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Part 1 of Part 1 of ‘General ‘General Presentation’Presentation’

OPMSOPMS

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How to accomplish our long-How to accomplish our long-term goals and Missions?term goals and Missions?

What should we do, today (and tomorrow, and every day) that would help us to reach a goal six months, a year – or 5 or 10 years - in the

future?

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Some example Missions:

“To enable each member of our staff to develop

most effectively”

“To ensure effective Knowledge Management in

the organisation”

“To reduce inventory held by 20% within six

months”

“To increase turnover to Rs 2000 crores, with PAT of

Rs 500 crores by 20xx”

To become an expert at the ‘C’ computer languageTo become a top-level

consultant within 3 years

“To ensure 90% true literacy in the nation in 10

years”

“To make the right investment decisions for our current needs”

“To understand thoroughly all topics of my math syllabus and THEREBY to do significantly better in my math exams,

tests and quizzes”

OPMS has been successfully applied to several of these Missions; others are ongoing; one was

a resounding failure

“Bushout!!”(Resounding failure, alas! It needed Obama to take out the successors to

GW Bush)

“To become a top-level software designer within 1/3/5/7 years”

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• Individual Missions

• Organisational Missions

• Societal Missions

ExactlyExactly the same process is applicable to any the same process is applicable to any kind of Mission – barring differences arising kind of Mission – barring differences arising

because of issues involved in group dynamics!because of issues involved in group dynamics!

Kinds of OPMS Missions:

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Choosing a Mission Choosing a Mission for the Groupfor the Group

(and Missions for individuals in the Group)

Just choose anything of interest to you…

On any issue of specific concern, you will ALWAYS have ideas!

The ‘secret’ is to make effective use of all good ideas,

filtering out the irrelevant or not-so-good ideas!

The conventional approaches DO NOT adequately enable effective

utilisation of the good ideas of people at all levels of the organisation

The greatest demotivator is the feeling that our ideas are not

adequately valued by the organisation

(In fact, the conventional way does not allow even an individual to put available

ideas to truly effective use)

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• We must ensure that we take good ideas from all stakeholders – AND use those ideas! (And demonstrate that those ides have been used)

• At the same time, we should not get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ideas available from the stakeholders

Two critical issues:Two critical issues:

OPMS - helps users articulate their ideas about any ‘Mission’ by asking them

appropriate ‘Trigger Questions’:

“What, in youryour opinion, are the THINGS TO DO to enable each member to develop himself/herself

for the needs of the organisation (and for

himself/herself)?”

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• To challenge each member of staff to develop himself/herself to maximum possible for his/her own and for organisation’s benefit

• To make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in

• To help each person develop himself/herself as an individual AND as a member of the organisation

• To provide all needed facilities for effective work and recreation

• To provide effective counseling for perceived needs of staff

• … (etc, etc)

Responding to Trigger Questions:

Stage I: A process for generating and clarifying available ideas

Elements articulated in natural language, no jargon needed

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Three Stages:Stage 1 (Idea Generation &

Clarification), Stage 2 (Idea Organisation) and Stage 3 (Idea Integration) are

designed to make the best possible use of

available ideas!

Idea ‘structuring’ or organising is done through a process of modeling to show

us, for instance, how the accomplishment of one idea

or ‘element’ can help the accomplishment of another

The OPMS process uses two powerful modeling

tools, the seminal contributions of Professor

John N. Warfield

Idea Organisation (Stage 2) is the process that enables us

to organize and filter our ideas to ensure that the right

ones become available for action at any point of time.

Stage 3 - Idea Integration: this is Stage 3 - Idea Integration: this is partially accomplished at Stage 2, partially accomplished at Stage 2,

develops comprehensively along with develops comprehensively along with the the OPMSOPMS

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Stage 2Stage 2

Stage 1Stage 1

Stage 3Stage 3

However, note that the process is not neatly divided However, note that the process is not neatly divided into ‘separated’ stages (as we should do all of them into ‘separated’ stages (as we should do all of them

more or less ‘all the time’)more or less ‘all the time’)The OPMS process affords us a practical means to The OPMS process affords us a practical means to

accomplish just thataccomplish just that

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Created by asking ‘modeling questions’ about the elements generated, e.g.:

“Does, in your opinion,Challenging each member of staff to develop

himself/herself fully

help to accomplishTo make our organisation a truly exciting

place to work in

?”

