Tag Archives: methodology

Alignment

While it is not always true that multiple resources can complete a task more efficiently, it is often the case.  In simple terms, efficient means in a well-organized and competent way.

Efficient work is usually faster and of a higher quality.  For a number of people to work together toward a common goal, that is all are contributing to an outcome (product or service), alignment of approach is a critical underpinning.

Confusion Reigns

Say you are washing the dishes with a familly member.  There are a number of interelated tasks for your team to complete.  Things like putting leftover food away, scraping the plates before hand washing in the sink or putting in the dishwasher.

These tasks apply to the pots.  Condiments have to be stored and the table cloth shaken or replaced and washed.

The participants in the clean-up need to be aligned as to approach, i.e., who is doing what, how and when.  Without alignment confusion takes over and the end result is not arrived at efficiently.  It will be slow and messy, frustrating for the participants.

Conceptual Alignment

How to approach achieving your objectives, what you are trying to achieve and how you are going to get there is not only a key to being efficient but also drives everyones contentment.

If all are not on the same page, trying to read the book together is never going to work.  This does not mean everyone must like everyone else or even agree, but they must be able to both accept and align their behaviour to the common approach.

In essence all must either agree or be able to say I don’t agree this is best but I can support and comfortably live with this approach.

Solving Problems

I had a very interesting discussion today about the generic process for getting things done.  At a very high level, all objectives are problems to be solved.

Philosophically, whether you are performing a service, investing, building products, communicating or any  other action focused on achieving a goal,  the outcome solves the problem that motivated the action in the first place.

So conceptually we are all problem solvers.

Basic Methodology

Step one is to gather information.  What do we know about the problem.  This is basic data gathering that enables us to formulate what we are going to do (our objective) to solve the problem.

This step in standard project methodology is the initiation phase.

Step two is to solution development.  What actions are we going to take to solvethe problem.  This step includes data analysis, feasibility, resource and scheduling.

This is the planning phase.

Step Three is executing the plan from the previous step.  This is the build phase where the work is undertaken  to develop/ produce whatever is needed to actually solve the problem.  This includes intangible solutions, like a service or intellectual property development.

In project methodology this is the execution phase.

The final step is completion.  That is releasing the solution so it is put in practice and the problem is solved.

This is known as the closing phase in project methodology.

Not neccessarily a project

Although I have made references to project methodology this generic problem solving process can be personalized effort, operational or any other underlying drive.  It might not be projectized but the methodology described is an orderly way to increase the probability that the problem will be solved, i.e., the goal achieved.