facilitative leadership & creative problem solving

Facilitative Leadership and Creative Problem SolvingFacilitative Leadership and Creative Problem Solving::Two Tools for High Performing Business AnalystsTwo Tools for High Performing Business Analysts

Developed by Andy WilkinsDeveloped by Andy [email protected]@perspectiv.co.uk

Perspectiv © Perspectiv LLPIIBA, 3 March 2011


AgendaAgenda

1. The situation2. An overview of Facilitative Leadership and

Creative Problem Solving: 2 useful tools forbusiness analysts

3. Questions and answers


““Here be dragonsHere be dragons…”…”


Norms for us to work with in this sessionNorms for us to work with in this session

My commitment to you is to:• Work to maintain your interest• Provide an opportunity to think

about some new ways of working

I need you to:• Engage in the session (avoid distractions)

• Consider what you have to ‘let go’of to maximise your learning

As I can only ever own 50% of a contract, are you happy with this?

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Faced with a choice between changing one’s mindand proving that there is no need to do so,

almost every BAgets busy on the proof.

John Kenneth Galbraith


Setting the stageSetting the stage


Some questionsSome questions……

Who here sees their work in business analysis assomething to do with…

1. Change?2. Creativity?3. Problem Solving?4. Innovation?


Setting the stageSetting the stage……

•How would you characterise the futureenvironment for business analysts?

•What is your image of what the business analystsenvironment is like?

•What is your view of the 21st century businessanalysts environment contrasted with the 20thcentury?


Or

toward

sm

ore

liketh

is?

Towards more like this?

How do you see the world moving?How do you see the world moving?


Some of our assumptions about the environment are thatSome of our assumptions about the environment are thatyour organisations may increasingly be required toyour organisations may increasingly be required to ……

•…be fitter and more adaptable in order to succeed•…continuously strengthen your capability to

respond quickly and imaginatively to internal andexternal changes

•…thrive at the speed of change and on the edge ofmore and more chaos & complexity


And this environmental complexity may includeAnd this environmental complexity may include……

•…heightened economic uncertainty•…increasingly discerning customers•…conflicting stakeholders needs•…relentless demand for faster response•…diminishing global boundaries•…fierce competition


The world of business analystsThe world of business analysts……

•They need to evolve, change, and transform•They need to become:

•strategic leaders of change•to provide exceptional requirements management•to facilitate divisional communications, joint application

design sessions, and process mapping workshops;•to be able to be part of high performing teams;•and build relationships using emotional intelligence.

•In short, to be able to master a uniquecombination of hard and soft skills.


Some recent reportsSome recent reports

BCG and WFPMA 2010 Report:• "Improving leadership development." (Second most important factor).• "We are looking for two things: great problem-solving skills - the ability

to take a really messy problem, disaggregate it and drive to data-driven answers - and really deep business sense." (Google)

IBM CEO Report 2010:• Creativity is the most important leadership quality, according to

CEOs. Standouts practice and encourage experimentation andinnovation throughout their organizations. Creative leaders expect tomake deeper business model changes to realize their strategies. Tosucceed, they take more calculated risks, find new ideas, and keepinnovating in how they lead and communicate.


A FTSE 100 directors thoughtsA FTSE 100 directors thoughts……• It's the relationship that really matters. The 'soft stuff', if you like. We are

not selling, we are here to help.• It's also about language and having a shared language over time.• It's about how you help people get to where they want to get to.• It is about holistic - systemic - collaborative thinking.• It's about creativity and innovation and bringing insights from other

industries beyond just technology.• We have to find time to think creatively so that we can increase value.• It's about having the moral courage to challenge and push back at times.• It's about letting go.• It's about feedback - watch any high performing team - they don't hide

issues and giving each other feedback.• It's about creating an environment that fosters ideas.• It requires an inquiring and collaborative mind.

