ProgramProgram Management Management Satisfy requirements of all individual

projects with minimal resources Human resource is the most expensive

Leadership Methods of documenting progress

11

ProjectProject Management Management Manage individual project Work efficiently

Monitor project progress Organize team members

Document critical decisions Visualize Plan Implement

Close

22

MultitaskingMultitasking Multiple projects, multiple tasks Multitasking? loss of focus Project management: avoidance of

pressure on resources to multitask and ability to assess and direct the most beneficial use of resources when there is apparent contention for their attention

33

Critical Chain Scheduling Critical Chain Scheduling and Buffer Managementand Buffer Management

Too much time: work expands to fill time allowed.

Too little time: detrimental pressures, behaviors and practices

Buffers Assign skills rather than persons

44

Buffer ManagementBuffer Management

55

Feeding

Buffer

Project Buffer

Project Management ToolsProject Management Tools Concept Fan FEMA Mind mapping Gantt Chart

66

Mind MapMind Map

77http://www.spicynodes.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/combating-global-warming-map.jpg

VisualizeVisualize Clearly picture your desired end result

before you begin Project vision statement:

Project definition (simple clear statement) Project expected results

Should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-dimensioned

88

VisualizePlan

ImplementClose

PlanPlan1. Prioritize Performance Factors2. Explore risk factors (FEMA) and alternatives3. Break projects into manageable pieces: a)

major pieces, b) minor pieces, c) tasks4. Enter sequenced pieces / tasks into Gantt

chart5. Clarify who is responsible for each task6. Prioritize and schedule the pieces and tasks7. Determine project budget

99

VisualizePlan

ImplementClose

1010

FMEA stands for Failure Modes and Effects Analysis Methodology of FMEA:

Identify the potential failure of a system and its effects Assess the failures to determine actions that would eliminate

the chance of occurrence Document the potential failures

Steps:

www.managementsupport.com

Plan: 2) Risk FactorsPlan: 2) Risk FactorsVisualize

PlanImplement

Close

List the function of each component

List potential failure modes

Describe effects of the failures

Determine failure severity

Determine probability of failure

Determine detection rate of failure

Assign RPN

Take action to reduce the highest risk

1111

Design FMEA AnalysisDesign FMEA AnalysisItem and Function

Potential Failure Mode

Potential Effects of

Failure

SEV

Potential Cause(s) of Failure

OCC

Detection Method &

Quality Controls

DET

RPN

Recommended Actions

List Part Name, Number and Function

List the possible modes of failure

List the consequences of failure on part function and on the next higher assembly

List those such as: inadequate design, improper materials, etc.

List these measures available to detect failures before they reach the customer

List them for each of the failure modes identified as being significant by the RPN

= Critical characteristic which may effect safety, compliance with Gov. regulations, or require special controls.

SEV = Severity rating (1 to 10) OCC = Occurrence frequency (1 to 10) DET = Detection Rating (1 to 10) RPN = Risk Priority Number (1 to 1000)

Plan: 3) Break into TasksPlan: 3) Break into Tasks Mindmapping each major/minor

piece to identify the tasks Break down the tasks as far as

necessary for clear accountability Edit and sequence the tasks Example

1212

VisualizePlan

ImplementClose

Plan: 4-7Plan: 4-7 Gantt chart: Put To-Do items into Gantt

chart with detailed tasks for each person updated weekly. Software options include Microsoft Project is preferable (available in

ACS labs Free Gantt Chart software

http://ganttproject.biz/ Word file Gantt chart template

Weekly Status Reports

1414

VisualizePlan

ImplementClose

ImplementationImplementation Milestones Formality, consistency, and discipline

throughout the scheduling system

1515

VisualizePlan

ImplementClose

To be completed by next To be completed by next week and included in Reportweek and included in Report Gantt chart (all groups) FMEA or mind map or concept fan (at

least one)

1616

1717

Why Look For Concepts? Identifying and working with concepts

drives the generation of more ideas

Identifying and working with concepts drives breadth in the thinking

Concept FanConcept Fan

1818

AlternativesAlternativesThe Concept TriangleThe Concept Triangle

Purpose or Objective

First Idea or Alternative

Concept

Second Idea

Third Idea

1919

OBJOBJ: Reduce Downtown Litter

IDEAIDEA: Fine Those That

Litter

IDEAIDEA: Serve Time Picking

Up Litter

IDEAIDEA: Put Picture In

Newspaper

CONCEPTCONCEPT: Ways To Punish For Littering

1.1. What is the concept behind the idea?

2.2. Are there any other ways to carry out that concept?

3.3. Are there any other concepts?

2020

AlternativesAlternativesSelecting & Defining ConceptsSelecting & Defining Concepts

Be very precise about the concept Choose the concept carefully Look for multiple concepts Begin the concept statement with

“Ways to…” or “Methods of…” and use at least 6-7 words

2121

AlternativesAlternativesThe Concept FanThe Concept FanPurpose or Objective

First Idea or Alternative

Second Idea

Third Idea

Concept

2222

AlternativesAlternativesKey Things To Remember

1. Individual idea generation time is valuable to reduce channeling, maintain fidelity and drive efficiency.

2. Extract concepts from individual ideas. Do not group ideas first.

3. Then, find the Concept behind those ideas; try to make a lots of concepts. Don’t look for Similarities.Say: “Ways to….”

