values: finding your meta-strategy
DESCRIPTION
Slides used for a class taught at Stanford for the Decision Education FoundationTRANSCRIPT
ValuesSomik Raha Jul 29, 2014
Values as measures: Value functions, utility functions Value-focused thinking: Distinguishing between means and ends Values as norms: Cultural norms that are upheld in society and organizations !Something else?
When you hear the term values, what are you hearing?
There is a fourth kind of listening
Values as “meta-strategy”
What can brushing our teeth teach us about values?
Systemic Value: Count of # times we’ve brushed Practical Value: Dental Hygiene Intrinsic Value: Personal well-being
Let’s try it. Can you come up with anything you’ve counted that you think represents what you were really after?
What can be counted does not really count. !
What counts cannot really be counted.
The great poets of the world speak of this
The one who confuses the label water for water is
naïve indeed. Repeating “water, water,” such a
one is destined to die of thirst.Sufi poet, Zaheen Shah Taji
Note: He is criticizing the conflation of the label with the experience,
not the use of labels themselves
The great poets of the world speak of this
Repeating “fire, fire” produces not a scratch on the lip !An ember on your lip will immediately burn it.
Sufi poet, Zaheen Shah Taji
Note: He is criticizing the conflation of the label with the experience, not the use of labels themselves
Intrinsic values are about finding your deepest values, and there are signs to
recognize them
Shake Emotional
Silence
The small truth has words that are clear. The great truth has great silence.
..Rabindranath Tagore
Intrinsic values have a quality of uniqueness
Test: Are most people likely to say “me too” for your intrinsic value? If yes, we need to keep looking. !The focus here is on those values that stir you in an odd and unique way
What’s your music?
Under the sky studded with the sun and myriad stars, In a universe throbbing with life, I've received my little space. In sheer wonder, music springs from the depths of my soul.
!…Rabindranath Tagore
We got stuck while doing a traditional DA consulting workshop
Our remit: Help us double our revenues from $500M to $1B
Three slides that went to the board
Meta-strategy (purpose)
M&A Strategy
Check opportunity for fit with packaging “traits” Only if there is fit, let’s look at the numbers
Quote from hard-nosed M&A expert: “I have never seen a soft tool work this well”
Observation
• Human mind shuts down when faced with numbers e.g. goals like double market share, revenues, etc.
• Creativity springs forth with inspiration e.g. Indian branch story, going from $2M to $30M
Value MappingFinding your meta-strategy
Values of SmartOrg
Having fun making
organizations Smarter
People co-creating Magic
Prudential Intrinsic
Systemic
Making a Difference
that Matters Amazing
Capabilities
Awesome Software:
That inspires, enables and empowers
Professional Experience:
Practical knowledgeable staff who can do and coach
Thought Leadership: Show the way to solve real
problems Improve:
Build Customer’s Capability
Service: Proactively
and responsively
serve the real need
Excellence: High quality
practical rigor
Great Relationships: Among ourselves, with
vendors, with clients
Whole Person: SmartOrg is where personal passion
meets the productive world
Situational Leadership:
Follow & lead, with responsibility
and accountability
VALUES as NORMS e.g. SmartOrg
Complete Integrity:
Honesty, openness, trust and
trustworthiness.
Ongoing Learning:
Ongoing Personal, Professional and
Team Development
Impact: Empowering
customers to achieve their most important
objectives
Financial Stewardship:
Sustain the business and the
people in it
Prosperity
Performance: Accomplishing
what we set out to do
Enjoyment: Work enlivens
Mapping your values (as meta-strategy)
? ?
?
YOU
Head Heart
Habit
Finance-Business
Partnership
Restoring Dignity to Economic
Evalautions
Agile Decision Support Systems
Head Heart
Habit
The professional
field you count yourself in
You show up and this shows
up
A goal that is deeply inspiring and an end-in-
itself for you
Find your purpose (meta-strategy) is an act of deep listening
Things that have worked for me !!
You can be a friend to someone Look for silence, emotion, shuddering
!Test the values – if any one is missing, is something big
missing? !
Look for uniqueness, not universality
The professional
field you count yourself in
!Intellectual
Energy
Let’s try it
? ?
?
YOU
Head Heart
HabitYou show up
and this shows up !