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We are playing anew game by old rules

Barnett, a Pentagon’s New Map

The new rules

The old rules


What sort of problem is a business analyst's work?What sort of problem is a business analyst's work?


Knotty problemsKnotty problems

Pullhere

Managers are not confronted with problems that are independent ofeach other, but with dynamic situations that consist of changing

problems that interact with each other. I call such situationsmesses... managers do not solve problems: they manage messes.

Russ Ackoff


Task/Technical/ProcessComplexity

Peo

ple

/So

cial

/Beh

avio

ura

lC

om

ple

xity

Lo: Close tocertainty

Hi: Far fromcertainty

Hi:

Far

fro

mag

reem

ent

Lo

:C

lose

toag

reem

ent

Wicked Problems/Complex

Wicked Messes/Chaotic

Messy/ComplicatedProblems

Tame/SimpleProblems

What sort of problem is a business analyst's work?What sort of problem is a business analyst's work?


We fail more often becausewe solve the wrong problem than because

we get the wrong solutionto the right problem.

Russell Ackoff


Wicked Problems are characterised byWicked Problems are characterised by ……

• Complexity - interconnectivity - scale - novelty• Unforeseen new structures• Unexpected new properties• Radical and incremental innovation• No definite formulation of the problem• Each problem is essentially unique - often has not been faced before - and is

entwined with other problems• The search for solutions never stops• Solutions are not good or bad or limited, but are judgment calls and are often

difficult to measure.

Wicked problems often crop up when organizations have to face constant change orunprecedented challenges. They occur in a social context; the greater the disagreementamong stakeholders, the more wicked the problem. In fact, it is the social complexity ofwicked problems as much as their technical difficulties that make them tough to manage.


So what sort of leadership is required toSo what sort of leadership is required to

address wicked problems and wicked messes?address wicked problems and wicked messes?


Some questionsSome questions

•How many people in the room would callthemselves a facilitator, at times?

•How many people in the room would callthemselves a leader, at times?

•When facilitating, how many people in the roomwould see themselves in a leadership role?


TheThe ‘‘TT’’of skills & competenciesof skills & competencies

Intra and interpersonal skills - peoplecompetencies such as: learning & teaching,management, leadership, communication,

listening, problem solving, innovation,creativity, change, values/culture, teams andgroups, building & mending relationships ….

Co

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nt,

fun

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nal

,IQ

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eng

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des

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mar

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ist…‘Hard’skills

‘Soft’skills(even ‘harder’skills)

Sou

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lint

ellig

ence

As a rule of thumb,IQ contributes about

20-40%of the factors

that will determineyour success

As a rule of thumb,intra and inter personalcompetenciesaccount for about60-80%of the factorsthat will determineyour success


Design Thinking

Discipline

Thinking

Horizontalize Yourself

Do werecruitdrillerswho canlearn, orlearnerswho candrill?Question asked atBP

Examples of 'T'Examples of 'T' nessness

IDEO: often quoted as theworld’s most innovativecompany

© Perspectiv LLP

IBM - the Tshaped

professional

CQ

+PQ

>IQ


Facilitative LeadershipFacilitative Leadership

• This session will aim to share some further thoughts and ideas to thewisdom that already exists in the business analysts community relatedto Facilitative Leadership and Creative Problem Solving –two toolsthat may help prepare business analysts to achieve their ambitions.

• Creative Problem Solving is a tried and test 50 year old method basedon people’s natural problem solving style and which integrates easilyas a complement to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge as wellas other methods such as Lean and Six Sigma.

• But as a client recently said to us: “Whilst Creative ProblemSolving, Lean, and Six Sigma are all excellent methods, they areno good if you can't bring people with you, create a productiveenvironment, and make it work in practice. This is whatFacilitative Leadership provides.”