4. Then, generate more ideas for each Concept.

2323

1. Who is this de Bono guy that you are talking about? Dr. Edward de Bono is a 70 year old Rhodes Scholar that was born in Malta. His background includes degrees in medicine, philosophy and psychology and faculty appointments in Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and the University of London. With over 30 years of experience in consulting in business and education he is accepted as the world’s leading expert in the development of thinking skills in general and specifically creative thinking skills. 2. Why don’t we just do the brainstorming that we have always done? Brainstorming is a method that was developed in 1936 for the advertising industry. While there are a number of strengths inherent in the method, there are also some weaknesses. The Lateral Thinking skills capitalize on the strengths; even enhance them, while diminishing the weaknesses. 3. Won’t this take a lot longer? Speed isn’t the real goal. We are working on an important issue here and perhaps a bit more time using deliberate skills will bring us a better result. Can you at least give it a chance? 4. This seems really structured…won’t that inhibit our creativity? The belief that structure inhibits creativity is a flawed one. It is based on the assumption that all creativity comes from the removal of inhibitions. Just removing inhibitions in not enough. Without skills even the uninhibited individual will not be creative unless they have the “natural creativity” that very few individuals possess. With learned skills and deliberate structure we can harness and direct the application of those learned skills. 5. How come you want us to work alone? Seems like we are missing the

opportunity to build on others ideas. Later in the process we will have the opportunity to collaborate in the way that you are used to – like brainstorming. However, we want your original thoughts first so that each of us can later build on all of the ideas that each of us might have. If we don’t work individually first we run the risk of channeling down a very few solution paths and might miss opportunities to broaden our overall thinking efforts. Additionally, we can simply get more ideas in the same time if we work individually – by working in parallel instead in serial. Lastly we want you to record your own ideas so that we get them recorded as accurately as possible.

2424

1. Why can’t we just group the ideas we have generated into categories

first in order to get the concepts? Grouping ideas after fact will lead to our finding a smaller number of concepts and they will tend to be at a very high level. This can easily inhibit our future efforts to get a more complete and robust solution set. 2. What do you mean that we need to break down this concept because it

is too broad? Why? If the concepts are too broad we might miss an opportunity. We want as many individual concepts as we can early on so that we have more “thinking paths” to explore. 3. I don’t always get and idea when I try random entry. Am I doing

something wrong? Remember that these techniques are not a guarantee of a creative result. However, they do increase the probability. We want to continue to make the deliberate effort knowing that we are increasing the probability by using the skills. Creativity is a lot like R & D. We can’t guarantee that every time you put effort into R & D that we will get a result, but we can guarantee that if you never put effort into R & D, you will never get a result. 4. Why are we timing the use of these tools? Timing is one of the three disciplines of thinking – focus, method and time. Timing the application relieves the thinker of the responsibility and anxiety of always getting a result every time. It is best to use the skills for short periods of time and then go on to another skill or method. 5. These concepts are similar. Let’s just combine them. Combining similar concepts will result in concepts that are too broad to drive good thinking. When in doubt, if two concepts are similar, leave them separate in the hopes that even a small measure of difference will result in new and more ideas. 6. Why should we wait until next meeting to decide on what we want to

do? We have some ideas to work with here. Allowing the thinking to perk or simmer for a while often results in more and better ideas. There is also the chance that others, outside the immediate team, will contribute. There is even the chance that accidental (or deliberate) random entry will also help.

2525

1. Why should we ask for input (ideas) from those other people? They don’t

have any expertise in our field. Remember that even bad or flawed ideas could lead us to good concepts that will then lead to more and different and better ideas. Anyone might contribute an idea that eventually takes us to new concepts and then to new ideas. 2. How come everyone doesn’t get the chance to vote in this prioritization? In the selection or “narrowing down” process we are applying judgment. We want the judgment to be based of knowledge in the field. It is also good to have the people that will be responsible for implementation to be part of the selection process. This way we get their buy-in and implementation will be enhanced. 3. Why should we let the boss come in and look at this concept fan? We’re not

finished yet. Eventually the boss (bosses or stakeholders) will receive our results and the more guidance they can provide along the way, the more likely we will be to produce a result that they can and will implement. Guidance at this point helps to focus our efforts in directions that have a greater chance of success. 4. We have selected these (top 6-10) ideas, so why don’t we just take the top

one and go with it? Think of these ideas as being raw material that needs to be “processed and refined.” If we judge them now or try to implement them in their current form we might miss a great opportunity. We need to try to deliberately build each of these ideas into something better. We should also consider looking at sets of ideas instead of single ideas to make the final solution more robust. 5. Why do you say we need at least 6-7 words in the concept statements we

write? Additional detail in a concept statement drives more concepts. It is better to have two or three clear concepts instead of a single vague one. With clear concepts our thinking efforts will be more productive and all team members can make the effort to generate ideas for each of the more specific concepts that come from a single vague concept.

