August 8, 2011 at 18:40Funky project management model
Classically funky is the direction of the rhythm and blues music style. But since the beginning of 2000, the definition has entered the business environment and the worldview of people. Here it means decision-making in the wake of certain events, careful attention to the desires of others and the embodiment of results in business decisions. Based on this, we can conclude that project management in the funk style includes the following items:
Successful examples of funky projects were VKontakte applications. Now the activities of various fashionable trainings (we will not point fingers).
Still, probably, Mr. Freeman (and generally viral marketing). But here, the method is more suitable for developing the concept of an idea than for implementation.
The general essence of funky solutions includes several points:
This paragraph implies that the project team consists of people who are specialists in various areas of the project. Usually one or three regular participants, monitoring the situation in each direction. And a big turnover of people interested in forming decisions in the direction.
Thus, five-15 plus three plus five (5-15 + 3 + 5) people will take part in the five-point project. Three people form the backbone of the team constantly monitoring the formation of the project from a bird's eye view. Five people who monitor the situation within groups of destinations.
Since the wave of the population’s mood is quickly passing, it is simply not reasonable to spend time developing a full-scale project that meets all conditions and standards. Therefore, for funky decisions, a time limit is set proportional to the main areas that should be considered before a full start. For example, in the case of developing a viral solution, the following points will be considered:
Thus, it takes five plus three (5 + 3) days to develop a funky virus. An additional three days are required respectively: the first day for the initial consideration of the project and the action plan, the penultimate day for evaluating the project from a bird's eye view, the last day for full reflection and a full analysis of the information.
This funky strategy implies that you cannot spend more than one day on the solution development points described above. This day includes the following questions:
Beginning of the day : Consideration of the project by all groups of directions from the point of view set for the current day of the topic. Statement of the problems and risks associated with it. Proposal of solutions to eliminate negative factors.
Beginning of the day - lunch : Putting the proposed solutions into practice. Collection of information. Attracting random people to participate in the project.
Lunch : Short reflection within the group, external survey. Analysis of the results. Correction of decisions involving people involved, or information extracted from them.
Lunch - Dinner: Application of corrected solutions. Collection of information. Drain the wrong people, search for new ones.
Dinner : Analysis of the information collected. Analysis of the effectiveness of decisions. Report generation. General reflection. The choice of the highest quality solutions, consideration of unresolved problems and risks. The theme of the next day.
Night : If possible, gather additional information on the Internet the next day.
As can be seen from the previous part - reflection pass three times a day. Two general ones - in the morning and in the evening, one inside the group - in the middle of the day. At the same time, midday reflection includes interpersonal communication between groups. Usually, one person from the team is responsible for this throughout the work on the project.
During morning reflection, decisions are considered and made, which should be applied to each of the groups of directions. This action in the framework of the formation of the project is successful, as it is considered by a group of experts with experience in the issues presented.
Evening reflection includes an analysis of the results and the exchange of experience, which is mainly used by the bird's-eye group to review the current situation.
During the application of the proposed solutions, as many people as possible are involved in collecting information, obtaining their experience and opinions. They take part in various socially adapted games, events and activities aimed at studying the question posed. Some are invited to participate in reflection or even further work on the project.
The question regarding events and actions is completely vague, because all decisions in this regard are made regarding each task due to the experience of the team members and do not have clear and consistent points that could be described.
These issues are resolved during general reflection. The successful side of this method, as already mentioned, is the participation of a large number of experts in various fields who are able to clearly express their thoughts and propose solutions through the prism of experience regarding the current issue.
The formation of teams is relatively random. Among the people at the zero stage who expressed a desire to take part in the project, experts in areas are identified and mixed up so that the team would include people who are specialists in related, but at the same time, seriously different areas.
For example, for a team of the “urban environment”, three members of a group can be: a landscape designer, an IT specialist, an engineer for transport systems. All these specialists have experience in resolving issues related to the urban environment, while their total experience is multiplied. The landscape designer easily takes into account the aesthetic appearance of the decision, taking into account social engineering. An IT specialist forms solutions for the provision of information services (including banal direction signs, which play an important role) to participants in the urban environment. An engineer of transport systems offers a solution for the formation of a map of the city taking into account all kinds of conditions and environmental events.
A separate point is to talk about the bird-eye and observer groups.
