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January 24-‐25, 2013 Igsummit.weebly.com

Innova?on Games: Roll Out by Infec?on at Rackspace

Tony Wolf

SDLC Project Management Rackspace – The Open Cloud Company

Aus?n, TX

[email protected]


Who are we? What do we do?

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What is this OpenStack thing you speak of?


Why we game

“Rackspace has a very collabora?ve culture. I am looking for ways to accelerate capability; a ‘meta-‐language’ for the culture. I introduced Innova?on Games [and other mechanisms] as portable meta-‐pa]erns to speed up conversa?on. Collabora?ve organiza?ons need thinking toolkits … so they can spend their brainpower on solving the problem rather than figuring out how to solve the problem.”

-‐  Mark Interrante, VP of Product

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Discussion: What would you do?


Rackspace’s History with IG and Serious Games

What did we do?

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Pre-‐IG Gameplay •  Approx. 2009-‐10:

Thoughtworks Quickstart •  Not explicitly training,

games only taught enough to be run

•  Product Box, Speedboat •  From feedback created

“showcase” •  A number very interested

and go on to learn more (Gamestorming: Sunni Brown)

Thoughtworks

Infec?on Map


Pre-‐IG Game Propoga?on •  One was actually so taken with it, went on to learn more –  Gamestorming –  Business Model Canvas

–  Speedboat –  Empathy Map

•  For some ?me, actually produced own training

Thoughtworks

Infec?on Map

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Incuba?on •  Despite this, games died out for some ?me as orgs and posi?ons changed

Infec?on Map


September 2010 •  Mark Interrante joins Rackspace

•  Knew of Luke from prior books and first Product Camp

•  Worked with Luke and games previously at Yahoo

•  Rackspace IGTF Count = 2

Infec?on Map

Mark

Harry

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December 2010 •  Mark brings Luke and

Enthiosys on to support Agile transforma?on

•  Enthiosys plays first games with Rackers as part of Organiza?onal Retrospec?ves

•  Over 100 Rackers exposed to games, including Cloud Execu?ves

•  I meet Luke

Infec?on Map

Mark

Harry Luke

me

Exec Exec

Exec

Exec


Jan -‐ Apr 2011 •  Agile training for all Cloud Product Rackers

•  A limited form of IG training is included –  Product Tree –  Buy a Feature

•  Approximately 300 Rackers par?cipate in training

Infec?on Map

Mark

Harry Luke

me

Exec Exec

Exec

Exec

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June 2011 •  First 2 Rackers a]end formal training in San Jose – Me –  Someone from Mktg

•  Rackspace IGTF Count = 4

Infec?on Map


August 2011 •  Luke runs refresher course for Product Managers –  Product Tree –  Roadmapping

Infec?on Map

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December 2011 •  First set of Rackspace IG

Training sessions •  21 select Rackers from Mark’s

org a]end 2-‐day •  Mark’s discussion with peers

results in addi?onal class for Supply Chain

•  Addi?onal 26 Rackers from Supply Chain are trained

•  Rackspace IGTF Count = 51 •  By popular demand:

–  E-‐mail list –  Cha]er Group

Infec?on Map

CEO


April 2012 •  Integra?on Product line uses games to re-‐envision their mission

•  Contract with Luke has long since ended

•  Certain areas become ac?ve areas of play

Infec?on Map

CEO

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July 2012 •  Addi?onal Org

added to infec?on •  Games run for

customers at OpenStack conference

•  Results brought back to feed Roadmapping

•  First Customer Advisory Board run with games for Rackspace with Luke

Infec?on Map

CEO


July-‐August 2012 •  Ongoing support for addi?on Agile Transforma?ons within Rackspace begin to incorporate games as best prac?ce –  Product Box –  20/20 –  Product Tree

Infec?on Map

CEO

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Nov-‐Dec 2012 •  Games incorporated

into SD Pipleline class

•  SDLC Class for Rackers and aspiring Rackers

•  Product Defini?on –  Product Box –  20/20

•  Retrospec?ve –  Speedboat

Infec?on Map

CEO


December 2012 •  Second set of

Rackspace IG Training sessions –  Opera?onal

Excellence –  IT/Founda?ons

•  Rackspace IGTF Count ≈ 100

•  Rackspace gets Enterprise license to IGO

Infec?on Map

CEO

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Roll-‐out Review/Demo

•  Go back over discussion notes and see: –  If we did it – How effec?ve was it – What did we not think of


That’s Awesome! 1.  Get one

execu?ve promoter

2.  Get a bunch of classes

3.  Profit!

Infec?on Map

CEO

 Not so fast

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Who s?ll plays? Infec?on Map

CEO


What Happened?

