for better attention and knowledge reference.
Did you read the related post for knowing what instruments can do for you?
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Execution Attributes
Man, being essentially active, must find in activity his joy, as well as his beauty and glory; and labor, like everything else that is good, is its own reward.--WHIPPLE.
While ideation, strategies, process formulation, vision documents are various forms of expression/desire, it is execution that gives credibility to these forms. May be why news is relied upon for movements/momentum while results are relied upon for decisions/commitments.
Execution is a commitment to achieve the expression/desire.
To do so, execution teaches you 3 most important things that any sacrifice is worth.
1. Focus
2. Discipline
3. Course Correction.
Out of the 3 characteristics, the 3rd point is the most mis-understood/ missed term. There needs to be focus on tasks at hand and at the sight in future; Discipline to commit in good faith to a decision or a majority view point. However, the earliest warning signs must wake you up for a course correction.
In my experience, course correction is the missing characteristic in otherwise success stories, that went down even with focus and discipline. This also applies to few of my mentors whom I learnt the tricks from.
The easiest way to take course correction is to leave a trail of numbers that can inform you about the pitfalls when looking back. With little PROPER introspection, future path can be visualized with focus and discipline. The path can be course corrective in nature as well. This can save you time, efforts and remove "fear of failure" from your hearts.
Hence execution is not about having work that I need to do, but doing work that needs to be done. Get it Done. Have a happy execution for the rest of your life.
How do you get Focus, Discipline, Course Correction in style? I will share my formulas in next few post.
While ideation, strategies, process formulation, vision documents are various forms of expression/desire, it is execution that gives credibility to these forms. May be why news is relied upon for movements/momentum while results are relied upon for decisions/commitments.
Execution is a commitment to achieve the expression/desire.
To do so, execution teaches you 3 most important things that any sacrifice is worth.
1. Focus
2. Discipline
3. Course Correction.
Out of the 3 characteristics, the 3rd point is the most mis-understood/ missed term. There needs to be focus on tasks at hand and at the sight in future; Discipline to commit in good faith to a decision or a majority view point. However, the earliest warning signs must wake you up for a course correction.
In my experience, course correction is the missing characteristic in otherwise success stories, that went down even with focus and discipline. This also applies to few of my mentors whom I learnt the tricks from.
The easiest way to take course correction is to leave a trail of numbers that can inform you about the pitfalls when looking back. With little PROPER introspection, future path can be visualized with focus and discipline. The path can be course corrective in nature as well. This can save you time, efforts and remove "fear of failure" from your hearts.
Hence execution is not about having work that I need to do, but doing work that needs to be done. Get it Done. Have a happy execution for the rest of your life.
How do you get Focus, Discipline, Course Correction in style? I will share my formulas in next few post.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Project Outsourcing Commandments
Customer is king. Customer decision is final. King's deliverables should be good and on time. There can be many statements validating customers importance. Yes, it is important to drive the point to ensure greater customer satisfaction. But it is equally important for customers to know when and how projects can be turned downside with their own actions/statements.
Few don'ts advice to my customers and prospects will be:
1. Never give a project without internal commitment: Who needs to review, who needs to approve, who needs to be involved, who will pay the invoice, is important to be on board from first time.
2. Never give feedback more than twice on a file: First time, the delivery has all the passion in it. Second time, the feedback on issues seen are considered learning, third time, the moods/mindset and expectations are understood. But from this time on, more feedback will only add to low motivational work. The fixes would be done just to satisfy you, without any passion or brain behind it. If the release is not up to your expectations, send email that you do not consider it as a release at all, and still keep only 2 review cycles.
3. Treat Review cycles with seriousness: Ensure you dedicate time, stop reviews after a optimum batch size(say 25 local issues and/or 5 global issues) in one review cycle, 5-6 localized issues in second review cycle. Period. Validate issues fixed please.
4. Delay the start of the project, but never delay the completion date. The date committed during project start is known to all (senior managers of both companies), but changed dates are hardly communicated unless in case of escalations. The initial buy-in will see to it that projects are on review radar, but past initial deadlines, it is left on excel sheets/Gantt charts within project teams.
5. Escalate without bias: Never escalate only when there is a problem that is discomforting you. Escalate and demand when normal, routine deliverables are missed. Treat escalations for support deliveries as well, like meeting minutes, discussion notes, future commercial implications, tracking requests for fix, changes, etc.
