Solution Session

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Solution Session

• Accelerated Way of Making
• Complex Change Happen
• Duke Rohe, Performance Improvement

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What has been your experience with large projects?

• Form into triads
• Spend a few minutes listing phrases/words that
  would characterize your experience
• A scribe jots down the various words/phrases
• Triads share different ones

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How would you like

• To engage diverse functions to fight a common
  problem
• To have meetings that only allow the best and the
  action-ready to come
• To accomplish in hours what traditionally took
  months
• To line the dominoes up in your favor
• To bust your culture big time

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Combining Two Methods

• GEs Change Acceleration Process called WorkOut
  (1 to 3 days)
• And
• Osborn-Panes Creative Problem Solving Process
  (shrinks it to 4 hours)

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Principles of WorkOut

• Mr. Big sponsored
• Includes all decision makers touched by the
  change needed
• Event oriented. You dont stop til its solved
• Come prepared (with available knowledge) to
  change
• System Solutions prevail over departmental ones

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Osborn Parnes Creativity

• The father (50 years now) of brainstorming
• Studied how geniuses think
• Divergent thinking many possible ideas
• Convergent thinking selecting the best
• Alternate thinking in problems solving
• Fact Finding Mess Finding Problem
  Finding Idea Finding Solution
  Finding Acceptance Finding

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In the beginning

• There is a process is substandard
• Many rely on it to work well, yet no one manages
  the whole process.
• It is a cross-functional process that someone has
  a passion to fix.
• Someone is willing to step up to the plate and
  take a swing at making a difference.
• That someone isThe Team Leader

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Team Leaders Qualities if they dont know their
role, its your fault!

• Passionate about improvement
• Qualities Leader, Thinker, Supporter, Robocop
• Nothing less than SUCCESS will do
• Prepares attendees for the event
• Follow-up on commitments
• Funnel for all key information
• Tough-hide, Tender-hearted

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Mr. BIG

• Leadership who spans most of the departments in
  the process.
• Verbally commits to support the teams
  recommendation through implementation.

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Invitation Call to Arms

• Introduce Mr. Big a Jack Welch facsimile
• Prepare a Shared Need
• Invite the leaders impacted
• Prepare the Rules of Engagement
• Establish Sensing Sessions so they come aware
  of their accountability
• Implied If you dont come with your best
  equipped, you let the team down!

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Facilitator

• Does little as possible (delegate)
• Think on their feet, enthusiastic
• Supports and prompts the Team Leader (note it
  is their show)
• Thinks ahead so the dominoes fall just right
• Asks great questions that lead to the right
  answers

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Sensing Session

• Imply this is not for the faint-hearted
• Amp up the importance
• Prepare a set of good questions for them to
  answer Fact Finding
• Create a momentum for success
• Put them in the position of representing their
  field.
• Be prepared for horse trading

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Fact Finding

• Tip People will end to make a decision of they
  come with all the facts
• Create questions specific to each function
• What facts do you have that relate to the
  purpose.
• What would hinder you from making a decision
• What are the non-negotiables and are they really
• What are your peers doing across the nation
• Broadcast for all to see

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Make the Event Eventful
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Team Leaders and Assistants Note that zebra look
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The Solution Session

• If Mr. Big comes in, Great
• Stress they will be pushed hard, ideas will seem
  half-baked
• Use the Post-it Brainstorming Process
• Go with the processor lose
• Schedule follow-up meeting on commitments (3 to
  4 weeks) Inertia is half the battle.

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• Mess Finding -- list significant challenges
  opportunities, then isolate the main ones
• Problem Finding list of problem statements,
  then identify the best wording of the central
  problem. Start statement with How to
• Idea Finding list of intriguing ideas, then
  isolation of the best

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Putting together the system of problems
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Idea Finding 50 heads working together
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Certificate of Appreciation
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Food for Thought
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Sub Team Meetings

• Solution Finding
• Forming ideas into solid solutions
• Business case for each (cost less than benefit)
• Cross-talk between sub teams encouraged
• Acceptance Finding the action steps needed for
  successful installation

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Converting Ideas into Actions

• Follow-up Meeting (3 to 4 weeks from event)
• Ideas are 80 into solutions
• Leadership there to hear progress
• Glue Meeting (Sub Team Leaders)
• Tying together loose ends that overlap the teams
• Final-up Meeting (6 to 8 weeks from event)
• Leadership there to endorse and ask how to help

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What Makes It Work?

• Team Leader with a Passion
• All impacted included
• Its us versus the problem
• Proper use of leadership
• Accountability is demanded
• Everyone feels crucial
• Pressure Its never failed yet!
• Bulldog mentality for success