Wednesday 17 August 2011

A Framework for collaboration Platform Deployment

The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with some tools and techniques which will accelerate their organisations performance, towards the leadership position in their space, enabling significant changes in how people work and collaborate. In addition to ensure that investment in social collaboration platforms gains maximum traction and avoids the major pitfalls. Underpinning the approach is recognition that collaboration and collaboration maturity are complex human behaviours and, that deployment of social connection platforms to release an organisations talent will not deliver unless they are underpinned by very high levels of organisation maturity and learning. There has been a general recognition in business that there is a strong Organisation Development (OD) element to accelerating collaboration , however there is a tendency to be  driven by the simple definition of collaboration behaviours such as “it’s about trust, sharing of goals and communications” and using SNA measurements as indicators. The reality is there are 20 core OD dynamics that influence collaboration maturity and outcomes, and in the paper we introduce a simple diagnostic to measure these so that personal, organisation and platform development can be aligned for maximum traction.
Top Five Pitfalls for deployment
1.        Failure to sufficiently recognise that we are enabling a change in how people work together and as such the deployment of collaboration strategies and platforms is an important organisation development activity.
2.        Failure to recognise that collaboration is a human activity and human system activity; it’s about people, their style, their behaviours, their motivations and their incentives.
3.        Deployment of social media collaboration platforms are often treated as an IT or System upgrade projects rather than core business change initiatives.
4.        Failure to create an explicit and strong connection to the business case, goals and KPI’s of the business in the eyes of the stakeholders.
5.        The absence of a suitable framework to deploy a collaboration strategy and attain the target ROI.
Though there are many other pitfalls they are generally covered if we adopt a collaboration strategy that addresses the top five pitfalls. So we can say that the critical success factors for successful deployment of a collaboration strategy and platform are as follows:-
1.        Establish the business case for collaboration up front and identify how the organisation will demonstrate that performance meets or exceeds the business case.
2.        Define the collaboration OD strategy across the business that connects the business case with individual and organisation development plans.
3.        Measure the collaboration maturity across the organisation; it becomes the base-line for selecting and deploying the level and type of interventions and actions that will allow maximum traction for new ways of working and the platform.
4.        Integrate the social media collaboration platform Adopt an overall collaboration Framework/Methodology to pull together the components of the collaboration strategy and allows the stakeholders to engage and influence.
5.        project into the overall strategic OD program. Aligning the enablement of features and functions with the other interventions that reflect the level of organisation and individual learning.

The Global Institute for advanced organisation learning “collaboration framework“(collaborationIP™)
The CollaborationIP™ Methodology
CollaborationIP™ Methodology Components
The overall methodology is a roadmap and a set of tools, processes, templates and guides designed to successfully guide an organisation through the process of strategic change towards creating a leadership zone position where the collaboration maturity is creating sustainable strategic and operational leadership. Each Domain has the appropriate tools for an organisation. Let us now review each core domain. Built into the framework and methods are best practice collaboration techniques for the organisations leadership to design and execute the program. So in-build will be leadership by example and learning from the leaders.
CIP™-Business
Objective: - To enable key stakeholders to identify the key business drivers and performance metrics that accelerating collaboration capability is designed to impact, and prepare a business case and a set of business controls to ensure during and on completion of a collaboration program that intended outcomes can be achieved within the investment scope approved.
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has three key deliverables:-
·         The Business Case for Collaboration
·         The collaboration KPI Integration Map
·         Collaboration Program Metric process
CIP™-Facilitation
Objective: - To identify CSF’s & Risks for the overall program and confirm stakeholder commitment, governance and support for all aspects of the program and related investment.
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has three key deliverables:-
·         The program vision & Goals
·         The core governance & facilitation structure
·         Program Role definitions
CIP™-Diagnosis
Objective: - To scientifically diagnose the level of collaboration maturity within the organisation to enable program interventions to be designed at an appropriate and sustainable learning level. In additional to maintain alignment on the 3 core programs (Personal, Organisation & Platform).
Approach Recommended: - On-Line
This domain has three key deliverables:-
·         Collaboration Diagnostic Plan
·         Collaboration Maturity Diagnostic report (Actual level, steps for next level)
·         Collaboration Maturity Dashboard
CIP™-Strategy
Objective: - Using the findings from the Diagnosis phase the key stakeholders can now refine the overall strategy so that relevant execution-able and integrated programs and metrics can be executed.
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has one key deliverable:-
·         Collaboration Program and Project Statement
CIP™-Programs (Personal, Organisation, Platform)
Objective:- create the plan, process, tools, KPI’s  and teams for each of the three key streams and kick off the integrated programs:-
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has the following deliverables: - (Normally adopting the organisations standard PM methods)
·         Project Plans and Milestones
·         Reports and metrics
CIP™- Progress
Objective:- Integrated into the model and referenced above is the need to ensure stakeholders can see progress and connect their actions and behaviours to accelerating collaboration maturity at all levels in the business this will include:-
·         Business KPI’s
·         Operational KPI’s
·         Collaboration KPI’s and Social Network analysis
·         Maturity and cultural indicator