Unstoppable Energy
A goal that is deeply inspiring and an end-in-
itself for you !
Emotional Energy
Couple’s Meta-StrategyHospitality Welcoming
Spaces
Celebration
Head Heart
Habit
John
M&A —> ? Healing
Detachment
Head Heart
Habit
MaryBefore: Mary wondered about
helping John in his hotel business.
After: Mary is working on a transition to becoming a
therapist
CEO’s Meta-Strategy
Energy Efficiency
Ecosystem Solutions
Visionary Change
Head Heart
Habit
Doug/ Retrofit Company
Shin-gi-tai
Thanks to Kentaro Nakamichi
In Summary• Values as Meta-Strategy is upstream of all practical
considerations
• This is about the mountain you want to climb (distinct from how you want to walk on the road)
• The highest given in a decision e.g. We commit to strategic fit (safe, natural, etc.)
• All DA value calculations are Systemic values
Given
Current
Future
Systematizing to get to the value is essential, but it is not the value
Systems drive action. (police story)
Public Safety Education
Dignity of Client
Head Heart
Habit
SUDPS
Somik’s lens on SUDPS
SYSTEM: Hire highly educated people who resonate with “dignity of client”
Systematizing to get to the value is essential, but it is not the value
Systems drive action. (police story)
Criteria for fit is one example of a system. It can get us to realize the values, but is not equal to the value.
Making multi-attribute models to trade-off these intrinsic values kind of misses the point (oil and gas story)
Analysis is good when we are confused (Amazon story)
Affects how we view decision quality
Head and Heart in Decision Quality
Decision Quality is largely head-focused in its articulation
Head
Frame Appropriate
Alternatives Feasible
Information Relevant, Material
Preferences Trade-offs, Metrics
Logic Clear
Commitment to Action!
High-quality commitments
Decision Quality is largely head-focused in its articulation
Head Heart
Frame Appropriate Meaningful
Alternatives Feasible Inspiring
Information Relevant, Material Decisive
Preferences Trade-offs, Metrics Noble Purpose
Integration Clear Narrative
Commitment to Action!
High-quality commitments
Leadership, Followership, Laddership
Meta-strategy perspective on Heart
Pkg Story
Pkg Story
Oil & Gas
Head Heart
Frame Appropriate Meaningful
Alternatives Feasible Inspiring
Information Relevant, Material Decisive
Preferences Trade-offs, Metrics Noble Purpose
Integration Clear Narrative
Commitment to Action!
High-quality commitments
Leadership, Followership, Laddership
helps individuals, families, and communities struggling with alcohol abuse, substance abuse, and drug addiction transform their lives
Capital investment projects had been carefully selected to improve facilities. This caused a backlash, with employees asking why funds weren’t used to give pay raises.
e.g. redesign spaces to be welcoming, comfortable chairs for clients to feel at home. It takes a lot for people in that position to trust and reach out for help.
When the decision was explained in the context of their core value of bringing respect and dignity to the lives of those who have suffered from substance abuse and addiction problems, employees understood and supported it.
Decision Analysts: Never a time when we didn’t need a narrative
Meta-strategy perspective on Heart
Pkg Story
Pkg Story
Oil & Gas
Hazelden
Head Heart
Frame Appropriate Meaningful
Alternatives Feasible Inspiring
Information Relevant, Material Decisive
Preferences Trade-offs, Metrics Noble Purpose
Integration Clear Narrative
Commitment to Action!
High-quality commitments
Leadership, Followership, Laddership
Guardian of Apple’s core value of beautiful design “Insanely Great Products”Steve Jobs
Think Different
Insanely Great
Products
Zen Minimalism
Head Heart
Habit
Followership
Mahatma Gandhi
SatyagrahaUpliftment
of all
Ahimsa
Head Heart
Habit
Sarvodaya
DaanUpliftment
of all
Love
Head Heart
Habit
Sarvodaya
Vinoba Bhave
Bhoodan
Leader. Follower. Ladder.
Leaders are best when people barely know they exist. When their work is done, their aim fulfilled, people say, “we did it ourselves” .. Lao Tzu in Tao Te Ching
In business, ladders have been called “Level 5 leaders” (Jim Collins)
Reflections. Stories.
What does laddership mean to you?