babies, bathwater and targets · 2010. 9. 30. · place to place missed things too much time in one...

BABIES, BATHWATER AND TARGETS

Tony QuinlanChief Storyteller

Narrate

Thursday, 30 September

CRISES, CRISES ALL AROUND

•Crises are indications that current thinking needs to move forward

•Recessions always produce new leaps forward (1990s: Business Process Engineering, etc)– Evolutions in business thinking - what’s the next stage?

TARGETS

TARGETS CAN MAKE LIFE MORE DIFFICULT

•What actions do you take as a result of your targets?– Can you trust them? Have they been “gamed”?– What does 10% lower mean? Just do more or do something

different?– Was it as a result of a particular context or situation?

TARGETS ARE NOT THE DISEASE

•Targets are only a symptom of a “complicated” approach to all problems

Tony Quinlan, Narrate t: 07946 094 069 e: tony@narrate.co.uk

Cynefin domains

simpleSense

CategoriseRespond

Cynefin domains

simpleSense

CategoriseRespond

complicatedSense

AnalyseRespond

Cynefin domains

simpleSense

CategoriseRespond

complicatedSense

AnalyseRespond

chaosAct

SenseRespond

Cynefin domains

simpleSense

CategoriseRespond

complicatedSense

AnalyseRespond

complexProbeSense

Respond

chaosAct

SenseRespond

Cynefin domains

simpleSense

CategoriseRespond

complicatedSense

AnalyseRespond

complexProbeSense

Respond

chaosAct

SenseRespond

Cynefin framework

IN THE COMPLEX SPACE:

•Cause and effect are apparent in retrospect– But do not repeat– Are not predictable

•Perspective filters•Complex Adaptive Systems

IN THE COMPLEX SPACE:

•Probe - Sense - Respond– Safe-fail experiments, not fail-safe projects

•Stimulate networks and environments•Pattern Management

– Boundaries– Attractors– Disrupt negative behaviour– Reinforce positive patterns

The implications of complexity

• Small differences at the start create big differences by the end ... so different organisational cultures require different processes

• In retrospect, we can see how, where, when and why things happened ... but predic+on is impossible

Complexity vs complicated

• Can you predict with certainty the end result of the process?

• NB “Hope” does not count...

complicated tools for soft issues

• Why do we do it?

• Why do we do it? – Numbers - to justify ourselves

• Why do we do it? – Numbers - to justify ourselves– Measure our success

• Answers are averages

• Answers are averages – Out of context

• Questions can be leading

• Questions can be leading– Gaming the survey

• Questions can be leading– Gaming the survey– “Free” comments aren’t

A complex problem

“We’re about to re-focus on an existing product. We’ve been given clear guidance by friendly customers that they

would have more faith in the product - and buy more - if our sales force had more faith in the product.”

The projectAdditional challenges

• Multiple languages– None of them English...

• Need it quickly• No idea what to expect

The project StoryWhat we did

• Collected examples of good/bad experiences

• Collected examples of good/bad experiences• “Signify” the examples

Signification?

• Tell us how you see the story...– Adds meaning– Allows us to analyse– Stops “experts” mis-interpreting

SignifiersIn this story the rep’s main focus was on...

[Company] Customer

N/ADefending the

product Making the sale

How common is this sort of story Never before/since

Very rare

Happens sometimes

Quite common

All the time

[Company] Customer

N/ADefending the

How common is this sort of story Never before/since

Very rare

Happens sometimes

Quite common

All the time

[Company] Customer

N/ADefending the

The attitude of the rep

Their sales skills Their product knowledge

What was most important in the success or failure? N/A

Results

• Initial patterns and issues evident from data

Client questions

• Does the most difficult part of the sales call change for pre-2005/post-2005 reps?– Does it change for last sales training course?

• Does the Competitive threat change for different customers?– Low data volumes, but there appears to be a shift away from generic for reps selling to specialists– Not specifically asked, but reps selling to specialists seemed to index stories with a more

pessimistic attitude and a more rational approach

• How do sales call and customer influence link? (Suspicion that objection handling is linked to [product risk 1])

– There is a correlation (r=0.233) between [product risk 1] and objection handling. There is a stronger correlation (r=0.259) between [product risk 2] and establishing the need

The bonus question

• How many positive stories about objection handling can we identify?

– There are 18 stories that are strongly indexed to objection handling and are either positive or strongly positive

Benefits

• Sales force enthused by the process itself• Local product/brand managers deepen understanding of

local issues• Surprises identified - and checked through data• Communications plan adapted to address real issues• Key stories provide content for communications

Staff are too child like &

pathetic

Staff patronise children

Too much to see and its

overwhelming

Not enough to keep me

interested

Rushed from place to place missed things

Too much time in one place

LIVERPOOL MUSEUMIMPACT MEASUREMENT

pathetic

overwhelming

interested

pathetic

overwhelming

interested

The museum stinksI was embarrassed to be thereWe never got to do anythingWhy can’t I have a go?We were treated like morons

pathetic

overwhelming

interested

pathetic

overwhelming

interested

When were in the insect house I wanted to use the models. Mr Smith kept telling us about them but didn’t let us touch them until the end and there wasn’t any time. He can play with them anytime and I missed my chance because of him, its not fair.

Cynefin domains

simpleSense

CategoriseRespond

Cynefin domains

simpleSense

CategoriseRespond

complicatedSense

AnalyseRespond

Cynefin domains

simpleSense

CategoriseRespond

complicatedSense

AnalyseRespond

chaosAct

SenseRespond

Cynefin domains

simpleSense

CategoriseRespond

complicatedSense

AnalyseRespond

complexProbeSense

Respond

chaosAct

SenseRespond

Cynefin domains

simpleSense

CategoriseRespond

complicatedSense

AnalyseRespond

complexProbeSense

Respond

chaosAct

SenseRespond

The short version

• New approaches to big problems– Often the “intractable” ones or the soft issues– Single project, multiple uses/results

• The next evolution of business thinking– Emphasis on client’s existing capabilities, emergence of issues

Tony Quinlane: tony@narrate.co.uk

babies, bathwater and targets · 2010. 9. 30. · place to place missed things too much time in one...

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