2626

LLLAAATTTEEERRRAAALLL TTTHHHIIINNNKKKIIINNNGGG™™™

CCChhhaaalllllleeennngggeee Never An Attack Why C (Cut) - Can We Drop It? Why B (Because) - Are the reasons valid? Why A (Alternatives) - Immediately seek

alternatives Checklist Of Current Thinking Dominating Ideas Boundaries Assumptions Essential Factors Avoidance Factors

RRRaaannndddooommm EEEnnntttrrryyy Use a purely random method to get a word then simply let your mind move forward to connect up with a new idea. (extract a principle, broad direction or use simple association) Nouns are usually best.

AAAlllttteeerrrnnnaaatttiiivvveeesss Move back from the first idea or alternative to identify the overall concept or fixed point. This is termed concept extraction. Once the concept is identified, new ideas and alternatives can be generated and new concepts can be identified. Keep moving back and forth from concept to idea. A concept fan can also be used when a large number of different ideas and concepts are needed. New

Ideas Concept

First Purpose/ Idea Objective

MMMooovvveeemmmeeennnttt Top-Of-The-Head - Make a general effort to move

forward to an idea. No special process is necessary. Extract Something - Extract a concept, principle,

feature or value and try to build a new idea around it.

Focus On The Difference - Focus on the points of difference between the normal way of doing things and the provocation.

Moment To Moment - Visualize in your mind the provocation being put into action and imagine what happens.

Positive Aspects - Focus on the positive aspects of the provocation and attempt to move on to a new idea.

Special Circumstances - Ask yourself if there are special circumstances where the provocation would have direct value.

FFFooocccuuusss General Area Focus - Defines the area,

but not the purpose of the thinking. Purpose Focus - A specific purpose or

desired outcome is defined or implied. Try alternative definitions

HHHaaarrrvvveeessstttiiinnnggg Specific Ideas - Immediately valuable, practical and usable Beginnings of Ideas - Not practical or usable, but interesting Concepts - Identify and extract any concepts from the ideas Approaches - Very broad concepts should be noted Changes - Note any changes in approaches or concepts Flavor - Note the general ”taste” of the entire session

PPPrrrooovvvooocccaaatttiiiooonnn Arising - When a bold or unusual, but illogical idea is

put forward (arises), not intended as a provocation, but is treated as one.

Reversal - Simply reverse the normal direction of action to create instability.

Escape - First, put down things taken for granted about the situation. Second, drop or escape from them to create instability.

Wishful Thinking - Create a “fantasy” desire that is very bold to create instability. Start with - “Wouldn’t it be nice if…”

Exaggeration – Greatly exaggerate weights, speeds, dimensions, volumes etc. either up or down to create instability.

TTTrrreeeaaatttmmmeeennnttt Shaping - Use real life constraints to mold the idea Tailoring - Similar to shaping, but deals more with resources Concept Extraction - Identify the concept behind the idea Strengthening - Make a deliberate effort to strengthen the idea Fault Correction - Make a deliberate effort to correct faults Focus On The Difference - Focus on the difference between the usual way and the way being proposed.

Generate Ideas

Challenge Alternatives/Concept Triangle & Fan Random Entry Provocation Movement

Capture & Work With Output Harvesting Treatment Assessment

Results: Creative Thinking

and New Ideas

2 3 4

CCCooonnnccceeepppttt FFFaaannn A graphical way to display and work with ideas and concepts to drive the development of more ideas. The focus is be displayed above concepts and concepts above ideas/ alternatives. Extract the concepts from individual ideas instead of groups of ideas.

Repeatedly Ask These Three Questions 1. What is the overall concept behind the idea? 2. Are there any other ways (ideas) to carry out

the concept? 3. Are there any other concepts?

2000. The McQuaig Group Inc.

Select & Define Area Focus Purpose Focus List Several Definitions Display Focus

1

Concept Concept Concept Concept Concept Concept

FOCUS/ OBJECTIVE

Idea Idea Idea

Idea Idea Idea Idea

Idea Idea Idea Idea

Idea Idea Idea

Idea Idea Idea Idea Idea

ReferencesReferences Matthew Hedayatnia and MAE156B

2727

Six Thinking Hats (Parallel Thinking) Elevator Speech

Six Hats is Framework for thinking in teams that results in better decisions in less time because it facilitates a much faster and more complete exploration of the issue/subject. With the framework, the thinking is broken down into smaller units making it far simpler. And… since the team members think in parallel…less time is wasted in argument and drift. Individual perceptions are shared quickly and argument is greatly reduced. I’m excited about what it has done in my team. May I _____________________?

Lateral Thinking Elevator Speech Lateral Thinking is a series of tools that teams…and individuals can use to help produce new ideas and concepts in an organized and directed way. The tools can be used in either virtual meetings or physical meetings. Individual thinking and group collaboration are both included in the process. And…you end up with a tangible documentation of the results that can be used or even archived for future reference. (I really like the fact that this approach to team creativity even appeals to technical people and that it doesn’t involve any silly games that make some people so uncomfortable.) I’ve been surprised and pleased with the results we‘ve been able to produce in my team.