Step 9 in Action


Step #9 in Action

Tough Issue: The Software Solution Needs Modification

start example

The R&D team members that reached agreement on option B in Step #8 thought their choice would work for months, maybe even years. Yet only two weeks after picking it as the best platform for new-product development, they discovered a hitch. "We can't get the software to work effectively with one of our revolutionary designs to make computers easier to use," reported a team member. "Without this application, we won't have the common platform and breakthrough applications we hoped to achieve."

end example

A Great Decision Solution

Road bumps like the one the R&D team experienced occur frequently. In fact, the need for change arises several times faster than people anticipate. Technologies evolve rapidly. Markets fluctuate with new regulations or new players. Consumer preferences and competitive dynamics shift at a blistering pace. Many businesses struggle to keep up, recognizing that they are missing key opportunities because they don't change quickly enough. Similarly, communities flail away at making decisions about critical improvements in education, transportation, and other infrastructure requirements long after the needs first arise. Many groups find that the square peg no longer fits in the square hole. The square hole has become round or closed altogether, and is now surrounded by new holes that have opened up elsewhere.

It's natural to want more stability than is possible. Teams often discover that new issues arise as they apply their solutions to the original problem and learn how they work. However, teams can bounce back from the problems brought on by rapid change. The R&D team in this example quickly recovered from its setback and succeeded in addressing its problem because it had another available solution. Option C, which the members had approved as an acceptable alternative, worked effectively with the new application and thus became the chosen path. Since the group had taken part in an open process without the drawbacks of personal advocacy, this shift to an alternate option occurred without bruising any egos or causing divisive battles. Although the initial solution didn't work, the overall process did. The team succeeded in its important quest to build on each other's work and create breakthrough product opportunities.




How Great Decisions Get Made. 10 Easy Steps for Reaching Agreement on Even the Toughest Issues
How Great Decisions Get Made: 10 Easy Steps for Reaching Agreement on Even the Toughest Issues
ISBN: 0814407935
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 112
Authors: Don Maruska

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