best practices thinking scott burr [email protected]

Best Practices ThinkingScott Burr

[email protected]

Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Be able to state why you need the Best Practices Thinking Process

Understand Psychological Inertia and how it creates your Current Situation

Understand how Ideal Solutions make you relevant

Know the most important behavior that makes Best Practices real

Session Objectives


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Session Outline

Why ASME Needs Best Practices

Are Best Practices Really the Best?

Mindsets & Behaviors of Great Problem Solvers

Best Practices Thinking Process Basic Innovation Skills

Psychological Inertia Ideality Best Practices and Resource Profiling Secondary Problems

Summary


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Table Stakes

Participation Session is interactive Cell Phones – Data Devices on “silent” Answer mobile communications outside the

room Your inputs to enhance the group

interaction?


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Why ASME Cares About Best Practices ASME’s Mission & Vision

To serve diverse global communities by advancing, disseminating and applying engineering knowledge for improving the quality of life; and communicating the excitement of engineering.

To be the essential resource for mechanical engineers and other technical professionals throughout the world for solutions that benefit humankind.

To Be Effective ASME Must Develop highly effective & successful leaders and volunteers Facilitate the development, dissemination and application of

engineering knowledge Promote the benefits of engineering education Respect and document engineering history while continually

embracing change

ASME Leaders and Volunteers ASME leaders are effective in managing continuous change. ASME volunteer leaders are successfully recruited and properly

trained


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Best Practices & You within ASME

Community with Needs

Volunteers

ASME Vision and Mission

Unit Leader

What is our job as Leaders?

Why do we need best practices?


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Are Best Practices Really the Best?

Do best practices deliver on their promise?


8 A Serious Best Practices Challenge

Units face risk of shaky finances Unit’s face the risk that events may not break-even Canceling events undermines ASME volunteer and member

confidence Transient leadership makes knowledge transfer and unit continuity

tougher Challenge to store physical items, documents, equipment Unit leaders are unsure which events will provide the best service

to members Members’ needs are not well understood Members need more service from units Members live in other countries, states or communities making it

tough for face-to-face events to occur let alone break even Volunteers seem to be hard to recruit

The solution must apply and be implemented at the unit level through local leadership


9 A Serious Best Practices Challenge

Units face risk of shaky finances Unit’s face the risk that events may not break-even Canceling events undermines ASME volunteer and member

confidence Transient leadership makes knowledge transfer and unit continuity

tougher Challenge to store physical items, documents, equipment Unit leaders are unsure which events will provide the best service

to members Members’ needs are not well understood Members need more service from units Some units have large geographic areas and driving distance

makes it tough for face-to-face events to occur let alone break even

Volunteers seem to be hard to recruit The solution must apply and be implemented at the

unit level through local leadership

How would you solve this

problem?


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Application to YOUR situation Identify a problem area or program that needs

improvement

List one or two ASME best practices you may like to implement.

REPORT OUT


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Contradictions & Problems

Community with Needs

Volunteers

ASME Vision and Mission

Unit Leader

The Reality: it takes work to make a best practice effective


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Best Practices = PROBLEM SOLVING

To make a best practice “the Best” ….

You Must Solve Problems


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Best Practices = PROBLEM SOLVING

In Teams


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The Best Practice Challenge


15 Mindsets, Beliefs and Behaviorsof Great Problem Solvers Responsibility for the Current Situation

Pursue the Most Ideal Solution

Problem Solving Courage and Will Power

Problem Solving Persistence

The Power of Mindset

Seek Advanced Resource Productivity

Systems View

Leverages Expertise of Teams


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Best Practices Thinking Process Assess your current situation

System’s View Psych Inertia

Define Success Future Ideal Reality Align with ASME Be Relevant to Members

Identify best practices & resources you will need

Identify secondary problems

Problem solve and take deliberate steps toward your Future Ideal Reality


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Assess Your Current Situation Think about your current system’s problems &

opportunities and document them

Tool #1: System View

System’s View is a Questioning Tool for

Quickly understanding a system and its

problems


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Assess Your Current Situation Processes & Interactions