Approach Recommended: - PMO & Templates






















Top 5 Pitfalls for Collaboration Programs and Platforms

Why deployment of social collaboration platforms may not gain sufficient traction?
(& what can be done to maximise engagement and outcomes?)
The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with some tools and techniques which will accelerate their organisations performance, towards the leadership position in their space, enabling significant changes in how people work and collaborate. In addition to ensure that investment in social collaboration platforms gains maximum traction and avoids the major pitfalls. Underpinning the approach is recognition that collaboration and collaboration maturity are complex human behaviours and, that deployment of social connection platforms to release an organisations talent will not deliver unless they are underpinned by very high levels of organisation maturity and learning. There has been a general recognition in business that there is a strong Organisation Development (OD) element to accelerating collaboration , however there is a tendency to be  driven by the simple definition of collaboration behaviours such as “it’s about trust, sharing of goals and communications” and using SNA measurements as indicators. The reality is there are 20 core OD dynamics that influence collaboration maturity and outcomes, and in the paper we introduce a simple diagnostic to measure these so that personal, organisation and platform development can be aligned for maximum traction.
Top Five Pitfalls for deployment
1.        Failure to sufficiently recognise that we are enabling a change in how people work together and as such the deployment of collaboration strategies and platforms is an important organisation development activity.
2.        Failure to recognise that collaboration is a human activity and human system activity; it’s about people, their style, their behaviours, their motivations and their incentives.
3.        Deployment of social media collaboration platforms are often treated as an IT or System upgrade projects rather than core business change initiatives.
4.        Failure to create an explicit and strong connection to the business case, goals and KPI’s of the business in the eyes of the stakeholders.
5.        The absence of a suitable framework to deploy a collaboration strategy and attain the target ROI.
Though there are many other pitfalls they are generally covered if we adopt a collaboration strategy that addresses the top five pitfalls. So we can say that the critical success factors for successful deployment of a collaboration strategy and platform are as follows:-
1.        Establish the business case for collaboration up front and identify how the organisation will demonstrate that performance meets or exceeds the business case.
2.        Define the collaboration OD strategy across the business that connects the business case with individual and organisation development plans.
3.        Measure the collaboration maturity across the organisation; it becomes the base-line for selecting and deploying the level and type of interventions and actions that will allow maximum traction for new ways of working and the platform.
4.        Integrate the social media collaboration platform Adopt an overall collaboration Framework/Methodology to pull together the components of the collaboration strategy and allows the stakeholders to engage and influence.
5.        project into the overall strategic OD program. Aligning the enablement of features and functions with the other interventions that reflect the level of organisation and individual learning.