Response: “YES” or “NO”

A: Interpretive Structuring ModelingA: Interpretive Structuring Modeling:

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Making our organisation a truly exciting place to work in

ChallengingChallenging each member of staff to develop

himself/herself fully

““may help may help accomplish”accomplish”

Two such questions lead to:In some sense, the heart of the matter is already In some sense, the heart of the matter is already

articulated, in that little ‘mental model’!articulated, in that little ‘mental model’!What’s required is a process to extend

and amplify that model as we find needed – the OPMS process enables just that…

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where ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ are ‘elements’ in the system under consideration and ‘ ’ the specific transitive relationship, for example: “should help accomplish”

We use only ‘transitive’ relationships:

If ‘A’ ‘B’

AND if ‘B’ ‘C’

THEN ‘A’ MUST ‘C’

Because of transitivity, these models

can be created quite efficiently, as we generally need to ask only a small

fraction of the total number of possible questions

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To challenge each member of staff develop

himself/herself to maximum possible

To make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in

To help each person develop himself/herself as an individual

To provide all needed facilities for effective work and recreation

To provide effective counseling for perceived needs of staff

To enable each member of our staff to develop most effectively

should help should help accomplishaccomplish

Interpretive Structural Model

The relationship is the heart of the matter!


These models can become as large as required to These models can become as large as required to describe the most complex live situation! Over time, describe the most complex live situation! Over time, as we work on our Missions, our models may come as we work on our Missions, our models may come

to comprise hundreds or even thousands of to comprise hundreds or even thousands of elements!elements!

These models are representations of the way people perceive the relationships –

thus we should to begin with expect wide variation in those perceptions

Over time, as people begin to understand themselves, each other and

‘the whole system’ effectively, they often do arrive at a true consensus of

perceptions – and thereby at true consensus action on issues!

Stage II: A very effective and quite efficient process for

‘organising’ all available ideas

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THINGS

TO DO

The model may keep on growing until the Mission is successful!

Even when we have thousands of elements integrated into our model, we are always

able to focus on a narrow band of elements in the full confidence that by so doing we

are actually helping to accomplish are actually helping to accomplish everything else that needs to be done for everything else that needs to be done for

the project!the project!

Current focus

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To help each person develop To help each person develop himself/herself as an individualhimself/herself as an individual




Interpretive Structural ModelAnother important attribute of such ‘Intent StructuresIntent Structures’

WHY?WHY?

HOW?HOW?

Up WHY?

Down HOW?

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THINGS

TO DO

WHY?

HOW?

UPUP the model to find out “WHY?”“WHY?”

DOWNDOWN the model to find out “HOW?”“HOW?”

The “HOW?”s and the “WHY?”s of things are built into these structures for

each and every element in them!

To ensure effective handling of tasks by people reporting to you,

just enthuse them about the WHYs?WHYs? of their tasks - then let them work out the HOWs? !!!HOWs? !!!

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Another major benefit of using this ‘structuring process’ is

explained on the next slides…

Imagine we have constructed a model of, say, 6 elements. For

convenience, we explicitly display only the relationship to the elements

in the ‘next level’ and not the relationships in the levels beyond.

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M

T4 T2

T6

T1 T5

T3

M

T4 T2

T6

T1 T5

T3

For example, the structure we display as…For example, the structure we display as…

… … because of transitivity, is actually the because of transitivity, is actually the structure on the right – the extra relationships structure on the right – the extra relationships seen at right are seen at right are implied implied in the structure at left:in the structure at left:

Actually, the situation is much more Actually, the situation is much more complicated than is illustrated, as I’m not complicated than is illustrated, as I’m not

showing the showing the “does not contribute”“does not contribute” relationship from upper levels to lower relationship from upper levels to lower

levels…levels…

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Imagine a whole lot of ‘does not contribute’‘does not contribute’ arrows leading from each upper level to the levels below. And think of the

complexity of structures containing and showing 15, 20 or more elements…

That is, in fact, the complexity we are normally facing in That is, in fact, the complexity we are normally facing in all our real-life situations…the easy way to handle such all our real-life situations…the easy way to handle such

complexity is to substitute a simple picture ‘showing complexity is to substitute a simple picture ‘showing the flow’ in a way that our mind can easily comprehend, the flow’ in a way that our mind can easily comprehend,

and let your imagination do the rest as required…and let your imagination do the rest as required…

M

T4 T2

T6

T1 T5

T3

M

T4 T2

T6

T1 T5

T3

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Read bottom-upwards, Read bottom-upwards, in direction of arrows.in direction of arrows.THINK the elementsTHINK the elements

READ the arrows as encountered!READ the arrows as encountered!

Interpretive Structural ModelThe illustration is in fact the ‘The illustration is in fact the ‘structural structural graphicsgraphics’ part of an extension to our ’ part of an extension to our

conventional language that I call ‘conventional language that I call ‘prose + prose + structural graphicsstructural graphics’’

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‘‘Prose + structural graphicsProse + structural graphics’ - ’ - an extension to our conventional language

that adds enormous power to our abilities to ‘perceive’ complex systems

with clarity and precision!

