Challenge & Selection

For us a very recent thing to ponder was the modern training trends and how we wonders to them  should as well as deploy them in order to gain a better prepared workforce. Although before coming to  terms with design thinking we had been working on it individually and moreover coming up with  suggestions not to build the new structure but to upgrade the existing. Thus, we were rather going in  circles as whenever we tried to think beyond the spectrum, we always ended up with the same  questions. In fact we were running out of the questions as our focus was too rigid on saving the old  rather than letting go of it and concentrate on building the new which we were to skeptical to do.  However, I brought the idea on table for mind mapping as a tool to see what we can do about it, and if  you ask why? Because as its discussed in the course that uncertainty not stability is what matters the  most.

Thus before we could apply it, for the very first time we came to know that before pondering the probe  we better check our mindset. When we further probed it, the issue was our fixed mindset and a “fear of  unknown”, I shared my thoughts with the team and we jubilantly decided that this fear of the unknown  needs to be taken to task. Thus mind mapping offered us the way out with our new mindset and that’s  why we deployed it.

Application

So I took the charge and on a huge white board, I put a dot for the rest of my team members and asked  them what it is? Their response was the same “a dot”. Next I told them there is another thing on the  board and that too in abundance, and that is “free space”. This free space is our fear of unknown and  the dot is our initial point. So we put the word New Training Model in there. Then we decided to take  some 15 minutes silently looking at the white board with a dot to begin with and a lot of fear of  unknown. Later everyone jumped in, we started putting every word that came to our mind in those 15  minutes of observation. After just 10 minutes we had some 20 words put around the “dot” and  everyone in the room cheered and felt a sense of accomplishment.

Then in the next phase all six of us divided in three teams of two each and started putting the lines in  and making random connections and we ended up with a neat image where everything was connected  to everything in a way. We decided to bring in the “Degree of Connectedness” in to the picture which is  a mathematical phenomenon that everything has six degrees of connection with everything. Thus in the  next phase, we started labeling the degrees of connection among all those 20 words and in fact in due  course we also kept adding a few more. Then we took another observatory break, another 15 minutes of  looking at the image and the lines and the words that made it up. Then came the third phase, we started  prioritizing the links and connections on the basis of importance with red as the most important for now  and green with least. I cannot explain the feelings here and the rejoice with the image that emerged and  we all were holding our heads about what we were missing. The sense of cherish and accomplishment  and trust on each other’s understanding. We were astonished with our teamwork and

Furthermore, we ended up with establishing branches and sub-branches of key aspects and decided to  distribute all branches among each other and bring them into more meaningful narrative form which  will now become our guiding principles.

Insight & Approach

I personally took a lot of learnings and later we decided that from now onwards we will be looking in to  every fear of unknown and ambiguity and use its potential to reach the uncertain. The team  collaboration and the insight every individual brought on the table was electric. This practice not only  helped us solve a problem we were about to give up on but also opened new avenues for us to trust  each other’s capabilities as well as a sense of connectedness is also prevalent among us. While I am  typing, I can relive the feelings and emotions we shared together.

Since it appears as the design thinking rather offers a belief to accept our disbeliefs and utilize our  insights at a collective level. It also helped us discover many important elements invisible to our fixed  mindset and use growth mindset approach in order to achieve our future targets. We have also decided  to deploy the same strategy on a couple of other strategic issues and are confident that things will really  work for us.


Challenge & Selection For us a very recent thing to ponder was the modern training trends and how we wonders to them should as well as deploy them in order to gain a better prepared workforce . Although before coming to terms with design thinking we had been working on it individually and moreover coming up with suggestions not to build the new structure but to upgrade the existing . Thus , we were rather going in circles as whenever we tried to think beyond the spectrum , we always ended up with the same questions . In fact we were running out of the questions as our focus was too rigid on saving the old rather than letting go of it and concentrate on building the new which we were to skeptical to do . However , I brought the idea on table for mind mapping as a tool to see what we can do about it , and if you ask why ? Because as its discussed in the course that uncertainty not stability is what matters the most . Thus before we could apply it , for the very first time we came to know that before pondering the probe we better check our mindset . When we further probed it , the issue was our fixed mindset and a “ fear of unknown ” , I shared my thoughts with the team and we jubilantly decided that this fear of the unknown needs to be taken to task . Thus mind mapping offered us the way out with our new mindset and that ’s why we deployed it . Application So I took the charge and on a huge white board , I put a dot for the rest of my team members and asked them what it is ? Their response was the same “ a dot ” . Next I told them there is another thing on the board and that too in abundance , and that is “ free space ” . This free space is our fear of unknown and the dot is our initial point . So we put the word New Training Model in there . Then we decided to take some 15 minutes silently looking at the white board with a dot to begin with and a lot of fear of unknown . Later everyone jumped in , we started putting every word that came to our mind in those 15 minutes of observation . After just 10 minutes we had some 20 words put around the “ dot ” and everyone in the room cheered and felt a sense of accomplishment . Then in the next phase all six of us divided in three teams of two each and started putting the lines in and making random connections and we ended up with a neat image where everything was connected to everything in a way . We decided to bring in the “ Degree of Connectedness ” in to the picture which is a mathematical phenomenon that everything has six degrees of connection with everything . Thus in the next phase , we started labeling the degrees of connection among all those 20 words and in fact in due course we also kept adding a few more . Then we took another observatory break , another 15 minutes of looking at the image and the lines and the words that made it up . Then came the third phase , we started prioritizing the links and connections on the basis of importance with red as the most important for now and green with least . I can not explain the feelings here and the rejoice with the image that emerged and we all were holding our heads about what we were missing . The sense of cherish and accomplishment and trust on each other ’s understanding . We were astonished with our teamwork and Furthermore , we ended up with establishing branches and sub - branches of key aspects and decided to distribute all branches among each other and bring them into more meaningful narrative form which will now become our guiding principles . Insight & Approach I personally took a lot of learnings and later we decided that from now onwards we will be looking in to every fear of unknown and ambiguity and use its potential to reach the uncertain . The team collaboration and the insight every individual brought on the table was electric . This practice not only helped us solve a problem we were about to give up on but also opened new avenues for us to trust each other ’s capabilities as well as a sense of connectedness is also prevalent among us . While I am typing , I can relive the feelings and emotions we shared together . Since it appears as the design thinking rather offers a belief to accept our disbeliefs and utilize our insights at a collective level . It also helped us discover many important elements invisible to our fixed mindset and use growth mindset approach in order to achieve our future targets . We have also decided to deploy the same strategy on a couple of other strategic issues and are confident that things will really work for us .