6. Ask for senior management attention, what ever your size be: The seniority can be decided by the vendor. But a non-project senior person is necessary to provide attention and consultation on project from both sides. If this is not there, project teams will tend to do things comfortable to them but not to their respective organizations.
7. Praise the team: US customers do this. We love it. But in India, these are more subtle. A behind the scenes word of mouth is very nice for managers and seniors, but a word of applause is required for project team workers.
8. Accept for delays and contingencies at both ends: You do not need a status report to tell you who is delaying what. Delays are inevitable at both sides. It is important to acknowledge or force an acknowledgement in email, so that they do not become a habit.
9. Provide enough references/source/stories: Well, this sounds like why i need to give the project to you. However think about it differently. Giving a project is no letting go of your commitments. It is to do things smartly and differently. Smart way, is to outline your needs progressively based on vendor thoughts. What you have in mind is validated/invalidated by similar prior experiences available with vendor. What you need is executed differently with added bonuses of giving away the maintenance and support hassles.
References/Source examples/Stories gives better clarity on expectations and aid in realistic schedules and deliverables matching expectations.
10. Prioritize what you need: As a vendor I can be willing to give a "free" lunch. But it is free only for a day. What lies ahead is more investment. Hence prioritize and do not ask for "free" lunches unless there is a need for the same. Example, You ask for a blog engine, I give "content engine" free. To manage, govern and administer the content engine, is really additional investment from your side. Do you really need it ?
11. We work mutually for better appraisals: You may hate me saying this. But at the end of the year, my project and yours too will be evaluated for WIN. Hence WIN-WIN is a must for a serious engagement. When either of our appraisals and more money is in danger of getting lost, we will not be able to get together at any levels - professional or personal. Hence mutual respect is governed by more serious personal money at stake.
Can we strive for a better appraisal partnership please ?
And few more, may be in next posts.
Few don'ts advice to my customers and prospects will be:
1. Never give a project without internal commitment: Who needs to review, who needs to approve, who needs to be involved, who will pay the invoice, is important to be on board from first time.
2. Never give feedback more than twice on a file: First time, the delivery has all the passion in it. Second time, the feedback on issues seen are considered learning, third time, the moods/mindset and expectations are understood. But from this time on, more feedback will only add to low motivational work. The fixes would be done just to satisfy you, without any passion or brain behind it. If the release is not up to your expectations, send email that you do not consider it as a release at all, and still keep only 2 review cycles.
3. Treat Review cycles with seriousness: Ensure you dedicate time, stop reviews after a optimum batch size(say 25 local issues and/or 5 global issues) in one review cycle, 5-6 localized issues in second review cycle. Period. Validate issues fixed please.
4. Delay the start of the project, but never delay the completion date. The date committed during project start is known to all (senior managers of both companies), but changed dates are hardly communicated unless in case of escalations. The initial buy-in will see to it that projects are on review radar, but past initial deadlines, it is left on excel sheets/Gantt charts within project teams.
5. Escalate without bias: Never escalate only when there is a problem that is discomforting you. Escalate and demand when normal, routine deliverables are missed. Treat escalations for support deliveries as well, like meeting minutes, discussion notes, future commercial implications, tracking requests for fix, changes, etc.
6. Ask for senior management attention, what ever your size be: The seniority can be decided by the vendor. But a non-project senior person is necessary to provide attention and consultation on project from both sides. If this is not there, project teams will tend to do things comfortable to them but not to their respective organizations.
7. Praise the team: US customers do this. We love it. But in India, these are more subtle. A behind the scenes word of mouth is very nice for managers and seniors, but a word of applause is required for project team workers.
8. Accept for delays and contingencies at both ends: You do not need a status report to tell you who is delaying what. Delays are inevitable at both sides. It is important to acknowledge or force an acknowledgement in email, so that they do not become a habit.
9. Provide enough references/source/stories: Well, this sounds like why i need to give the project to you. However think about it differently. Giving a project is no letting go of your commitments. It is to do things smartly and differently. Smart way, is to outline your needs progressively based on vendor thoughts. What you have in mind is validated/invalidated by similar prior experiences available with vendor. What you need is executed differently with added bonuses of giving away the maintenance and support hassles.
