Visualization – Defining department vision Statement for the next year – Collaboration & Customers

Challenge :

In my current organization, we are responsible of delivering IT services for customers in Europe in in  India. The department which we are operating in India is based in one physical location whereas  several other locations are used in India to operate. Our location is the least crowded one and the  recent one. The center of decision, transverse functions (HR, IT etc…) is at the Headquarter where

majority of our workforce reside. The current challenges of the department is that our employees  feels disconnected with the HQ & have hurdles with our HR/IT etc.… whom they perceive is far from  their need and would like to see improvement actions on collaboration with HQ. At the same time,  they feel that the customer we serves are too narrow & that our department may have further

potential to expand so defining the right strategy to support our customers based.

Selection :

I have used the Visualization tool to get further ideas & vision for the future of the department, how it

could be positioned internally, how that could become relevant & also different from other locations

and fully assumed. I have select this for the challenge as for 2 reason :

-  To bring the different people from different projects/functions an opportunity to share their  views and collaborate together as they have less opportunity to do so. Also one

function/project could bring to the table a different perspective than other may not see or  experience with their ecosystem

-  To be able to draw pattern which would come out quickly through headlines or topics

shortlisted in order to define next steps of actions

Application :

I have divided team in 4 groups, coming all from different seniority levels, projects/functions and  tasked them to come up with the headline of the newspaper who would promote our department for  the year 2014, and a visual which would represent the vision of each group of how they would see

their department successful in the next 5 years. One chart is given to each of the group and markets  to picture their vision for 20 minutes. Then each group nominate a presenter who would present the  picture & explain in few words what have they draw, what they wanted to convey, why it was  necessary. Then the whole group would vote for the best relevant headline for the department & the

best picture to describe the vision of the future.

This tool was quite effective and everybody participated with lots of excitement & engagement. The  time was a bit less at the beginning for creativity however allowing them to ask few questions to be

guided at the beginning helped. Later on the outcome was all timely deliver and relevant from all the

teams.

Insight :

This tool allowed be to have insights that affected by the challenge. Also how this was relevant to

design thinking (which was actually prior to this course) without knowing it :

-  We found out that the department lacked still communication with HQ, which team member  were expected to have more informal & human than formal (generic mail id, chatsupport  etc…). Channel of collaboration between the HQ & the department was seen too formal and

team member wanted to have a face of a person, and the feel that they were taken care by  this person. This was a really change in the approach for communication that the tool could  help define.

-  The feel that there was no need to further expand the customer based but more to grow the

expertise & the innovation as a focus which were lacking at this stage

-  The “discovery” that each team member expected from the department by default Growth &

Expertise & Innovation.

Approach

As this tool was used prior to my course, I was unaware that it could fit in design thinking. Looping  back now, I would have use this  tool and then continued with another tool like brainstorming or/and  mind mapping as I felt we could exploit more from the group that the drawings to come up with

further narrowed down collective actions to experiment & try. This tool felt relevant to describe a  vision because it is usually having subjectivity and sometimes a difficulty from people to express it

right with their own terms.

It helped to have during this session to have interaction with people to express what they wanted to

convey, what they thought of to enrich the experience and to see their dilemma/their thought which  sometime could have been positively or negatively reinforced by other members of their own group.

Recommend to couple Visualization which interactions as well.


Visualization – Defining department vision Statement for the next year – Collaboration & Customers Challenge : In my current organization , we are responsible of delivering IT services for customers in Europe in in India . The department which we are operating in India is based in one physical location whereas several other locations are used in India to operate . Our location is the least crowded one and the recent one . The center of decision , transverse functions ( HR , IT etc … ) is at the Headquarter where majority of our workforce reside . The current challenges of the department is that our employees feels disconnected with the HQ & have hurdles with our HR / IT etc . … whom they perceive is far from their need and would like to see improvement actions on collaboration with HQ . At the same time , they feel that the customer we serves are too narrow & that our department may have further potential to expand so defining the right strategy to support our customers based . Selection : I have used the Visualization tool to get further ideas & vision for the future of the department , how it could be positioned internally , how that could become relevant & also different from other locations and fully assumed . I have select this for the challenge as for 2 reason : - To bring the different people from different projects / functions an opportunity to share their views and collaborate together as they have less opportunity to do so . Also one function / project could bring to the table a different perspective than other may not see or experience with their ecosystem - To be able to draw pattern which would come out quickly through headlines or topics shortlisted in order to define next steps of actions Application : I have divided team in 4 groups , coming all from different seniority levels , projects / functions and tasked them to come up with the headline of the newspaper who would promote our department for the year 2014 , and a visual which would represent the vision of each group of how they would see their department successful in the next 5 years . One chart is given to each of the group and markets to picture their vision for 20 minutes . Then each group nominate a presenter who would present the picture & explain in few words what have they draw , what they wanted to convey , why it was necessary . Then the whole group would vote for the best relevant headline for the department & the best picture to describe the vision of the future . This tool was quite effective and everybody participated with lots of excitement & engagement . The time was a bit less at the beginning for creativity however allowing them to ask few questions to be guided at the beginning helped . Later on the outcome was all timely deliver and relevant from all the teams . Insight : This tool allowed be to have insights that affected by the challenge . Also how this was relevant to design thinking ( which was actually prior to this course ) without knowing it : - We found out that the department lacked still communication with HQ , which team member were expected to have more informal & human than formal ( generic mail i d , chatsupport etc … ) . Channel of collaboration between the HQ & the department was seen too formal and team member wanted to have a face of a person , and the feel that they were taken care by this person . This was a really change in the approach for communication that the tool could help define . - The feel that there was no need to further expand the customer based but more to grow the expertise & the innovation as a focus which were lacking at this stage - The “ discovery ” that each team member expected from the department by default Growth & Expertise & Innovation . Approach As this tool was used prior to my course , I was unaware that it could fit in design thinking . Looping back now , I would have use this tool and then continued with another tool like brainstorming or / and mind mapping as I felt we could exploit more from the group that the drawings to come up with further narrowed down collective actions to experiment & try . This tool felt relevant to describe a vision because it is usually having subjectivity and sometimes a difficulty from people to express it right with their own terms . It helped to have during this session to have interaction with people to express what they wanted to convey , what they thought of to enrich the experience and to see their dilemma / their thought which sometime could have been positively or negatively reinforced by other members of their own group . Recommend to couple Visualization which interactions as well .