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[email protected]

•  Created by popular demand following First set of IG Trainings to foster collabora?on and growth between groups

•  Has all of two pos?ngs: – 12/28/2011: welcome message

– 12/29/2011: pos?ng from Luke on enterprise license for Online Games


Innova?on through Games

•  45 members

•  18 messages in 6 months

•  None since July •  7 unique contributors

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul

•  Created by popular demand from Dec 2011 Training Sessions

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A tale of two orgs Highly Frequent and integrated use of gameplay in everyday work

Seen as a handy, fun tool to be used “as =me permits”

“I don’t really promote the use of IG specifically. I just see it as one of many tools to solve problems.”

“ I liked it, and received good feedback on the games, though there was no effort to explicitly rollout the games.”

“…was in charge of a Learning Center that included … IG.”

“… spent a lot of ?me talking about ‘up-‐leveling’ the capabili?es…This isn’t packaged sowware, this isn’t OEM. This is on-‐demand sowware, which is a new area for us.”

“I’m not sure why games are so prevalent in my org., except to say that I tend to a]ract ‘Mind Voodoo’ kind of people.”

“There was a high degree of rota?on… Several people in the org. now were never exposed to the games…. I think refresher courses would be a good idea.”


The actual differences

•  Confidence: in playing the games and in their outcomes

•  Ownership: a belief that this is a part of your work, not something extra.

“ There is an emphasis on design thinking, meta-‐thinking; and inten?on about how we solve problems.”

“I’ve been working a lot in Product Marke?ng so I haven’t really had ?me for it and it takes so long to set up … plus my ‘day job’.”

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StrenthFinders 2.0 Tom Rath

•  Rather than: “You can be anything you want to be, if you just try hard enough.”

•  Instead: “You cannot be anything you want to be – but you can be a lot more of what you already are.”

•  32 “Strengths” •  Every Racker’s strengths are available to every other Racker.


What’s in a Facilitator

•  Out of 10 specifically selected champions and lead facilitators at Rackspace: –  60% have Learner –  50% have Strategic –  40% have Responsibility –  40% have Input

•  Not defini?ve, but suggests there may be durable, measureable traits associated with those

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Fostering Infec?on

Infec=on Innova=on

Presence of virus or germ Training, Knowledge, Ownership, Comfort

Weakened immune system Business need: necessity is the mother of inven?on.

Carrier Champions, Resources, and favorable environment


What does this mean?

•  Innova?on Games Training does just that: –  It TRAINS for Innova?on Games –  It gets people excited about using games

•  Training does not drive use – Business need drives use – But exper?se must be available when needed – Use must seem natural, addi?onal effort is rejected under stress

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So where did all that training get us?

Where are we now?


Have you ever heard of Innova?on Games or the use of Serious Games as a way to solve business

problems?

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How did you FIRST hear about Innova?on Games?


What games have you par?cipated in?

Other: Varia?ons on Speedboat

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How would you rate the games (NPS-‐style)


How owen do you par?cipate in IG as a player?

Other: In a previous role

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How owen do you conduct IG as as a facilitator?

Other: In a previous role


What was the objec?ve of the game(s)?

•  Iden?fy internal customers and priori?za?on of work/improvement needs

•  Retrospec?ves, Roadmapping, Release Planning, Agile Training, Agile Transforma?ons

•  Kick off a project and/or gather requirements

•  Determine the important project milestones

•  Get the team aligned around the problem

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How well did the game accomplish the objec?ve it was

intended to address? •  Games worked very well. Games naturally grouped and

priori?zed. The team could see this through the spacial dimensions the games provide

•  Excellently •  I don’t recall having a lot of overwhelming success. •  Great! Remember the Future took us from a deployed

system back to the ini?al condi?ons without going down ratholes.