References/Source examples/Stories gives better clarity on expectations and aid in realistic schedules and deliverables matching expectations.
10. Prioritize what you need: As a vendor I can be willing to give a "free" lunch. But it is free only for a day. What lies ahead is more investment. Hence prioritize and do not ask for "free" lunches unless there is a need for the same. Example, You ask for a blog engine, I give "content engine" free. To manage, govern and administer the content engine, is really additional investment from your side. Do you really need it ?
11. We work mutually for better appraisals: You may hate me saying this. But at the end of the year, my project and yours too will be evaluated for WIN. Hence WIN-WIN is a must for a serious engagement. When either of our appraisals and more money is in danger of getting lost, we will not be able to get together at any levels - professional or personal. Hence mutual respect is governed by more serious personal money at stake.
Can we strive for a better appraisal partnership please ?
And few more, may be in next posts.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
The ever shadowing late night experience
One of the differences that I bring as part of my existence in organization is to ensure that people leave early and leave me time in night to focus on my tasks. Part of it is selfishness since I am a night-person and late riser.
Though, it is a good practice, in IT, any one who has been strict about timelines is not known in my circle yet. Ask my mom and now she has tutored my wife better to poke fun at my management practice whenever the late nights happen.
Today (or yesterday, it is always a confusion), the late night work happenned. The master plans, effective habits all went to a toss. So what makes late night follow you constantly and catch you at the appropriate moment? Would not any IT company have a practice that is so mature and robust that they have good clients and accept only limited work that promises not a single day of extra staying hours ?
Still groping for answers...
Though, it is a good practice, in IT, any one who has been strict about timelines is not known in my circle yet. Ask my mom and now she has tutored my wife better to poke fun at my management practice whenever the late nights happen.
Today (or yesterday, it is always a confusion), the late night work happenned. The master plans, effective habits all went to a toss. So what makes late night follow you constantly and catch you at the appropriate moment? Would not any IT company have a practice that is so mature and robust that they have good clients and accept only limited work that promises not a single day of extra staying hours ?
Still groping for answers...
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Cognitive Load - Part 2
If there needs to be a simple measure for the work/services/deliverables rendered then you can self-evaluate yourself using "Cognitive Load" concept.
Cognitive Load simply attempts to answer the question - Does the work give me confidence that it increases my productivity or does it put more responsibility on me to review/check the work thus extending by dependency ?
Cognitive Load is a self-perception quality. How do you do it ? Here are few pointers.
1. Stand up, step back and view the soft copy of the document: Are you happy with it ? Hmm you have done your best, you say. So don't want to comment on it. Better, call a peer and ask what they make out of the delivery from the same distance. Can they point out the distinction in the work ? Can they assume what you have done ? Can they tell the mood of the work ? If there is at least an answer, then there is a good deal.
2. Take a Print of a sample: Going green means do not waste paper. So take a few pages out and see the results in black and white. Do the areas get highlighted properly? Is there a depth that is spotted. Is it easy to read the print copy with minimal attention rather in a distraction environment.
Meaning, is your file now visible to users and can they see the difference that they spotted for you in color soft copy ?
3. Try out an alternate: If there is a paragraph, put that in bullets. Are you impressed? If you have put them in bullets try separating them in a table row and see if they are impressive ?
If you are working on an excel sheet, have you color coded columns or color coded rows ? Are you impressed ? If not, try playing with border styles, colors, thickness ? Still feel you could do better - Did you try fonts sizes and colors ?
4. Give yourself a try: Try showcasing your work and highlight the important user friendly elements. Specifically highlight the following to your peer:
4. Optimize the batch: One of the major foundation blocks that e-Learning business address is the granularity and independency of content as 2-3 minute capsules. Follow this rule. Split your deliveries in multiple chunks and send it for review/approval. If there is a huge delivery,stagger it on a weekly basis. This way you let your managers rest easy and you can work at ease by getting your confidence back.
