Organization Development

Levi aspirations statement (from HBR 9-10 '90)

We all want a company that our people are proud of and committed to, where all employees have an opportunity to contribute, learn, grow, and advance based on merit, not politics or background. We want our people to feel respected, treated fairly, listened to, and involved. Above all, we want satisfaction from accomplishments and friendships, balanced personal and professional lives, and to have fun in our endeavors.

When we describe the kind of Levi Strauss & Co. we want in the future, what we are talking about is building on the foundation we have inherited: affirming the best of our company's traditions, closing gaps that may exist between principles and practices, and updating some of our values to reflect contemporary circumstances.

(1999 Update. Fortune calls Levi the “brand that blew it,” noting that under Hass, the company’s net worth has dropped billions.)

Quote:

"This, then, is the thing termed simplification: a philosophy which strictly discourages all unnecessary motions in business." HBR 1923

THE ECOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP

by Peter M. Senge

Asking the Right Questions

The best way to learn is to ask questions. Here are a few starters for diagnosing the strengths and weaknesses of your organization.

· What are our unifying values? What have we stood for over time? The ability to provide context and meaning for the work people do is key.

· How do you organize your time? Is it spent on what you say is important? If you want to know if you're really adding value, look at your calendar.

· Whom do you depend on? Your real work team is those people you count on to do your job -- including support staff, suppliers, customers, direct reports, even regulators. Your performance depends on the quality of those relationships.

· What are you being paid for? All leaders must understand what results they're accountable for.

· How well do you practice teamwork, empowerment, service, or whatever values you espouse? Credibility is the No. 1 issue for leaders. By taking an honest look at your own practices -- and asking others to look at them -- you'll know where you stand.

· How do you convey difficult issues? Learning requires an acceptance, by definition, that one doesn't have all the answers. Your ability to discuss complex problems and develop solutions without making others defensive is a key to learning.

Groupware - The Changing Environment

1.2 Definitions of Groupware

Groupware is a relatively new term, first coined in 1978. The following definitions, the most commonly used, are presented by industry leaders:

Intentional group processes plus software to support them. Peter and Trudy Johnson-Lenz, 1978
A co-evolving human-tool system. Doug Englebart, 1988
Computer-mediated collaboration that increases the productivity or functionality of person-to-person processes. David Coleman, 1992

1.2.1 Groupware Taxonomy

The twelve functional categories listed below form a logical taxonomy which includes a separate category for groupware services, a new category for groupware applications and a special category for the emerging Internet-based collaborative applications and products.

primary motivations for making the move to groupware:

Better cost control
Increased productivity
Better customer service
Support for TQM
Fewer meetings
Automating routine processes
Extending the organization to include both the customer and the supplier
Integration of geographically disparate teams
Increased competitiveness through faster time to market
Better coordination globally
Providing a new service that differentiates the organization
Leveraging professional expertise

Definitions for Groupware

Groupware is not a panacea but rather a phrase or catch word for a group of technologies that mediate interpersonal collaboration through the computer. There are as many definitions for groupware as there are people trying to define it. Here are three popular definitions for groupware:

1. Peter and Trudy Johnson-Lenz, 1978: "An intentional group process plus software to support them."

2. Doug Englebart, 1988: "A co-evolving human-tool system."

3. David Coleman, 1992: "Computer-mediated collaboration that increases the productivity or functionality of person-to-person processes."

Rather than debate the best definition of groupware, a more appropriate question is "Is this definition really important?" The groupware concept is to foster collaboration and interpersonal productivity by automating many tasks and enhancing the efficiency of others. Whether a product is e-mail or workflow does not matter in today's competitive business environment. What matters is whether groupware technology provides a solution to a specific business problem.

20 rules for Success with Groupware

Based on the author's experience with groupware, he has compiled a list of 20 common sense rules to aid you in being successful in deploying groupware within your organization:

1. Find a groupware champion! The higher up in management, the better. Get their hands on the keyboard. By getting top management involved they will see the benefits, and you will get a lot more support!

2. Groupware changes the corporate culture. Plan for it!

3. Pick a pilot project rather than trying to roll groupware out to the whole organization.

4. Pick a bounded project with a group that is supportive of both technology and innovation

5. Pick a project with visibility and financial impact.

6. Measure productivity factors before you start the project.

7. Measure productivity factors after the project has started. This is a good way to cost-justify groupware!

8. Pick the groupware software based on a specific business problem that needs to be solved and has not been solved successfully using traditional methods. Corollary: Do not pick the groupware first and then try to find a problem to apply the technology to.

9. Make sure you have adequate planning, support, training, and mainte-nance for your project.

10. No one groupware product can do it all. Don't expect it to!

11. Don't expect software vendors to offer you all the services you need for groupware. You may need to use internal people or consultants to insure your project's success.

12. Groupware is not a quick fix! As part of a re-engineering effort, it may take 2-4 years to see the results.

13. Listen to the people involved in the pilot project. They are experts on what needs to be done and can often suggest ways to better the process.

14. Don't be afraid to make changes! A pilot project is an experiment. Learn as you go.

15. Make sure the software you pick fits with existing systems. Try to amortize your LAN investment by connecting to your mainframe or other legacy sys-tems.

16. You can't change people overnight. Be prepared for resistance!

17. If people take time to change, organizations take even longer!

18. It takes courage to change a corporate culture! Applaud those who are willing to change.

19. Be careful about paving the cow path. There is no point in automating a very inefficient process. There are no big productivity wins here!

Groupware can be very political. Make sure it is a big win!

Internet Time Group
learning, collaboration, and time