Email commitment to attend – Excel spreadsheet of attendees

Collect money at the door – cash and checks

Excel spreadsheet of attendees – check when they arrive

Pay for lunch in advance Headcount delivered in advance Lots of no shows

Hardware & Software Laptop MS Office

Standards Advertise 3 months in advance Speaker gets honorarium Mail (postal) ad with newsletter Use Email list

Inputs & Outcomes Approvals take too long

Tool #1: System View - WEBINAR EXAMPLE History –

1 to 3 PD events per year with breakeven as goal

Key Players 1 person committee does it all

Known Competencies ASME has people that know

how to do a PD event Likes and Dislikes Unit Culture

Ask for permission No risk taking Seen as a difficult job

Cause & Effect The structure creates the

problems System Structures

ASME, Unit , Lead


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Assess Your Current Situation Known Problems

Poor Attendance at events Hard to recruit volunteers Difficult to break even on events Limited financial resources Post 911 economy Members leave events early Scott Burr PD Chair has personal need to move to Oregon to support family Transient volunteer team to support PD Events Section is hit with $5000 request for reimbursement from previous Chair Large geographic areas, driving distance to events, or different countries Event cancellations undermines ASME member & volunteer confidence ASME section’s finances are already shaky PD Events are the main source of revenue Section leaders are unsure which events provide the best service to members Members need to get more service from sections

Tool #1: System View - WEBINAR EXAMPLE


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A Definition – Psychological Inertia

A body at rest tends to stay at rest

A body in motion tends to stay in motion

InertiaInertia

Psychological Psychological InertiaInertia

A MIND that is complacent tends to stay at rest

A MIND in motion tends to stay in motion

A MIND that is complacent tends to stay at rest

A MIND in motion tends to stay in motion


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Conditioning & Psychological Inertia

“So you think that’s air your breathing now? ….hmmm”

Morpheus to Neo in “The Matrix” after asking him to ‘Hit me!’.

It takes energy to overcome It takes energy to overcome PSYCHOLOGICAL INERTIAPSYCHOLOGICAL INERTIA

1.1. The The energyenergy of Observation & of Observation & Awareness…Awareness…

2.2. The The energyenergy of Ideal Thinking… of Ideal Thinking…

Can overcome internal Psychological Can overcome internal Psychological InertiaInertia


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Assess Your Current SituationTool #2: Psychological Inertia creates the Current Situation

What is it? – The CURRENT PARADIGM Decisions Precedent Traditions Habits Standards History Ability to fit in

Rules & Definitions Fears Culture Assumptions Problem Statements Facts Everything we know

A “FACT” is based on our understanding, beliefs and conditioning at a point in time. Opportunities

exist for POSTIVE CHANGE when we intelligently challenge assumptions and facts.


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Assess Your Current SituationTool #2: Psychological Inertia creates the Current Situation

Expertise, Skills,

Knowledge, Beliefs,

Success, etc

Problems / Obstacles

The Edge of What is Known

FACT:Our world view creates the current situation.

A change in world view creates a new situation.

This is how to overcome psychological inertia.

Think on this.

FACT:Our world view creates the current situation.



Think on this.


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Assess Your Current Situation

Fears, Pain and Opportunity Pain and Fear usually governs choice-making Articulating the nature of pain or fear IS identifying opportunity Pain and Fear help us define opportunities for innovation

Pain Opportunity

Pain versus Opportunity

Priority

Pain Opportunity

Pain versus Opportunity

Priority

“Necessity is the mother of Invention.” Plato, The Republic, 360 BCE

“Necessity is the mother of Invention.” Plato, The Republic, 360 BCE

Innovation Opportunitiesare hidden in Pain & Fear

Tool #2: Psychological Inertia creates the Current Situation


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Assess Your Current SituationTool #2: Psychological Inertia – WEBINAR EXAMPLE Pain translated into Insights and Questions

Fixed costs drive the need for a break even point More people may attend if they don’t have far to travel Can PD Chair run the events from Oregon? How can I make a transient team become more stable? How can I avoid cancellations? Cancellations hurt ASME’s reputation and volunteers What is the post 911 Mindset of an engineer? How can attendance be improved? What is the Mindset of a volunteer? What do they need? Can I create a system that assures break even or better on an event? Why do Members leave events early? How can we generate funds enough to pay back $5K debt? How can I make large geographic areas and driving distance an

advantage? Fears

Seems impossible to resolve all of the issues Problem is highly constrained People may criticize efforts