5. Can you reduce the intermediate sign off posts - This suggestion coming from a manager might sound counter intuitive and surprising. Many milestones are actually intermediate sign off posts to keep project in track. However think about the over heads associated with each intermediate delivery. You need to spend time in reviews, packaging, communication, solicit feedback, rework on the delivery and submit it again going through the release process. Is it worth the effort to do these or take a calculated risk of proceeding further with a commitment that the deliveries are on track. The amount of changes/issues in a major milestone will not exceed the time spent in intermediate deliveries. Hence be careful in setting milestones (refer above point on batch optimization). Think if it is really a milestone or is it part of intermediate delivery in the name of showing progress and achieving a billing point.
The least cognitive load is the best form of process optimization. Do you prefer a Government bank asking you to come over and sign forms or do you prefer a private bank who does the service of collecting documents, photocopying them, obtain your signatures at you convenient place ?
The difference is considered user experience, but in the underlying deal, it is lesser cognitive load that matters.
Cognitive Load simply attempts to answer the question - Does the work give me confidence that it increases my productivity or does it put more responsibility on me to review/check the work thus extending by dependency ?
Cognitive Load is a self-perception quality. How do you do it ? Here are few pointers.
1. Stand up, step back and view the soft copy of the document: Are you happy with it ? Hmm you have done your best, you say. So don't want to comment on it. Better, call a peer and ask what they make out of the delivery from the same distance. Can they point out the distinction in the work ? Can they assume what you have done ? Can they tell the mood of the work ? If there is at least an answer, then there is a good deal.
2. Take a Print of a sample: Going green means do not waste paper. So take a few pages out and see the results in black and white. Do the areas get highlighted properly? Is there a depth that is spotted. Is it easy to read the print copy with minimal attention rather in a distraction environment.
Meaning, is your file now visible to users and can they see the difference that they spotted for you in color soft copy ?
3. Try out an alternate: If there is a paragraph, put that in bullets. Are you impressed? If you have put them in bullets try separating them in a table row and see if they are impressive ?
If you are working on an excel sheet, have you color coded columns or color coded rows ? Are you impressed ? If not, try playing with border styles, colors, thickness ? Still feel you could do better - Did you try fonts sizes and colors ?
4. Give yourself a try: Try showcasing your work and highlight the important user friendly elements. Specifically highlight the following to your peer:
- Are the users reaching the right spots with the right cues ?
- How many places should the user look around to spot the information ?
- How many times you will ask the input for a specific information - Meaning how many forms and fields needs to be filled in by user in one sitting ?
4. Optimize the batch: One of the major foundation blocks that e-Learning business address is the granularity and independency of content as 2-3 minute capsules. Follow this rule. Split your deliveries in multiple chunks and send it for review/approval. If there is a huge delivery,stagger it on a weekly basis. This way you let your managers rest easy and you can work at ease by getting your confidence back.
5. Can you reduce the intermediate sign off posts - This suggestion coming from a manager might sound counter intuitive and surprising. Many milestones are actually intermediate sign off posts to keep project in track. However think about the over heads associated with each intermediate delivery. You need to spend time in reviews, packaging, communication, solicit feedback, rework on the delivery and submit it again going through the release process. Is it worth the effort to do these or take a calculated risk of proceeding further with a commitment that the deliveries are on track. The amount of changes/issues in a major milestone will not exceed the time spent in intermediate deliveries. Hence be careful in setting milestones (refer above point on batch optimization). Think if it is really a milestone or is it part of intermediate delivery in the name of showing progress and achieving a billing point.
The least cognitive load is the best form of process optimization. Do you prefer a Government bank asking you to come over and sign forms or do you prefer a private bank who does the service of collecting documents, photocopying them, obtain your signatures at you convenient place ?
The difference is considered user experience, but in the underlying deal, it is lesser cognitive load that matters.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cognitive Load - Your Take - Part 1
What is the real worth of your work ?
Have you ever considered that you take up a task to complete something that someone else needs to find it easy for their progress?
Do you deliver a physical asset at the end of your task ? If you claim you deliver an asset, then have you defined what the asset is worth ?
Try yourself and tell me the answer.
Have you ever considered that you take up a task to complete something that someone else needs to find it easy for their progress?
Do you deliver a physical asset at the end of your task ? If you claim you deliver an asset, then have you defined what the asset is worth ?
Try yourself and tell me the answer.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Product Action
After a long time servicing projects and being in reactive mode, we took time to step back, reevaluate our lives in office . While my patience had run out in 4th month of the job, doing the repeated tasks, I had to wait for 5 more months for my team to come out of the hood and challenge our working style and realize that they can do a lot worth their character.