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THINGS

TO DO

Imagine the complexities you have to comprehend as your exploration of

your Mission continues – if we had to look at all the relations implicit in this

structure all the time

In fact, that ISIS precisely the kind of complexity we are trying to cope with at all times when we do not have this

simple ‘structuring’ to aid us!

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Examples: Examples: Herbert Simon – Herbert Simon – “The magic number “The magic number

seven plus or minus two”;seven plus or minus two”;

Telephone numberTelephone number

One major reason for doing all the work One major reason for doing all the work involved in learning this new language, involved in learning this new language,

creating these structures, etc, etc, is that the creating these structures, etc, etc, is that the human mind is not capable of handling the human mind is not capable of handling the

complex linkages of a large number of factors complex linkages of a large number of factors (which are always there in every real-life (which are always there in every real-life

situation)situation)

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Another benefit of the process: huge Another benefit of the process: huge compression of information is compression of information is

possiblepossibleInterpretive Structural Model

Any such model can easily be translated into Any such model can easily be translated into ‘standard prose’ very easily indeed! And this ‘standard prose’ very easily indeed! And this

little model would translatelittle model would translateinto nearly a full page of prose.into nearly a full page of prose.

Models of 30 to 40 elements may amount to 20 Models of 30 to 40 elements may amount to 20 to 30 pages !to 30 pages !

Obviously, it is MUCH easier to read, Obviously, it is MUCH easier to read, understand and remember the model!understand and remember the model!

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THINGS

TO DO

The prose translations of such models increase exponentially in size with increase of number

of elements in the model!

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The process helps develop clear linkages between individual’s aims to the organisation’s Mission!

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My personal performance

Organisation’s profits

My personal rewards

“contributessignificantly to”

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• It is ‘top-down’ because we choose a ‘Mission’ for the organisation or individual

• It is ‘bottom-up’ because we develop an effective Action Plan based on the THINGS TO DO to accomplish the Mission

OPMS - it’s ‘TOP-DOWN’ + ‘BOTTOM-UP’!

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Whatever the issue (or Mission), this initial part of the OPMS process enables users to create an effective Action Plan,

along with all needed systems, to accomplish the Mission.

The processes underlying OPMS are quite unique in their power and universal

applicability

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Part 2 of Part 2 of ‘General ‘General Presentation’Presentation’

Another modeling tool in the OPMS

‘Field Representation’ (FR) Method

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Constructing a Field Representation

• First, we try to cleanse our minds First, we try to cleanse our minds from all pre-conceived categories...from all pre-conceived categories...

• Then, OPMS asks questions like…

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The first element is inserted into ‘Dimension 1’:

A: Dimension 1• Our educational

systems are not adequately effective

We ask the modeling question as shown, next

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Field Representation & Profiling (contd.)

(In the context of the kind of actions needed to overcome the barriers, etc.)

““Is

(B) Need to improve productivity of Indian software industry

IN THE SAME CATEGORY ASIN THE SAME CATEGORY AS(A) Our educational systems are not

adequately effective

?””

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Response “YES” would put element ‘B’ into the same

category as ‘A’ -“NO” would put it into a

different category…

… as shown, next

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Field Representation - after initial response

A: Dimension 1• Our educational systems are

not adequately effective

B: Dimension 2• Need to improve

productivity of Indian software industry

Because response to modeling question was ‘NO’, a new

dimension was created and the element No. 2 was inserted there

Continuing questioning yields models like Continuing questioning yields models like the one illustrated at next slide...the one illustrated at next slide...

Had the response been ‘YES’ the Had the response been ‘YES’ the element would have been inserted element would have been inserted

in the same dimensionin the same dimension

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Dimension titles provided later, AFTERAFTER insertion of elements into dimensions!

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The ‘System Tie Line’ represents any or all of the relationships inherent in the system under

consideration.

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The elements are ‘linked’ by appropriate relationships as perceived by the users

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The OPMS provides a facility to enable users write down prose translations of such visual linkages

“XYZ” MAY TEND TO INCREASE THE SEVERITY OF “ABC”

XYZ

ABC

A comprehensive ‘network of relationships’ to be built up step-by-

step, over time, to enable clear understanding of the system

represented in the Field

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It takes a while to develop the skills needed to use the System Tie Line

effectively to link different dimensions and elements together…

It’s well worth our while to work towards developing these skills…

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…because Field Representations, over sufficient iterations, can be shown to satisfy a fundamental systems law,

called Ashby’s Law of Requisite

Variety

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Ashby’s Law of Requisite Variety (Simple Simon’s version)…

“The dimensions of a proposed solution to a problem must match the dimensions of the problem”

(If too few dimensions, the solution won’t work – if too many, the solution would be too expensive or too complicated)

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The Field Representation process, made more

general, is found to be the ideal tool to enable us get an overview of complex

projects as a whole!