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Assess Your Current SituationTool #2: Psychological Inertia sometimes creates GroupThink

YesYesYesYes


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Assess Your Current Situation

YesYesYesYes

Tool #2: Psychological Inertia can overcome GroupThink

Ideal ThinkingIdeal Thinking Diversity of OpinionsDiversity of Opinions Elimination of FearElimination of Fear Observation & AwarenessObservation & Awareness

Open Minded ThinkingOpen Minded Thinking A Structured ProcessA Structured Process Reality Based FeedbackReality Based Feedback

Countermeasures to GroupthinkCountermeasures to Groupthink


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Assess Your Current Situation Culture, Groups and People

About 1/3 of a population “persuaded” creates a tipping point to adopt new behaviors.


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Current ParadigmCurrent Paradigm““Thinking inside the box”Thinking inside the box”

““You cannot solve a problem You cannot solve a problem with the same mindset with the same mindset

that created it.” A. Einsteinthat created it.” A. Einstein

Ideal Thinking Occurs Ideal Thinking Occurs Beyond the Current Beyond the Current

ParadigmParadigm• Think: increasing benefitsThink: increasing benefits

• Think: reducing costsThink: reducing costs•A different set of solutionsA different set of solutions

Ideal Solution #2

Ideal Solution #2

Ideal Ideal Solution #1Solution #1

Ideal Ideal Solution #1Solution #1

Ideal Solution #4Ideal Solution #4

Ideal Solution #3Ideal Solution #3

“Begin with the end in mind.”

Dr. Stephen CoveyDecide Where Your GoingFuture Ideal Reality


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Ideality =

Useful Functions, Event, Conditions

Harmful Functions, Events, Conditions

IDEALITY

is a form of resource efficiency

Future Ideal Reality

Decide Where Your Going


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The Ideal = Solution

Things you want (Benefits)

Things you don’t want (Costs)

• The best solution we can imagine – not necessarily practical at first glance

• Biggest obstacle is believing an ideal solution is possible

• Goal is to improve the ratio

• Innovate to create more benefits - Problem solve to reduce costs

• Align with ASME’s Strategic Priorities

Decide Where Your GoingFuture Ideal Reality

Relevance =


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Relevance

“How to Win Friends and Influence People.”One of the most difficult problems in human experience is how to see things from another person’s point of view.

(Paraphrased) - Dale Carnegie


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Relevance

Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs organizes the natural flow of human motivation proposed in his 1943 paper, “A Theory of Human Motivation.”

Body Needs

Safety Needs

Community & Relationship Needs

Esteem & Competence Needs

Self-Actualization

Self-fulfillment

Psychological

Survival

Motivations


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We always produce a surplus on the event even if it is only $1 or even if we have one paying attendee

Eliminate our fixed costs The room is donated The speaker donates their time Our sponsors receive value in return

for their donations so they want to continue to work with us (Win-Win)

We either own the infrastructure to produce the event or we get it donated

Soda tub, serving trays, pitchers Microphones, audio mixer, Webinar

software Participants pay in advance

IDEALITY CONCEPTUAL SOLUTION

Challenge: • ASME Unit finances can be very shaky• Units often want to produce events but are not sure it will break even

Issue #1 – Example & Case Study


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We never cancel an event once it is advertised so members have confidence in our professionalism

With financial risk mitigated, we never need to cancel an event due to risk of not breaking even

Select highly motivated speakers

Speakers that need exposure Speakers with demonstrated

reliability Have an alternate speaker as

backup


Challenge: • Unit’s often want to produce events that may not break even • This undermines ASME member confidence if an event is canceled

Issue #2 - Example & Case Study


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ASME members enjoy the event and feel they received good value

Events are not canceled due to financial risk

Price events to be affordable Provide value-add benefits

Free snacks, lunch & drinks High value seminar content Poster size speaker Bios Speaker Introduction Ending Appreciation

Use financial risk mitigation solution stated previously

Survey members after an event about what they liked & did not like


Challenge: • Unit leaders are unsure which events provide the best service to members



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We serve as many ASME members as is possible

A program delivered by a local section is available to all other sections

We serve as many members of the engineering community as possible

We reach the largest audience possible

Use webinar and webinar recording technology to make programs widely available to local sections.