As I said in my earlier post,
Evolution Story - Power of Need establishing the need is an organic process and needs to be incubated for the time it takes. All you can do is to mould the thinking in subtle ways in hope of acceleration the need for change.
To the real story now...
In the step back exercise, we decoupled and dis-integrated all our project assets to its atomic level (yes including the efforts). On analysis we found that rather than hand crafting the integration of the assets, the technology we are familiar with was more powerful and could do most of the tasks better. All it required was the basics of XML and the power of integration with Action Script.
So we started our journey within the project time frame to risk our reputation of on time and quality delivery and try the creation of productivity improvement tool. Hats off to my team that even though the basic idea germinated in me, the execution took its own turn and was not stamped with my control written on it. The positive outcome of the exercise was that we now have a tool, started for internal use, has a good UI (yes we are designers first) and is web based with the simplest of usability that hides the complexities that is associated with simulation design.
Looking now at the output, each one of us have started thinking that product creation is a great way to service every project. Rather than ONLY provide an output that is usable to customer, the thought magic is now to create a product that can be extended, customized, maintained, changed frequently at customer's will which at the same time will reduce the work load or rather provide us with the challenge of working on better mind stimulating creatives.
The product action has just kicked in. Hope it sustains the way of thinking and brightens our future.
How else have you incorporated the service around a product, rather than a service or product service model?
Friday, April 11, 2008
Client Eye Review
One of the very first projects at my current engagement is handling a tried and comfortable method of simulation animation with a team adept at a certain way. This was a time when 2 of my reliable team leads left the organization. The audio vendor we engaged was without any defined SLA's.
Being new, the first thing I realized was that the quality of the audio recordings in multiple sessions did not have the correct settings. The stereo mixing was incorrect, the audible levels were not matching with each other. How much ever trials to correct them were not leading us satisfactorily to the end output result.
Further, being the first in engagement with the client as a company and team, we were caught by the customer in the delivery quality. To complicate matters, there were issues in the delivery which were not caught in the review cycles instituted as a process.
What did we do then ??
Enter the process of "Client Eye Review"...
What is the process all about? Get the entire team sit in a conference room and have a product viewing session.
The Objective: Role play the customer and try to find as many obvious seemingly small issues that can be found without much attention.
The Reason: People with technical knowledge and working in technical area always seem to be chasing the big issues and looking for challenge to all reviewers to find a show stopper or a critical issue. While they feel that smaller issues can always be fixed in a matter of time. Even now, after 10 projects together, I am grappling with the same mental model of developers. Enough explanation that these seemingly simple issues are what affects the customer psyche and are the uncovered open visible issues that puts off a customer confidence, never has satisfied their quest to find bigger hidden issues. These issues they feel are worthy of their time are known only to them and not to customer, still never makes sense.
The Real Timing of Client Eye Review:The client eye review is very very important when the company has acquired a first time customer. The importance of communicating what the customer feels rather than sees has to be perceived to make repeat business happen.
In my current experience, client eye reviews are the best way to start an engagement before the first delivery to make a decent impression. While the use has not been of much bigger value from second releases, rather after the time the team is comfortable working on the project and know all the most common errors/mistakes/issues that customer is likely to find.
Isn't it a great quality system where a team remains unchanged and committed to a customer thereby making a committed customer good business sense?
What is your customer acquisition engagement execution plan?
Being new, the first thing I realized was that the quality of the audio recordings in multiple sessions did not have the correct settings. The stereo mixing was incorrect, the audible levels were not matching with each other. How much ever trials to correct them were not leading us satisfactorily to the end output result.
Further, being the first in engagement with the client as a company and team, we were caught by the customer in the delivery quality. To complicate matters, there were issues in the delivery which were not caught in the review cycles instituted as a process.
What did we do then ??
Enter the process of "Client Eye Review"...
What is the process all about? Get the entire team sit in a conference room and have a product viewing session.
The Objective: Role play the customer and try to find as many obvious seemingly small issues that can be found without much attention.