•  It was effec?ve.


What training did you receive to run Innova?on Games?

Other: N/A

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What holds you back from running more (or any) games?

•  In a different role now •  I have not had ?me

•  As a product manager it is more important that I act as an observer for the games, not as facilitator or player

•  Time focused at work on other things that don’t necessarily need games to get done


If you could change anything about how games are used (or not) at Rackspace, …

•  Supplies! Supplies! Supplies! Tiered training •  Expose it to more employees

•  More knowledge across the business about using these games in our everyday life. More team members wan?ng to play these games and understand the value.

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What can we do now?

Making the games more accessible to Rackspace environment


The IG Process

P18., Innova?on Games, Luke Hohmann

1) What are your ques?ons? What will you do with the answers?

4) Process/analyze the data.

5) Take ac?on.

2) What data is needed to answer these ques?ons?

2a) Select and prepare the appropriate game.

3) Acquire the data. 3a) Plan for and play the game.

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The IG Timeline Preparing Post-‐Processing Ac?on!

Playing

Process Observer Note cards (same/

next day)

2-‐6 mon 6 – 12 wks 1 wk 1-‐2 wks 1-‐3 wks


A Mee?ng




5) Take ac?on.


3) Acquire the data.

Agenda

Par?cipants

Discussion

Write up notes

Well, yeah, Take ac?on

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An IG Mee?ng




5) Take ac?on.


3) Acquire the data.

Agenda

Par?cipants

Discussion

Write up notes

Well, yeah, Take ac?on

2a) Select and prepare the appropriate game.

3a) Plan for and play the game.

Mee?ng Prep


The IG Mee?ng Timeline Preparing Post-‐Processing Ac?on!

Playing

Process Observer Note cards (if any)

0-‐2 hrs 0 -‐ 1 hr varies op?onal 0 -‐ 2 hr

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The ad-‐hoc IG Mee?ng Timeline Preparing Post-‐Processing Ac?on!

Playing

Embed observa?on into game

Already done Invite: done

5min Intro 0-‐2 hrs op?onal

Prep: Oh No! I NEED

SUPPLIES!


•  Culmina?on of 3 simultaneous efforts –  Idea space for innova?on –  Innova?on “in a box” – OE seeking info on Innova?on Games

•  Fueled by Karin (prior Gamestormer, with classes) •  Driven by OE team •  Guided by Cloud

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Why | As more Rackers are exposed to an expanding set of different tools & methodologies, demand for a space to share best prac?ces and solve problems tailored to Racker culture is growing.

What | RACK?vity room is a space where all Rackers can come to collaborate and solve problems using fun, interac?ve techniques.

Who | The room began as a joint effort between Opera?onal Excellence, Cloud, SMB Ops, Marke?ng & Real Estate, open to addi?onal partners across the Rack

Where | The room will be a 25’ x 16’ located on Main Street

When | Set to launch late Feb 2013

Partnership & Collabora=on Integrate tools into Racker Culture as a new way of ge|ng things done


Design | The room is designed based upon feedback and input gathered from over 50 Rackers.

Materials | The room will be turn key for Rackers’ problem solving & innova?on sessions—provisioned with easy to follow instruc?ons, templates and materials for a variety of exercises and games.

Resources | Trained, experienced facilitators will be available to all Rackers u?lizing the room.

Clinic | A RACK?vity Room Clinic will be established to advise Rackers on to select the right games & techniques, plan & prepare for sessions, or even build a roadmap from problem defini?on to execu?on to sustaining an improved solu?on.

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Game Issue to Solve

Speedboat Identify & prioritize pain points with a product or process"

Empathy Map To understand how a stakeholder or customer perceives something"

Desired Outcome Framework

Clarify what you want to achieve, alignment with stakeholders, identify obstacles & consequences up front "

Prune The Product Tree Align products to markets using customer feedback, allow product teams to remove unwanted features "

Prisoners' Dilemma Demonstrates common goal across teams delivers optimal results "

Roles & Goals Understand context & motivations of organizations & groups"

SWOT Analysis Provides a shared understanding of internal & external forces impacting the success of a team

Root Cause Analysis Determine precise, ultimate cause(s) of problem"


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What do YOU think? How can we make it beMer?

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