business beyond the box

Oct 26, 2008 - Vinay Chaganti -1

Business beyond the box

John O’ KeeffeVice President, Procter and Gamble


Structure of this Presentation

Introduction to the Author Need to think beyond the box Operating principle for Breakthroughs Strategies to achieve Breakthroughs

Interaction


John O’ Keeffe

Graduated from Cambridge University Joined Procter and Gamble and had a fast track career While leaving Procter and Gamble, he was the Vice President of the

organization, and also the president of its Health and Beauty care products in Europe

Recognized as a powerful speaker and effective seminar leader, he shared platforms with Helmut Schmidt, Michael Porter and Edward de Bono.

Authored four books– Triangular Thinking and Triangular Action– Crisis like performance without Crisis– Business as usual– Business beyond the box


Need to think beyond the box…

Ability to Innovate, more than the ability to administrate Challenging Status Quo, more than accepting it Looking at what can be, more than what it is Playing with boundaries, than playing within the boundaries

“The major challenge for the leaders of the 21st century will be, How to release the brain power of the organizations.”

-- Warren Bennis


Operating principle for Breakthrough…

Use both Pull and Push Strategies,– Pull : Having a Vision, Attracting Pleasure– Push : Questioning the status quo, Avoiding Pain

Leverage on the strengths of Head and Heart,– Head : Logic, Analysis and Facts– Heart : Passion, Emotion and Imagination

Step Change alone is DREAMKnow How alone is UNIVERSITYCreativity alone is ENTERTAINMENT

Combination of all the above only would lead to BREAKTHROUGH


Strategies to achieve a Breakthrough…

Picture a Step Change Build Know How Use Creative Thinking Act in the Action Zone Become Whole Brained Have a Powerful Mindset Use Hats, Maps and Thinking Pads Recharge yourself and Get on Fire


Picturing a Step Change…

Requirements– Imagination of dramatically different ways of doing the business– Targets stretched, not by percentages but by multiples– Dreaming precisely while Dreading vaguely– The ability to distinguish between a MISS and a MISTAKE

Obstacles– Temptation for Logical Incrementalism– Inability to see the need for breakthrough, till there is a crisis

“The power of breakthrough is so great, that we find ourselves close to a seemingly unattainable target. For this to happen, we need to do whatever it takes.”

-- John Brown, CEO British Petroleum


Building Know How…

Requirements– Ability to distinguish between Information and Knowledge– Holding on to the right sources of Information– Ability to conceptualize information

Obstacles– Information Overload and in some cases Information Pollution– Inability to participate in groups and share experiences

“Information come from everywhere, that you did not ask for, that which is not in the best interest, and that which is psychologically persuasive. Put together, more information can be useless and yet diverting.”

-- Vinay Chaganti, ATG


Building Know How… Continued..

Tacit Knowledge– Building up of one’s individual experiences and learning

Explicit Knowledge– Overt expression of Methods, Processes and Procedures

Knowledge when built in group setting can be– Tacit : Tacit – Sharing Experiences – Tacit : Explicit – Documenting and Conceptualizing– Explicit : Tacit – Internalize knowledge from Models– Explicit : Explicit – Combining Models to Create New Concepts


Building Know How… Continued…

Ten principles to Build Know How– Engage with peers rather than staying in polite silos– Discuss the contradictions– Seek knowledge holders as well as position holders– Treat the boss as a tacit knowledge holder– Celebrate knowledge transfer– Ridicule the barriers to knowledge transfer – Seek, and interview others with tacit knowledge– Proactively seek out all explicit knowledge resources– Make your tacit knowledge explicit– Keep your goals in the forefront of the mind


Using Creative Thinking…

Requirements– Ability to Spot more wrong questions than wrong answers– Realize that the best solutions are rational, but the way of coming to these rational

solutions is barely rational Obstacles

– Past thinking may have been wild, going no where and producing nothing.– Thinking out of the box is in the way of action – We are paid to do more than think more– Willingness to balance risk and reward

“Imagination is more important than knowledge, for while knowledge defines all what we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might discover and use.”

-- Albert Einstein


Acting in the Action Zone…

Too little Options sought : Too slow in ClosingA model that can never work due to inaction. At its peak, it can lead to the death of the organization.

Too little Options sought : Too fast in ClosingA model where decision making is very premature, leading to a probable panic in the organization. However, this model proves to be less risky due to the high conversion rate of thoughts.

