Reflection – Visualization

Challenge

I was working in a petrochemical organization. Coming from an engineering background, I  was often responsible to hold technical conversations during problem-solving or problem  definition phase. A challenge that often crept up during these conversations was the  addressing of the diverse set of individuals. These individuals spanned along different  verticals of the organization, having different educational and experiential backgrounds.  Explaining a problem using heavy technical terms often left a huge chunk of the force out of  the problem-solving exercise. Sometimes, improper understanding would lead to improper  solutions or insights.

Selection

I chose the visualization tool to come up with more open and understandable ways to hold  dialogue during inter-disciplinary meetings. The universal understanding of symbols and  imagery was employed to bring the group to a common understanding. A more efficient and  swifter problem-solving conversation was expected to follow after the introduction of this  tool.

Application

I started out by stating the problem (if identified), with minimal words possible. This not  only opened up space for a visual representation but also incorporated the ‘What is?’  approach, where a large chunk of the understanding of the problem lay with the participant.  This ‘What is?’ approach was further emphasized when I presented the challenge in the  process but did not reveal the problem (if identified). It was left to the group to come up  with their definition of the problem, which would be represented by each member in  Process Flow Diagrams (PFD). Members would come up to the whiteboard to mark areas or  sub-processes in the PFD where they thought the problem was likely to occur.  To delve  deeper, we used Process and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) to zero in on a particular  operation or equipment. I used markers of different colours for each team of different  expertise for a better understanding of the process. Finally, to analyse the problem (or  implement a solution) Gantt Charts were employed with dependencies. This provided a  clear idea to each team as to when they come in during the entire length of the project.

Insight

I found this visual approach to problem-solving, rather than merely studying SOP’s and  Design criteria’s, helped me reach consensus faster. People were more agreeable with each  other and each participant in the project got equal opportunity to present ideas. Simple  Process Flow Diagrams (PFD) helped boil down complex ideas into simple ones for everyone  to understand.  Work Scheduling in the form of charts (Gantt Charts) represented  dependency and accountability within different groups better.

Approach

As stated earlier, I tried incorporating the ‘What is?’ in certain stages within the participants.  This approach can be taken a notch northwards by incorporating tools like ‘Mind Mapping’,  ‘Co-Creation’, and ‘Journey Mapping’ tools. Filtering the jargon used by different expert  groups by symbols could also open up opportunities in co-creation. Understanding the flow  of the process using Visualisation already involves aspects of Journey Mapping but taking it  a step further with incorporating the entire ecosystem of stakeholders would help the  organization work towards a more well thought of the product.