The Reason: People with technical knowledge and working in technical area always seem to be chasing the big issues and looking for challenge to all reviewers to find a show stopper or a critical issue. While they feel that smaller issues can always be fixed in a matter of time. Even now, after 10 projects together, I am grappling with the same mental model of developers. Enough explanation that these seemingly simple issues are what affects the customer psyche and are the uncovered open visible issues that puts off a customer confidence, never has satisfied their quest to find bigger hidden issues. These issues they feel are worthy of their time are known only to them and not to customer, still never makes sense.
The Real Timing of Client Eye Review:The client eye review is very very important when the company has acquired a first time customer. The importance of communicating what the customer feels rather than sees has to be perceived to make repeat business happen.
In my current experience, client eye reviews are the best way to start an engagement before the first delivery to make a decent impression. While the use has not been of much bigger value from second releases, rather after the time the team is comfortable working on the project and know all the most common errors/mistakes/issues that customer is likely to find.
Isn't it a great quality system where a team remains unchanged and committed to a customer thereby making a committed customer good business sense?
What is your customer acquisition engagement execution plan?
Saturday, February 23, 2008
"Post Mortem Meeting" - Why do projects die.
This is my favourite phase of any project.
Delivering a project is a job half done. A delivery and project management is heavily numbers driven during the course of the project.
Can you miss numbers and manage
1. Efforts ?,
2. Variance ?,
3. Functional Points ?,
4. Cost ?,
5. Schedule ?,
6. Defects ?,
7. Enhancements ?,
8. People working time ?
9. Margins ?
10. Cost Outflows ?
Thus projects can be quantitatively managed and still be successful. However, as my second post on "E_learning maturity of Indian Companies" described, the qualitative aspects describe the deliveries that matter to the customer.
The outcome of any status update or meetings to resolve technical/business/people issues have a predicitive outcome - Find a solution or middle ground. Work designations , personal rapport, unilateral decisions can be utilized to reach the almost-suitable solution.
This gets to the question. Why do we have to dissect projects.
A "post mortem meeting" after completion of every project brings the team closer to their feelings, opinions and behaviour towards the project. The mood of the project deliveries to customer reflect the team's collective summation of their qualitative aspects.
Why I love this part:
It requires channelization of feelings, which cannot be managed. It is one meeting that cannot be controlled by numbers and time. The post mortem meeting outcome cannot be predicted or challenged. The project manager interference has to be minimum for the outcome to have credibility. The rephrasing of statements suiting the comfort of management by numbers has to be left out in the door. The statements have to recorded as expressed and documented. Any hard feelings needs to be listened to. The projectStand needs to have a "free for all" flavour which is drastically different from manager led meetings and yet be the "benevolent bouncer".
What a great situation to be in for a manager where there is no manager required or management control applicable ?
Delivering a project is a job half done. A delivery and project management is heavily numbers driven during the course of the project.
Can you miss numbers and manage
1. Efforts ?,
2. Variance ?,
3. Functional Points ?,
4. Cost ?,
5. Schedule ?,
6. Defects ?,
7. Enhancements ?,
8. People working time ?
9. Margins ?
10. Cost Outflows ?
Thus projects can be quantitatively managed and still be successful. However, as my second post on "E_learning maturity of Indian Companies" described, the qualitative aspects describe the deliveries that matter to the customer.
The outcome of any status update or meetings to resolve technical/business/people issues have a predicitive outcome - Find a solution or middle ground. Work designations , personal rapport, unilateral decisions can be utilized to reach the almost-suitable solution.
This gets to the question. Why do we have to dissect projects.
A "post mortem meeting" after completion of every project brings the team closer to their feelings, opinions and behaviour towards the project. The mood of the project deliveries to customer reflect the team's collective summation of their qualitative aspects.
Why I love this part:
It requires channelization of feelings, which cannot be managed. It is one meeting that cannot be controlled by numbers and time. The post mortem meeting outcome cannot be predicted or challenged. The project manager interference has to be minimum for the outcome to have credibility. The rephrasing of statements suiting the comfort of management by numbers has to be left out in the door. The statements have to recorded as expressed and documented. Any hard feelings needs to be listened to. The projectStand needs to have a "free for all" flavour which is drastically different from manager led meetings and yet be the "benevolent bouncer".
What a great situation to be in for a manager where there is no manager required or management control applicable ?
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Learning Practice by Shrinivasan.G is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 India License All views expressed here are my own and does not reflect that of my employer or clients or any other sources.
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