Our definition of Facilitative LeadershipOur definition of Facilitative Leadership

Process-orientedinclusive leadership

that involves interactionsamong two or more people


Climate Outcomes

Process

People

LPI

Facilitative Leadership pays continualFacilitative Leadership pays continualattention to four areasattention to four areas• Facilitative Leadership (FL) is a type of leadership that is required when faced with

problems that have people and technical complexity (often referred to as 'wicked problems' - theyare complex and defy simple formulations and easy solutions)

• Facilitative Leadership involves taking a systems approach by paying attention tocreating a productive Climate, through an inclusive Leadership approach, and thedisciplined use of deliberate Process such as Creative Problem Solving andothers such as Lean and Six Sigma to achieve the desired Outcomes.

• The defining feature ofFacilitative Leaders is thatthey offer process andstructure rather thandirections and answers.In every situation, they knowhow to design ways that enablepeople to find their ownanswers.

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Have you ever considered theclimate or atmosphere

in your team or organisationor the climate that you create

around you?


“Isn't trying to understand atmosphere like tryingto nail jam/jello to the wall?”

“Anyway, how can you measure atmosphere?”

“And I don't really believe it is as importantas the hard and technical stuff.”

You might be thinking to yourselfYou might be thinking to yourself……..

© Wilkins & Stuart-Cox


ClimateThe observable habits

that characterise life in anorganisation.

CultureThe values and beliefs that

reflect the deeperfoundations of the

organisation.

Climate is different to cultureClimate is different to culture


What Does It Say?What Does It Say?

O p p o r t u n i t yi s n o w h e r e


The fish is the last to discover water


The dimensions of a healthy climateThe dimensions of a healthy climate


Management& leadershipbehaviours

Perfo

rman

ce

The leadership/management behaviours andThe leadership/management behaviours andclimate and performance linksclimate and performance links

Climate


Another questionAnother question……

This then raises an intriguing question: what are thetop 4 characteristics of leadership in order forpeople to willingly follow (you as a BA)?

One of the ways we separate leadership frommanagement is to point out that leadership isbestowed on you by your followers andmanagement is bestowed on you by your boss.


Facilitative Leadership contrasted withFacilitative Leadership contrasted withManagerial LeadershipManagerial Leadership……11

ExpertLimitedContent

LimitedDevelopedProcess Skills

Helps others by bringing content andpower and some process expertise to

the situation

Helps others to contain, ameliorate ofsolve a problem –to agree a coherentway forward using a 'process' approach

Focus

Managerial LeadershipFacilitative Leadership

Power

Based on Positional Power:•Reward Power•Coercive Power•Legitimate Power

•Expertise in Content Power

Based on Credibility:•Competence/Expertise in Leadership

•Honesty•Forward Looking

•Inspiring/Believable


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Facilitative Leadership complements and enhancesFacilitative Leadership complements and enhancesother methods such as Lean and Six Sigmaother methods such as Lean and Six Sigma

Climate

Process

People

LPI Outcomes

"FL-CPS & Lean Six Sigma work extremely well together"

Davies, Donoghue, and McNamee


Creative Problem Solving v6.1 isCreative Problem Solving v6.1 is ……

•…a 50 year old process (method) based on howpeople naturally solve problems. (The currentversion is V6.1)

•…a model to help you solve problems andmanage change creatively.

•…a set of easy to use tools to help translate goalsinto reality.

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Prescriptive view of processPrescriptive view of process

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The descriptive CPS 6.1The descriptive CPS 6.1™™processprocess

Clarifying the ChallengeYou’re not sure what you want or

where you want to goYou don’t have, or haven’t explored

all perspectivesYou’re not sure what the real

problem is

ConstructingOpportunities

FramingProblems

ExploringData

GeneratingIdeas

DevelopingSolutions

BuildingAcceptance

PlanningYour

Approach

Getting IdeasYou know what the problem is,but you don’t know how to get

new ideas to solve it

Planning forImplementation

You have new ideas, but youdon’t know how to transformthem from ideas into reality

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The FLThe FL--CPS toolboxCPS toolbox