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Integrating all the lists and models of all the work done towards any Mission into a single Field Representation

creates a ‘One Page Management System’

(OPMS).

The OPMS is a ‘model of models’ - it is comprised

of ALL the lists and all the models that are created in

various relevant dimensions during

progress towards the Mission - any Mission!

As you’ll see, each ‘Dimension’ in the model is linked to other

relevant Dimensions, so that the user is enabled to create

comprehensive and effective Action Planning to accomplish the

chosen Mission

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The whole system on a single page…

Linkages between various dimensions ‘above the System Tie Line of the OPMS OPMS

are broadly illustrated below and in following slides :

A: THINGS TO DO

B: BARRIERS

C: STRENGTHS

HELP HELP ACCOMPLISHACCOMPLISH

HINDERHINDER

HELP HELP OVERCOMEOVERCOME

…more linkages…

B: Barriers/Weaknesses

HINDER

Activities

Strengths required

HELP ACCOMPLISH

HELP OVERCOME

Opportunities

HELP AVAILHELP AVAIL

Activities

B: Barriers/Weaknesses

Strengths required

HELP ACCOMPLISH

HINDER

HELP OVERCOME

Opportunities

HELP AVAIL

MISSION

HELP ACCOMPLISHHELP ACCOMPLISH

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Recall that we have two types of models...We put the two types of models together…

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Interpretive Structural Model

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Linkages between ‘BARRIERS’ & ‘THINGS TO DO’

The barrier marked in the FR

HINDERS / PREVENTS accomplishment of the objective marked in the ISM

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That barrier also hinders That barrier also hinders accomplishment of all elements accomplishment of all elements above the THING TO DO that it above the THING TO DO that it

directly hinders! directly hinders!

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Just identify appropriate means to ‘overcome’ the barrier identified - and integrate those into the Action Plan!

That would naturally help accomplish all the objectives that had been

obstructed earlier

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• Ensures rapid evaluation of project feasibility - helps ensure that time is not wasted on infeasible projects

• Provides a comprehensive view of the project, crystallised on a single page

• Enables each individual/group to ‘drill down’ to the level of detail required for his/her functions

• Links up individual performance to the performance of the whole organisation

• Links up individual goals to Organisational Missions• Enforces high level of ‘self-discipline’ in the organisation• Enables people to create practical, clearly-understood

means to overcome Barriers, Threats, Weaknesses, etc - at EACH level in the organisation

• The same process, with appropriate adjustments, is usable for individual, organisational or societal Missions.

Some features of the OPMS

But there are some difficulties also!!

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To explain the difficulties that exist, we illustrate, next, the

‘Hierarchy of One Page Management Systems’ in the

organization

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Group 1.2.1 OPMSGroup 1.2.3 OPMS

Global OPMS

Group 1.2.2 OPMS

Department 1 OPMS Department 2 OPMS Department 3 OPMS

Section 1.1 OPMS Section 1.2 OPMS Section 1.3 OPMS

Kiran’s OPMS GSC's OPMS Narayan’s OPMS

“Contributes to”

Hierarchy of OPMS in an organisation

Individual OPMS’s

Group OPMS’s

Sectional OPMS’s

Departmental OPMS’s

Global OPMS

Unless the ‘One Page Management Systems’ of at least Unless the ‘One Page Management Systems’ of at least key individuals in the organisation are being developed key individuals in the organisation are being developed continuingly,continuingly, the ‘global CONSENSUS OPMS’ the ‘global CONSENSUS OPMS’ would not would not

develop effectivelydevelop effectively RequirementRequirement: Key members should put in about 5 to10 : Key members should put in about 5 to10 minutes of systematic work more or less every day to minutes of systematic work more or less every day to

develop their individual One Page Management Systems develop their individual One Page Management Systems within the global Missionwithin the global Mission

The difficulty is related to the ‘paradigm-shift’ that must take place for individuals to put enough ‘value’ on their

own and others’ ideas!

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Mission: “eXensys: No. 1 in SME segment”

“Contribute to” “Aggravate”

“Enhance” “lead to”

“Aggravate” “Precede”

Appropriate relationships in various dimensions are

indicated above

‘Events’ dimension is MS Project

‘Fundamental Dimensions’ – above the System Tie-Line

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The dimensions seen below the ‘System Tie-Line’ are sub-systems useful/ required for effective

accomplishment of the Mission. These sub-systems are derived through a clear understanding of the

relationships between the factors in the fundamental dimensions of the system

Various sub-systems

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