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WORKING IN A COMPLEX ORGANIZATION

WORKING IN A COMPLEX ORGANIZATION. Getting Stuff Done and Staying Positive. Cathann Kress, Vice President for Extension and Outreach. WHAT’S CAUSING COMPLEXITY?. More regulation and competition Internet, other systems, access to information Greater connections, more rapid change.

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WORKING IN A COMPLEX ORGANIZATION

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  1. WORKING IN A COMPLEX ORGANIZATION Getting Stuff Done and Staying Positive Cathann Kress, Vice President for Extension and Outreach

  2. WHAT’S CAUSING COMPLEXITY? • More regulation and competition • Internet, other systems, access to information • Greater connections, more rapid change

  3. WICKED PROBLEMS Predicaments that cannot be definitively resolved — and attempts to fix them often generate more trouble. • Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber

  4. SYSTEMS OF SYSTEMS = “MESS” • No unique “correct” view of the issue • Most problems connected to other problems • Data often uncertain or missing • Multiple value conflicts • Cultural or political constraints • Economic constraints

  5. SYSTEMS OF SYSTEMS = “MESS” • Consequences difficult to predict • Considerable ambiguity • Great resistance to change • Limited time • No central authority • Those seeking to solve the problem are likely also causing it

  6. SO, WHAT DO YOU DO? • Shift from finding solutions to improving problem solving abilities: • Bravery among decision makers • Thinking through a problem • Are you applying the right type of solution? • You can solve some problems; and for some problems you don’t like the solutions.

  7. “When we say the world is more complex what we mean is that there are more things to consider, but a lot of things we have to consider really don’t make a huge amount of difference, so maybe we don’t have to consider them.” – Hilmer

  8. GETTING STUFF DONE

  9. FOCUS • Breaking down complexity • Clarity of purpose • Emphasize principles and values around how we operate • People are the key; break down complexity by ensuring that people understand their roles and purpose (they can innovate because they have context)

  10. PERILS OF MULTI-TASKING • Hampers creativity • Raises anxiety • Slows us down

  11. FILTER • Set realistic time frames. • Some problems become unfathomable when we set short deadlines for finding a solution. • Some problems take decades to resolve.

  12. THE GOOD, THE FAST, and THE CHEAP • Quick and high quality isn’t cheap. • Quick and cheap isn’t high quality. • High quality and cheap takes time. Complexity is present in any project.

  13. FORGET • Old ideas rarely solve new problems. • Get comfortable with ongoing experimentation.

  14. VALUE/COMPLEXITY MATRIX COMPLEXITY 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 VALUE

  15. MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY IN CONFRONTING COMPLEXITY Persistence

  16. STAYING POSITIVE

  17. HOW CHANGE HAPPENS Innovators Early Adopters Early Majority Late Majority Laggards

  18. IDEAS, MESSAGES, ANDBEHAVIORS SPREAD JUST LIKE VIRUSES AND EPIDEMICS DO.

  19. CHANGE HAPPENS DRAMATICALLY

  20. Fold a piece of paper 50 times ̶̶ How tall will the final stack be? • The size of a phone book for a mid-sized city • The distance from your nose to the end of your finger when your arm is extended • The height of a refrigerator • The distance from the earth to the sun

  21. EPIDEMIC PROGRESSION • 25 folds = 33,554,432 layers of paper • 50 folds…could reach the sun • The end result (reaching the sun) seems far out of proportion with the cause (folding one sheet of paper).

  22. We are trained to think that what goes into any change must be directly related in intensity and dimension to what comes out.

  23. THE LAW OF THE FEW 80% of outcomes come from 20% of inputs • 80% of work is done by 20% of the people • In creating change, a tiny percentage of people do the majority of the work.

  24. PEOPLE SPECIALISTS • Word of mouth begins when someone tells a Connector – “People Specialist” • Experts at the “weak link” • Six degrees of separation

  25. INFORMATION SPECIALISTS • Who tells the connector about the new trend, idea, or message? • Information specialists – who love information because it helps others • An effective way to gain attention

  26. PERSUADERS • Someone who can do the convincing • Through energy, enthusiasm, charm, likability, and optimism

  27. THE MESSENGERMATTERS…BUT SO DOES THE MESSAGE.

  28. THE STICKINESS FACTOR A message makes an impact when you can’t get it out of your head.

  29. The Tetanus Story • Tetanus messages • “high fear” • “low fear” • free shots • 100% reported the dangers

  30. The Tetanus Story • Those given “high fear” more likely to report they should get inoculated • Only 3% actually did (didn’t stick) • Repeated messages, but included a map and hours shots were available

  31. THE SECRET OF “STICKINESS” • The message needs to be practical and personal. • Not louder, more repetitive, or proven through more research.

  32. POWER OF CONTEXT • Getting people to change often lies with small details of immediate surroundings. • We are heavily influenced by environment. • People assume you can explain events based on personal issues rather than context.

  33. The Ketchup Story • High School with 36% minorities • Fistfights literally every day at lunch • 5 story building; 22 minutes for lunch

  34. WHAT REALLY MATTERS… IS OFTEN THE LITTLE THINGS.

  35. DEALING WITH COMPLEXITY We have become convinced that we need to tackle the whole problem all at once… We don’t.

  36. HOW CHANGE HAPPENS Innovators Early Adopters Early Majority Late Majority Laggards

  37. DOING A LOT WITH A LITTLE • Cultivate unique skills to translate between Innovators and the Majority. • Focus efforts on the small and personal.

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