Bird-eye groups are formed from specialists in the fields of systems analysis (or similar), top managers, political analysts, psychologists, sociologists, and highly desirable social engineers. These experts are able to see what is not noticeable to narrow-profile experts and make decisions for them, or to prompt unnoticed questions during reflection. Almost perfectly, the bird's-eye team will be: a system analyst, enterprise director, social engineer. These are people speaking the same language, but seeing the situation from radically different points of view.
A group of "observers" is formed to analyze the conditions within the teams and the entire socio-psychological picture as a whole. They are both motivators (if the solution to the problem has stopped or reached an impasse), and catalysts (if there are conflicts within the group or between groups in the process of solving or applying the solution). It is desirable that this group consisted of practicing psychologists, sociologists, teachers and linguists (linguists in the understanding - people who can speak, persuade and sell beautifully).
This approach has several advantages:
On the other hand, there are negative features:
The first two points can be solved. We get rid of the first problem if we supplement the funky model by allocating an additional two days at the beginning and end of the project for financial and economic issues, with the involvement of experts in this field. The second problem goes away if you knowingly determine the monetary asset to work, so a funky project or agree on additional investments in it.
In general terms, the third point plays a rather positive role for the project itself, since a person working at the limit of his abilities offers original and extraordinary solutions that can play a key role at the start of a project in real conditions, adding to its exclusivity.
Sources:
- uncertainty;
- tension and at the same time drive, hobby;
- competition-competition;
- search for differentiation, "zest", work with emotions;
- the need for creative solutions.
Successful examples of funky projects were VKontakte applications. Now the activities of various fashionable trainings (we will not point fingers).
Still, probably, Mr. Freeman (and generally viral marketing). But here, the method is more suitable for developing the concept of an idea than for implementation.
The general essence of funky solutions includes several points:
- Motley creative team;
- Short term of project formation;
- Detailed review of the project - one day per direction;
- Active reflection;
- Attracting people who are unaware of what they are doing;
- Analysis of problems and risks, making decisions on their elimination.
Motley creative team
This paragraph implies that the project team consists of people who are specialists in various areas of the project. Usually one or three regular participants, monitoring the situation in each direction. And a big turnover of people interested in forming decisions in the direction.
Thus, five-15 plus three plus five (5-15 + 3 + 5) people will take part in the five-point project. Three people form the backbone of the team constantly monitoring the formation of the project from a bird's eye view. Five people who monitor the situation within groups of destinations.
Short project formation period
Since the wave of the population’s mood is quickly passing, it is simply not reasonable to spend time developing a full-scale project that meets all conditions and standards. Therefore, for funky decisions, a time limit is set proportional to the main areas that should be considered before a full start. For example, in the case of developing a viral solution, the following points will be considered:
- Project drive;
- Meaningfulness;
- Psychological impact;
- Call to action;
- Terms of distribution.
Thus, it takes five plus three (5 + 3) days to develop a funky virus. An additional three days are required respectively: the first day for the initial consideration of the project and the action plan, the penultimate day for evaluating the project from a bird's eye view, the last day for full reflection and a full analysis of the information.
Detailed review of the project - one day per direction
This funky strategy implies that you cannot spend more than one day on the solution development points described above. This day includes the following questions:
Beginning of the day : Consideration of the project by all groups of directions from the point of view set for the current day of the topic. Statement of the problems and risks associated with it. Proposal of solutions to eliminate negative factors.
Beginning of the day - lunch : Putting the proposed solutions into practice. Collection of information. Attracting random people to participate in the project.
Lunch : Short reflection within the group, external survey. Analysis of the results. Correction of decisions involving people involved, or information extracted from them.
Lunch - Dinner: Application of corrected solutions. Collection of information. Drain the wrong people, search for new ones.
Dinner : Analysis of the information collected. Analysis of the effectiveness of decisions. Report generation. General reflection. The choice of the highest quality solutions, consideration of unresolved problems and risks. The theme of the next day.
Night : If possible, gather additional information on the Internet the next day.
Active reflection
As can be seen from the previous part - reflection pass three times a day. Two general ones - in the morning and in the evening, one inside the group - in the middle of the day. At the same time, midday reflection includes interpersonal communication between groups. Usually, one person from the team is responsible for this throughout the work on the project.
During morning reflection, decisions are considered and made, which should be applied to each of the groups of directions. This action in the framework of the formation of the project is successful, as it is considered by a group of experts with experience in the issues presented.