The Global Institute for advanced organisation learning “collaboration framework“(collaborationIP™)
The CollaborationIP™ Methodology
CollaborationIP™ Methodology Components
The overall methodology is a roadmap and a set of tools, processes, templates and guides designed to successfully guide an organisation through the process of strategic change towards creating a leadership zone position where the collaboration maturity is creating sustainable strategic and operational leadership. Each Domain has the appropriate tools for an organisation. Let us now review each core domain. Built into the framework and methods are best practice collaboration techniques for the organisations leadership to design and execute the program. So in-build will be leadership by example and learning from the leaders.
CIP™-Business
Objective: - To enable key stakeholders to identify the key business drivers and performance metrics that accelerating collaboration capability is designed to impact, and prepare a business case and a set of business controls to ensure during and on completion of a collaboration program that intended outcomes can be achieved within the investment scope approved.
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has three key deliverables:-
·         The Business Case for Collaboration
·         The collaboration KPI Integration Map
·         Collaboration Program Metric process
CIP™-Facilitation
Objective: - To identify CSF’s & Risks for the overall program and confirm stakeholder commitment, governance and support for all aspects of the program and related investment.
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has three key deliverables:-
·         The program vision & Goals
·         The core governance & facilitation structure
·         Program Role definitions
CIP™-Diagnosis
Objective: - To scientifically diagnose the level of collaboration maturity within the organisation to enable program interventions to be designed at an appropriate and sustainable learning level. In additional to maintain alignment on the 3 core programs (Personal, Organisation & Platform).
Approach Recommended: - On-Line
This domain has three key deliverables:-
·         Collaboration Diagnostic Plan
·         Collaboration Maturity Diagnostic report (Actual level, steps for next level)
·         Collaboration Maturity Dashboard
CIP™-Strategy
Objective: - Using the findings from the Diagnosis phase the key stakeholders can now refine the overall strategy so that relevant execution-able and integrated programs and metrics can be executed.
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has one key deliverable:-
·         Collaboration Program and Project Statement
CIP™-Programs (Personal, Organisation, Platform)
Objective:- create the plan, process, tools, KPI’s  and teams for each of the three key streams and kick off the integrated programs:-
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has the following deliverables: - (Normally adopting the organisations standard PM methods)
·         Project Plans and Milestones
·         Reports and metrics
CIP™- Progress
Objective:- Integrated into the model and referenced above is the need to ensure stakeholders can see progress and connect their actions and behaviours to accelerating collaboration maturity at all levels in the business this will include:-
·         Business KPI’s
·         Operational KPI’s
·         Collaboration KPI’s and Social Network analysis
·         Maturity and cultural indicator

Approach Recommended: - PMO & Templates






















Friday 5 August 2011

The top 10 tips for successful start-up's

OVERVIEW
Starting a new business is both exciting and risky. Over the past few years I have met with many entrepreneurs and reviewed many business plans. Tremendous talent and creativity exists in our society and technology is enabling innovation whether it be products, processes, or services. However the time to realize the value of the promoters’ investment is influenced by a huge amount of variables and these tips are designed to give some pointers to entrepreneurs considering a new venture or in the early stages of start up.

     Validate Market; you must prove that a market exists and define it, i.e. ID customers, groups, size and spend. Is it static? declining? or growing? It’s more attractive if  it’s growing because you are not trying to take a share from a competitor. A good business idea does not mean there is a market, and only in very rare circumstances are you creating a new market.
     Confirm Competition; if there is no competition it is likely there is no market. The biggest competitive threat for start up’s is the potential that a client will do nothing, because they do not see your value proposition.
     Define Business Model;   Have a clear and defined business model (How we make money!). Model it, identify revenue and cost drivers and convert to a P & L. Make sure you have a primary revenue stream, it confirms the business has a  focus.
     Carry out Feasibility;   before you invest significant, time and money, talk to the target customers and market, present your business and confirm the market exists and the proposed value proposition is accepted.
    Create a Team; rarely will the initial promoter (s) have all the skills required to launch a successful business, know the gaps and how you will fill the gaps even on a temporary or part time basis.
     Engage with Public Support Mechanisms:  There are many supports available, not just financial, but advisory, marketing and incubation programs, find the ones that suit your business and engage early with them. (EI, INI, BIC’s, Trade Associations – in Ireland).
     Prepare a 10 page business plan; any less and your analysis and detail are likely to be incomplete, much more and your focus is likely to be suboptimal. The business plan helps stakeholders understand the roadmap and milestones you (They) are committing to.
     Don’t boil the ocean; Focus on core business and core model. Define the minimum spec. for your product or service to enter the market and get selling quickly. Customer and market feedback will help refine the plan. You will confirm customer value as they will be parting  with money, and you get to market quickly (Be Agile)
    Adopt good business practice; as appropriate for scale and maturity of business apply good process, practice and governance. It really pays back,  helps control the business performance and demonstrates to stakeholders it’s in control (avoids exit transaction issues)
   Adapt & Respond Don’t be afraid to change the business as you learn in the Market & Terminate the business quickly if it is failing