Expand email list. Use recorded webinars as a

way to communicate to sections the “how-to” of producing events.

Use web based meetings to improve attendance or to even make meetings possible


Challenge: • Members need to get more service from sections• Members live in other countries, states or communities making it tough

for face-to-face events to occur let alone break even



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The benefits of volunteering will far exceed the costs

It is worth someone’s time to volunteer

Identify benefits volunteers want (WIIFM)

Deliver those benefits through the events: Improve career position & opportunities; Enhance leadership & networking skills, speaking etc

Help volunteers see the value they bring to the big picture of the section & the engineering community

Frame and think of our roles in the most positive sense.


Challenge: • Volunteers seem to be hard to recruit to produce programs



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Define Ideality for your project/unit Note alignment of ideality with ASME

Document any good ideas you have

Challenge the psychological inertia of the current situation


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Best Practices

What Best Practices will get you there What resources will you need

Finding Best Practices Who knows how to perform this function “the best”

within my industry? Who knows how to perform this function “the best”

outside of my industry?


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FR1 > Ignition SourceFR1 > Ignition Source

FR2 > FuelFR2 > Fuel

FR3 > OxidizerFR3 > Oxidizer

FR4 > Co-location of FR1-FR3FR4 > Co-location of FR1-FR3

FR5 > Transfer to point of useFR5 > Transfer to point of use

DP1 > 500 °C TemperatureDP1 > 500 °C Temperature

DP2 > PropaneDP2 > Propane

DP3 > AirDP3 > Air

DP4 > Combustion ChamberDP4 > Combustion Chamber

DP5 > Flame tube and outletDP5 > Flame tube and outlet

Resource Profiling

I want to start a fireI want to start a fire

What resources must I have to create a fire?


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FR1 > Bank accountFR1 > Bank account

FR2 > ASME Non-Profit ID #FR2 > ASME Non-Profit ID #

FR3 > Event Setup InterfaceFR3 > Event Setup Interface

FR4 > Event DetailsFR4 > Event Details

FR5 > Transfer InformationFR5 > Transfer Information

DP1 > Hometown Credit UnionDP1 > Hometown Credit Union

DP2 > 501-c3- #XXYYWWWDP2 > 501-c3- #XXYYWWW

DP3 > ActevaDP3 > Acteva

DP4 > XVC Company TourDP4 > XVC Company Tour

DP5 > Contact District LeaderDP5 > Contact District Leader

Resource Profiling

I want to collect funds using anI want to collect funds using an

automated web serviceautomated web service

Functional Requirements

are a Resource Profile are a Resource Profile


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Secondary Problems


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Secondary ProblemsProblem Solving Persistence

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GOOD IDEARoad Kill Zone


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Career Tips:

Develop the belief in your self and the passion to solve tough problems.

Also develop and evolve ways to influence others to persist In solving worthy problems.

Best Practices is a Team Sport & is Engineering Leadership in action.


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Business Tips:

You must learn to manage and lead the persistence to solve problems

in your organization to have an edge.

It only takes one leader to break Group Think and positively

influence others to deliver results.


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Best Practices Tip:

Problem Solving Persistence is a critical skill in making best practices

practical and implementable.

ASME leaders must embody this skill to make a real difference in the

engineering community.


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The Special Rule in Brainstorming

No Criticism of Ideas

That won’t work!

You’re a fool to try !That won’t work …

our members dislike long

events

Maybe its boring… ..not enough participation


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Best Practice for BrainstormingProductive Criticism Enhances Real-life Problem Solving


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High SituationalComplexity

More Human Involvement

Less SituationalComplexity

Science

TechnologyBusiness ProcessesGovernment /

Politics

Business /Markets

Technology Processes

Less Human Involvement

Project Types and the Predictability of Positive Outcome

Power, Money, Values, Religion, Politics, Self-Esteem, Fear of Loss,

Potential for gain

FACTORSFACTORS

1.1.Focus here firstFocus here first

2.2.Evolve to hereEvolve to here

Predictability of a Positive Outcome

INCREASING PREDICTABILITY OF POSITIVE OUTCOME


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Understand Psychological Inertia and how it creates your Current Situation

Understand how Ideal Solutions make you relevant


Session Objectives Review


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Session Objectives Review

Best Practices are not perfect.