Evening reflection includes an analysis of the results and the exchange of experience, which is mainly used by the bird's-eye group to review the current situation.
Attracting people unaware of what they are doing
During the application of the proposed solutions, as many people as possible are involved in collecting information, obtaining their experience and opinions. They take part in various socially adapted games, events and activities aimed at studying the question posed. Some are invited to participate in reflection or even further work on the project.
The question regarding events and actions is completely vague, because all decisions in this regard are made regarding each task due to the experience of the team members and do not have clear and consistent points that could be described.
Analysis of problems and risks, making decisions on their elimination
These issues are resolved during general reflection. The successful side of this method, as already mentioned, is the participation of a large number of experts in various fields who are able to clearly express their thoughts and propose solutions through the prism of experience regarding the current issue.
Destination Groups
The formation of teams is relatively random. Among the people at the zero stage who expressed a desire to take part in the project, experts in areas are identified and mixed up so that the team would include people who are specialists in related, but at the same time, seriously different areas.
For example, for a team of the “urban environment”, three members of a group can be: a landscape designer, an IT specialist, an engineer for transport systems. All these specialists have experience in resolving issues related to the urban environment, while their total experience is multiplied. The landscape designer easily takes into account the aesthetic appearance of the decision, taking into account social engineering. An IT specialist forms solutions for the provision of information services (including banal direction signs, which play an important role) to participants in the urban environment. An engineer of transport systems offers a solution for the formation of a map of the city taking into account all kinds of conditions and environmental events.
A separate point is to talk about the bird-eye and observer groups.
Bird-eye groups are formed from specialists in the fields of systems analysis (or similar), top managers, political analysts, psychologists, sociologists, and highly desirable social engineers. These experts are able to see what is not noticeable to narrow-profile experts and make decisions for them, or to prompt unnoticed questions during reflection. Almost perfectly, the bird's-eye team will be: a system analyst, enterprise director, social engineer. These are people speaking the same language, but seeing the situation from radically different points of view.
A group of "observers" is formed to analyze the conditions within the teams and the entire socio-psychological picture as a whole. They are both motivators (if the solution to the problem has stopped or reached an impasse), and catalysts (if there are conflicts within the group or between groups in the process of solving or applying the solution). It is desirable that this group consisted of practicing psychologists, sociologists, teachers and linguists (linguists in the understanding - people who can speak, persuade and sell beautifully).
Conclusion
This approach has several advantages:
- Ready-made solutions to eliminate risks and problems;
- A large amount of adequate information for analysis regarding the project;
- Great experience of experts from various fields;
- Presentation of the further development of the project;
- A short time spent on the decision, if it turns out to be unprofitable or inappropriate.
On the other hand, there are negative features:
- Lack of a financial and economic group;
- Lack of monetary assets to solve some problems;
- High costs of personal energy resources:
- It is necessary to constantly move and keep pace everywhere, especially on reflection;
- Make decisions quickly;
- Personally communicate with a large number of people (sometimes up to five to six hundred a day);
- It’s not enough to sleep, there’s almost no food (there’s just not enough time).
The first two points can be solved. We get rid of the first problem if we supplement the funky model by allocating an additional two days at the beginning and end of the project for financial and economic issues, with the involvement of experts in this field. The second problem goes away if you knowingly determine the monetary asset to work, so a funky project or agree on additional investments in it.
In general terms, the third point plays a rather positive role for the project itself, since a person working at the limit of his abilities offers original and extraordinary solutions that can play a key role at the start of a project in real conditions, adding to its exclusivity.
Sources:
- Training and personal experience with GK "Progressor"
- Talent, Design, Trends, Leadership / Tom Peters; trans. from English Marina Ermakova - St. Petersburg: Stockholm School of Economics in St. Petersburg, 2006. - 162 pp., Ill. - (Series "Basics");
- WOW ideas: 15 principles of innovation management / Peters Tom; [trans. from English O. I. Bear]. - M .: Eksmo, 2010 .-- 576 p. - (Management Guru);
- WOW factors: it's time to shake people's imagination! / Peters Tom; [trans. from English L. Verigina]. - M .: Eksmo, 2011 .-- 496 p. - (Management Guru);
- Generation "P": novel / Victor Pelevin. - M .: Eksmo, 2009 .-- 352 p .;
- Knowledge and opinion of experts and teachers on the subject of "Project Management".
- Two years of experience managing projects using this method.