the responsive method
DESCRIPTION
The Responsive Method was pioneered by Aha! and is centered around the belief that interactions with urgency are what propel people and organizations forward. It is a simple way to have mutually beneficial interactions. It embraces an interrupt-driven approach to communications and getting work done, but bases longer-term investments of resources on aligning requests against pre-set strategic initiatives. It is a framework for people and organizations to get the most out of today’s abundant free-flow of information while staying on track towards a goal. The Responsive Method has four key characteristics. Interrupt driven This is contrary to conventional wisdom, but I think you and your company should be driven by interruptions. Most people are taught to try to tune out distractions rather than being open to them and I think that is a mistake. I think you should listen carefully to the noise so you can learn to pick out the valuable data. This is true regardless of whether you work in sales, handle customer support requests, respond to candidates, or are an engineer dealing with incoming bug reports. Embrace the interruptions. A request is the only sign you have that someone needs something from you right now. Goal first If you are going to be interrupt-driven and respond to requests in real-time you need a way to assess the presented needs. While most questions are easy to quickly answer, some require meaningful investments of time and energy to satisfy (e.g. a major feature request from an important customer). You need to know whether you are going to invest that effort. And to do so wisely you must establish a “goal first” approach and a true north for where you are headed. A “goal first” approach is about defining your vision. Because If you do not have a vision, it will be difficult to understand what major requests are aligned with your goal and your direction and need your attention longer term. Yay or nay now You should respond to requests quickly as they come in. That’s because you can not afford to keep revisiting them. You need to quickly analyze them as they are received and allow your “goal first” strategy to guide you. Most requests can be quickly handled but the goal of a rapid “Yah” or “Nah” should not be at the expense of accuracy. There is no point in being hasty but wrong. It is absolutely ok to acknowledge that the request was received and that you will get back to the person shortly. The key is to digest the information and its importance as quickly as possible so you can get on to the next one and creating more value. Be transparent Allow someone to peak inside and understand why you responded the way you did rather than just hearing your response. Explaining the “why” makes the “what” simple to digest. You need to be more than just nice because being nice alone does not help someone see your perspective. This is especially important when saying “No.”TRANSCRIPT
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
TheResponsiveMethod
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
My goal is to respond to your request as quickly as I can
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When I do, I have the best chance of interacting with you while you are focused on the request at hand
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
I want to be useful to you right now, because I will receive value in return
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
But it’s highly unsatisfying and unlikely to generate a loyal following (of humans)
This is the Responsive
Method
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
Interactions with urgency are what propel people and organizations forward
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
But it’s highly unsatisfying and unlikely to generate a loyal following (of humans)
Historically, organizational structures and hierarchy defined how people worked
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This allowed managers to apply experience and ensure consistency
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
But, sacrificed the free-flow of information, creativity, and meaningful contributions …
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
… and inserted delays and inefficiency into how communications happened
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
But it’s highly unsatisfying and unlikely to generate a loyal following (of humans)
We have entered anew era
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Where those who respond quickly will be most rewarded — no matter their title or role
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
But it’s highly unsatisfying and unlikely to generate a loyal following (of humans)Speed and
adaptability are required to engage
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
But it’s highly unsatisfying and unlikely to generate a loyal following (of humans)
Velocity plus four key skills are at the core of
The Responsive Method
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
1. Interrupt driven
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
Most people are taught to try to tune out distractions rather than being open to them…
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
But it’s highly unsatisfying and unlikely to generate a loyal following (of humans)
… but, someone needs something from you right now
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
2. Goal first
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
A “goal first” approach is about defining your vision
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
But it’s highly unsatisfying and unlikely to generate a loyal following (of humans)
If you do not have a vision, you don’t know which interrupts need your real attention
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
But it’s highly unsatisfying and unlikely to generate a loyal following (of humans)
3. Yay or nay now
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
Respond to requests as quickly as they come in—you can not afford to keep revisiting them
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
Don’t be afraid to graciously say “Nay” when a request is not in line with your future
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
But it’s highly unsatisfying and unlikely to generate a loyal following (of humans)
4. Be Transparent
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
Allow someone to peek inside to understand why you responded the way you did
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
Explaining the why makes the what simple to digest
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
Compressed response time = accelerated value + satisfaction for everyone
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
Accelerate your personal and business growth and the value you ultimately create
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
This is The Responsive Method
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014
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It’s for responsive product managers who need to create brilliant product strategy and visual roadmaps
www.aha.io© Aha! 2014