Best Practices Thinking adapts them to our specific situation.



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Best Practices Require Problem Solving


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Best Practices Thinking Process Assess your current situation

System’s View Psych Inertia

Define Success Future Ideal Reality Align with ASME Be Relevant to Members

Identify best practices & resources you will need

Identify secondary problems

Problem solve and take deliberate steps toward your Future Ideal Reality


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Session Objectives ReviewUnderstand Psychological Inertia and the Current Situation

“So you think that’s air your breathing now? ….hmmm”

Morpheus to Neo in “The Matrix” after asking him to ‘Hit me!’.

Our world view creates the current situation.



Our world view creates the current situation.




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Session ObjectivesUnderstand how Ideal Solutions make you relevant

The Ideal = Solution

Things you want (Benefits)

Things you don’t want (Costs)

Push the Boundaries of IDEALITY

and You Will be Relevant

Relevance =


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Session Objectives

Mindsets, Beliefs and Behaviors of Great Problem Solvers

Responsibility for the Current Situation Pursue the Most Ideal Solution Problem Solving Courage and Will Power Problem Solving Persistence The Power of Mindset Seek Advanced Resource Productivity Systems View Leverages Expertise of Teams

“Structured Innovation & The Inventor’s Mindset” by Scott Burr & Dayna Hubenthal

“NASA Systems Engineering Behavior Study” by Christine Williams & Mary-Ellen Derro



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Session ObjectivesKnow the most important behavior that makes Best Practices real

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Problem

Solving

Persistence

Problem

Solving

Persistence


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Add Session Title Here


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About Us


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System’s Engineering

Professional Development Team Segment System Design, Event Planning, Speaker ASME District Leaders / Local Programs

Registration & Payment Segment Customer Service & Goodwill Exchange Financial Transaction – Acteva

Event Delivery Segment Audience Online & In-person GotoWebinar & Screencast.com

Tool #1: System View - WEBINAR EXAMPLE

Bonus SlidesBonus Slides


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System’s EngineeringTool #1: System View - WEBINAR EXAMPLE



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Professional Development System

Professional Development Team Segment

Registration & Payment

Event Delivery

PD Seminar/Webinar

Audio GoTo Webinar

Speaker Morning Setup

ASME Host

On-line Advocates

Screencast.com

Segment Level

System Level

Sub-System Level

System of System Level

Volunteers

PD Chair & Core Team

Laptop Room Attendees Internet




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User Requirements and CONOPSServe ASME member PD needs, Serve volunteer

needs, meet. Section and District needs

System Requirements and ArchitectureMember can view any ASME program from anywhere;

Online attendance and in-person attendanceView live and in any time zoneShare Revenues across ASME

Systems Engineering

Domain

Mission Statement On-Orbit Operational System

Subsystem/Component DesignUse GoTo Webinar as delivery platform

Use acteva and excel for registration systemUse email for member& volunteer interaction

Use GoTo Meeting as meeting platformUse custom designed audio system

Revenue sharing system

Procure, Fabricate & Assemble Parts

Pay as we go for systems. Fabricate and assembleAudio system. Pratcice with acteva and Goto Plaforms

Understand limitations and usage.

Subsystem/Component Integration and TestTest audio system

Test GoTo Meeting and GoTo Webinar in test event.Ask for feedback and make changes.

Volunteer feedback: needs met?Revenue sharing feedback.Member needs feedback.

System Integration and TestIntegrate & Assemble subsystems into PD System.

Ask for ongoing feedback and make changes. Verify integrated usage is seamless and does not affect ASME member

Demonstrate and Validate PD SystemDid we serve members, volunteers,

Sections and Districts?

Sub-Systems Engineering

Domain

PD

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best practices thinking scott burr [email protected]

Documents

best practices thinkingscott

best service

hubenthal burr associates

asme volunteer leaders

evencanceling events

asme cares

changeasme leaders

equipmentunit leaders