GUIDELINES FORGENERATING OPTIONS

GUIDELINES FORFOCUSING OPTIONS

•BRAINSTORMING WITH POST-ITS®

•BRAINWRITING•IMAGERY TREK•LADDER OF ABSTRACTION•MORPHOLOGICAL MATRIX•BRAINSTORMING ENHANCERS•VIR (Visually Identifying

Relationships)•BRAINSTORMING

•ALUo (Advantages, Limitations, Uniquequalities, overcome Limitations)

•EVALUATION MATRIX•HIGHLIGHTING•MUSTS/WANTS•PCA (Paired Comparison Analysis)•SELECTING HITS•SML (Short, Medium, Long)•CRITERIA

CHOOSING TOOLS FOR FOCUSING OPTIONSCHOOSING TOOLS FOR GENERATING OPTIONS

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If your situation includes thisIf your situation includes this……• Imperative to change. Employee survey says we are not

very good at it. Got to try and take people along thechange journey. Traditionally, we have not worried aboutthe softer issues like bringing people with us. This meanswe have to increase ENGAGEMENT.

•Also our organisation design requires us toCOLLABORATE across the business. In the Old Way,command & control worked but not if we want to be at theFrontier.

•When working on change we have to look at the HEAD(does this make sense?), HEART (how do we feel aboutthis and is it being done fairly?) & BELLY (how fired upand courageous are we to be part of it?)


……or thisor this……are you and your organisationare you and your organisationexperiencing..experiencing..

• ..'products/outcomes' that are based on the collectivewisdom of the group - or based on those that have themost verbal dexterity and the loudest voice?

•…emphasising speed too much at the expense of quality?•…not having a consistent process for solving our

organizational problems?•…a lack of clarity about roles in change?•…a need to work more collaboratively as we move

forward?


A FTSE 100 directors thoughtsA FTSE 100 directors thoughts……• It's the relationship that really matters. The 'soft stuff', if you like. We are

not selling, we are here to help.• It's also about language and having a shared language over time.• It's about how you help people get to where they want to get to.• It is about holistic - systemic - collaborative thinking.• It's about creativity and innovation and bringing insights from other

industries beyond just technology.• We have to find time to think creatively so that we can increase value.• It's about having the moral courage to challenge and push back at times.• It's about letting go.• It's about feedback - watch any high performing team - they don't hide

issues and giving each other feedback.• It's about creating an environment that fosters ideas.• It requires an inquiring and collaborative mind.

©Pe

rspe

ctiv

LLP


Facilitative LeadershipFacilitative Leadership


FramingProblems

ExploringData


FramingProblems

ExploringData

GeneratingIdeas

DevelopingSolutions

BuildingAcceptance

DevelopingSolutions

BuildingAcceptance

PlanningYour

Approach

Model used with permission. © Creative Problem Solving Group Inc.

Climate

Productiveenvironment

OutcomesMore Improvement,

Productivity,Growth

ProcessDeliberate

Method

© Creative Problem Solving Group Inc.

PeopleInclusive

Leadership

Creative Problem SolvingCreative Problem Solving


Further informationFurther informationI hope this provided some useful insights about Facilitative Leadership andCreative Problem Solving. If you would like to obtain more information ormaybe attend a course, the following resources might be of use:

Courses are available from:•www.perspectiv.co.uk•www.thinkfirstserve.com•www.thedevelopmentdifference.com

Recommended books:•Creative Approaches to Problem Solving (3rd edition). Isaksen, Dorval,

Treffinger.•Meeting the Innovation Challenge. Leadership for Transformation and

Growth. Isaksen and Tidd.

Facilitative Leadership and Creative Problem SolvingFacilitative Leadership and Creative Problem Solving::Two Capabilities for High Performance Business AnalystsTwo Capabilities for High Performance Business Analysts

Developed by Andy WilkinsDeveloped by Andy [email protected]@perspectiv.co.uk

facilitative leadership & creative problem solving

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