Designing Strategies That Are Applicable
One participant program “management trainee” who has just completed a variety of education and debriefing, with joy ready to accept his new assignment. He felt very appreciated because the leadership of the division to collect all the staff and explained again about the mission of the company, the challenges faced, how the company’s current position, and how employees can make the “impact” that hit the company’s performance.
At the end of the session, it turns out he became confused about what is expected of him and how he should associate all presented in day-to-day duties, “I do not really understand what he said. For me, all such theories, but does not describe what I saw on the field. “
Are you familiar with this similar situation? How often we see the company’s strategy presented in a sophisticated language, but in reality are often not 100 percent understood.
We know, it’s very important to design strategies for directing us to the goal. How might we be able to win at “war” against competitors if not supported mature strategy? How can we guarantee will not be hit by competitors, if each individual confused what to do and need to move to where? When we look at the strategies companies often can not be implemented and can not make the individual in the organization to move, we certainly need to check, whether the strategy is drawn up on paper, can be run in the field? We certainly do not want, a strategy that made the language of cool and colourful pretty packed even confusing and could only produce a minimal movement in the organization. The question is, why the strategy is often so distant from the real world faced by everyday people?
Reinforce the importance of imagination
Working with senior architects, Chiang Tan Ay, made me learn a lot. He does not present many proposals on the picture, but asked me to describe in detail all the needs and activities within the building we will occupy. From not at all familiar with our activities, so he understands and can imagine the rush that will happen in the building, even giving comments and asking questions about efficiency.
“I need an understanding ‘of the imagination complete intuitive’-in-my thoughts, so I can design an appropriate container activities,” he said.
In the end, the building is made feels good, very flexible to changes and deceptively simple. Sophistication lies in the hidden answers to the needs of people who were in the building. We’ll see, a designer who is skilled not only think outside the box, but need to be strong-strong imagination. Imagination is important because due to the design that we made was to welcome the future, not for current needs.
One expert described the management of difficult to describe how the improvement of quality in the days before the proposed Edwards Deming. The strength of Edwards Deming was that he could imagine, draw, and finally found what is called “quality control” and how to develop it. From this we see that the description and clear visualization, people become aware and motivated to improve the quality and sense of direction for further work on it.
With education the dominant calculations, our professionals are often not trained to think being a designer. Therefore, organizations need to regenerate the activity seriously think this design. Organizational strategy is important so that everyone in the organization can share thinking and imagining the target, thus encouraging him to be innovative. Software, systems, business processes, logistics systems, all need to be designed. Designs can be made complicated, but can also be concise. The design is not perfect so could cause many problems. If we do not realize that the problem is the design, we would not think that a lot of improvements we can make.
Recognize the “real-world” from different points of view
A CEO told that after travelling to the various branches all over Indonesia, he finally has a different picture of the organization. For example, the seeds of leadership by the department of Human Capital was often said to be not there, she met easily among employees in the branch which he visited. Jane Fulton Suri, in his thoughtless Acts?, Said: “Directly witnessing and experiencing aspects of behaviour in the real world is a proven way of inspiring and informing new ideas.” Imagine, how often do we create a strategy or other decision, based on the assumption it , without the “feel” the strong against what is happening in it.
We can no longer dwell in the “shoe” you and me, without making the time to feel the customers and experience for yourself the events in the market. To strengthen the visualization, the officials, for example in the railways, have already been felt travelling from Jakarta to Rangkasbitung and have insight into why people are willing to challenge the danger of a ride to the top of the train. The head of the branch also need to regularly observe the situation of banking hall or even go straight into frontliners, in order to understand the real challenges facing his men before the lecture on what should be done by the team’s spearhead.
In answer to the ever-changing needs, we also need to develop yourself as a human type “T”. Vertical milestone symbolizes the power of his profession, while the horizontal pole illustrates the strength to reach out to other disciplines. When both this milestone is not stretched properly, would be difficult to create a balance. We need a team that contains individuals who are open to explore the views of other professions. Railway experts, need to ask for expert opinion sociology, anthropology, and psychology to cope with the transport capacity is not balanced.
Every professional needs to force himself to be a keen observer, seeing what has not been seen. We need to look not merely with the eye alone, but using all five senses and the mind. Brainstorming in a closed room should be followed by employees deployed into the field, so that insights become more open and everyone senses are stimulated so that the ideas that came not raw ideas, but closer to reality in the marketplace and customers.
Tags: Chiang Tan Ay, Edwards Deming, Human Capital, Jane Fulton Suri