Too many Options sought : Too slow in ClosingA model that can produce Incrementalism at its peak, and Failure at its worst. Unsuitable for Breakthrough changes to happen. Best described as “Paralysis by analysis”.

Too many Options sought : Too fast in ClosingA model that is marked by very quick decision making, that can lead to discontinuous results. Best described as ‘Burning bridges ahead”.

Model was proposed by Karl Albrecht, in his work “Brain Power”.“Ideas are cheap and abundant. What is important is the effective placement of these ideas into situations that develop into actions.”

-- Peter F. Drucker


Becoming Whole Brained…

Brains that produced breakthroughs so far were found using one or more of the following six ways to engage themselves,

– Colors and Pictures– Metaphors and Analogies– Appeals and Emotions– Gut feelings– Stories as well as Data– Semantics

By becoming whole brained, would mean balancing the exercise of both right and left brains.


Having a Powerful Mindset…

Examples of mindsets on hypothetical scales:– Better safe than sorry : Nothing ventured, nothing gained– Many hands make work light : Too many cooks spoil the broth– You cant teach an old dog : Its never too late to learn

Mindset is a certain way of looking at things. – It is easy to adopt, even without realizing it– Mind becomes very good at spotting the data that reinforces the same

mindset, but poorer at realizing the contextual difference. A good mindset therefore would be Context based and Neutral.

“Every manager carries around in the head, a certain set of biases, assumptions and presuppositions.”

-- Gary Hamel


Having a Powerful Mindset…Continued…

Breakthrough managers would realize that Context is above all and can have an impact more than any other attribute.

Few statements that prove the importance of the context:– No one can predict to what height you can soar. Not even you, until

you spread your wings and do something.– Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.– All that glitters is not gold.

“Even for breakthroughs, change process begins from within.”-- Anonymous


Using Hats, Maps and Thinking Pads…

Eight Meeting Diseases– Verbal IQ Trap - A vs. B Disease– Specific Group Think - Co-operation Disease– Idea Destruction - Fear of Exposure– Bias - Politics

Changing culture is much beyond changing habits. However, changing habits can yield results quickly, while contributing to changing culture.

Better meetings would be model based– Six thinking hats : Edward De Bono– Mind Mapping : Tony Buzan


Six Thinking Hats…

Model developed to drive the thought process in a direction, while also ensuring that the full knowledge is captured.

– White : Seek facts, figures and information– Red : Comments on emotions, intuitions and feelings– Black : Comments on caution, judgment– Yellow : Identification of benefits and advantages– Green : Alternatives, ideas, explorations, new leads and points– Blue : Comments on purpose, controlling the process

Benefits– Focused group thinking– Application of MECE, however may lose on some divergent thoughts


Mind Mapping…

Process– Put the problem in the center of the page– Define the attributes both logically and creatively– Expand the tree, giving examples, explaining different cases

Benefits– Whole brain is engaged– Note things in the right place as they strike– One idea triggers another– Variety is encouraged and neatly captured– Movement in thought process is allowed– Fun and mind opening


Recharge yourself and Get it on Fire…

Low Performance/Low Energy - Dead Bats Low Performance/High Energy - Playful High Performance/Low Energy - Cynics High Performance/High Energy - Winner

Understand that mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited. Don’t spend your life climbing the ladder to realize it is a wrong ladder. Be the driver.

For breakthroughs, – Learn not to unload yourself on others– Learn to respond more with empathy, than with logic– Learn managing the moods of uncertainty, bad feelings and troubles


Few points to reflect on…

Enemy of success is worthwhile Perfectionism is not a virtue, it is a disease Nobody gets the work done by Friday, so try and do it It needs doing, but by others Be effective, rather than efficient Junk… Dance to your own tune Learn at least five ways of saying NO Decide how to finish the day and celebrate it Everything and anything is contextual


…Recap

Picturing a Step Change – Aiming High

Building Know How– Learn and Stay open to Learn

Creative Thinking– Imagine and Imagine

Acting in the Action Zone– Define the problem and act

accordingly

Choose Powerful Mindset– Read the context and think broad

Become Whole Brained– Use logic and creativity equally, and

engage the brain

Use Hats, Maps and Thinking pads– Have a framework and a plan to do

anything

Recharge yourself and Get on Fire– Energy, Energy and Energy


Welcome for Interaction


Thank You all…

Vinay ChagantiAssociate, ATGOCS

Work Mail ID: [email protected] Mail ID: [email protected]

Mobile: +91 97040 53338

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