跨領域團隊問題解決-Hubert的學習筆記: 書摘：The Business Analyzer and Planner 3

Chapter 3 Accelerate
Phase 1 and 2 enable you to thoroughly understand the challenge facing you. now it is time to accelerate toward a decision by dealing with three key questions:

In order to design and execute a plan that will address your dilemma successfully, what resources are both necessary and available to you? (Phase 3)
Based on the availability of needed resources, what alternative courses of action do you have - that is, what are your planning options? (Phase 4)
Which of those options will become your primary alternative? (Phase 5)

The reality is that Phase 3 and 4 are iterative. That is, once you explore the optimal resources that you need to address your dilemma, you compare them with the various options that they would support. Then, you consider which of those resources might not be available, how that factor would reduce your options, whether alternative resources could be substituted in order to create new options, and so on.

Starting with the resource assessment in Phase 3, however, has one distinct advantage: It helps you to prioritize the decision to deal with your dilemma now or later. If, after surveying the resources that you think you need in order to develop any course of action, you find that they are simply not available, you might have to postpone all action until conditions are more favorable. It is better to realize this early and refocus your time and effort on other project that are more likely to succeed than to embark on a course of action that will most likely fail.

Phase 3: Determine Available Resources

In general, you benefit most from considering both internal and external resources because neither is usually ideal by itself:

Internal support is easy to identify and is already covered by the company budget; however, the most productive employees might have become that productive because they have functioned in the same environment for a long time. Consequently, they could be uncomfortable in unfamiliar situations such as those created by new opportunities. Another consideration, in spite of their competence, you might find that their overall scope is more narrow than you need when trying to evaluate alternative plans.
External support usually can be tailored to the specific needs at hand. Unfortunately, the unplanned cost of outside help could put stress on the budget. Continuity is another possible issue because the same contract personnel might not remain with the project for its duration. Also, loyalty to your company and discretion on sensitive issues might be difficult to maintain with intermittent outside staffing.

For these reasons, a combination of internal as well as external options should yield a much stronger pool of resources than either can provide alone. There are five primary categories to consider: people, funds, time, information, and relationships.

People: Undoubtedly, the ultimate success of a plan rests with the participating individuals and organizations. internally, key analysts and decision makers must mobilize and support you in your planning effort. Externally, involvement can extend to specialists, customers, and even competitors. Most important, everyone must clearly understand their individual roles as well as the overall goal of the group.
Funds: This category includes not only cash but sources of csh, such as real estate, equipment, building, inventory, receivables, debt, equity, and grants. All potential funding options should be weighted because each has a different effect on your business decision and the associates plans. The optimal funding mix must take into account all of those elements of risk and return, not only for your specific plan but also fot the organization as a whole.
Time: Critical deadlines and milestones must be clearly stated. To maximize efficient use of time, action schedules must be:

Honest and realistic

Comprehensive, so that they balance all priorities

Specific and detailed, to minimize confusion and uncertainty

Up-to-date, reflecting the most current information obtainable

Available to all key staff members, to ensure synchronized efforts

Information: Accurate information is absolutely to a logical, realistic decision and plan. Sources can be primary (e.g., surveys, interviews) or secondary (e.g., published reports). If affordable and possible, it is usually a good idea to go outside the organization -- to libraries, research services, and audit firms -- for some of this information in order to ensure objectivity and completeness.
Relationship: Politics are a reality in all organization, regardless of size. Personalities, loyalties, priorities, and sensitive issues must be carefully studied and orchestrated so as to serve as catalysts rather than inhibitors.

No shortcuts should be taken in phase 3. All sources of support should be considered and recorde.

Resource Assessment	Internal	External
PEOPLE Key analysts and decision makers	Department managers, who need to improve staffing plan as well as training, advancement, and career counseling service for employees. Personnel manager, who will coordinate the efforts of all team members.	Consultants, who can work with company team members in targeted improvement areas.
FUNDs Quantity and source	Cash for salaries and benefits related to hiring additional supervisors. Estimated $40,000 ~ $50,000 per new hire.	Cash for consultants. No more than $50,000 total.
TIME Critical deadlines and milestones	New staffing plans should be done over next 30 days, with recruitment and hiring to begin the following month.	This month, prepare specifications for consulting services; next month, solicit proposals and make selection.
INFORMATION Primary and secondary	New Staffing plans, consistent with industry standards, will become the basis for hiring more supervisors.	Information from outside consultants will from the basis for improved training, advancement, and career counseling programs.
RELATIONSHIP Formal and informal structures and politics	Inform the workforce of the plan as soon as it is complete. Secure their acknowledgment and endorsement and thereby strive to restore harmony.

Phase 4: Formulate Alternative Courses of Action

The symptoms, underlying causes, and logic resources have now been identified. The next step is to outline a set of reasonable alternatives from which to choose a primary plan of action.

At least four alternatives should be considered in developing a final plan. The first and the last represent extremes: the ideal and the status quo. They form the boundaries for the other choices. The other two alternatives represent compromises between the extremes and will most likely supply the substance of the final plan.

Each action should be outlined in sufficient detail to permit comparison with the other choices:

Actions should be clearly stated, together with names of responsible individuals.
Time frames must be realistic; ambition should be tempered with practicality in order to preserve the credibility of the schedule and the project itself.
Expected results should be expressed concretely: "At quarterly counseling sessions, each employee will discuss and record progress toward a stated career goal" is a much more measurable statement of expected results than "Career guidance must be increased in order to help employee morale."
Gross cost should be stated in the most appropriate terms (e.g., funds, staff positions, goodwill). Because cost is one of the primary factors in distinguishing alternatives, accuracy should be as high as possible.
Risk level should be identified as high, medium, or low.Although this is potentially the most subjective aspect of weighing your various alternatives, you should focus on achieving as much objectivity as possible.

Problem/Opportunity Statement:

Key performers have been leaving the company for opportunities with prime competitors. The cause of this problem seems to stem from a lack of training, advancement, and career counseling for employees as a result of an inadequate supervisory staffing plan.

Beginning with the last (status quo) alternative is often easiest simply because it suggests that you allow things to continue as they are, with associated consequence. Then, the ideal alternative. (see the following table).

Alternatives Comparison	Action (Who)	Time Frame	Expected Results	Gross Cost	Risk
Alternative 1 The ideal	Hire more supervisors in each area where supervisor–to–employee ratio is below industry standard. (Department managers)	1-3 months	Career counseling, training, and advancement plans for employees should improve and thereby increase morale and retention.	Salary and benefits for new managers ($40,000~$50,000)	M
Alternative 2 A compromise	Hire more supervisors only in areas with lowest ratio and retention. (Department managers)	3-6 months	Increased morale and retention at lower cost than alternative 1.	Salary, benefits for new managers	L
Alternative 3 A compromise	Hire professional career planning counselors. (Personnel manager)	1-2 months	Increased morale and retention at lower cost than alternative 1 and 2.	Consulting fees (under $50,000)	L
Alternative 4 Status quo	Do nothing, but wait and see.	3-6 months	Unknown, but perhaps morale will improve on its own.	Nothing out of pocket, but employee turnover cost = ?	H

You now have defined four ways in which you can apply the resources from Phase 3 to your dilemma. You have a concise way to decide which alternative(s) will constitute your primary course of action, which is constructed next in Phase 5.

Phase 5: Select and Implement the Primary Alternative

The primary alternative will be a combination or hybrid of more than one of the identified options. In any case, this is the point where specific details, commitments, and decisions must be made. Yu are no longer investigating; you must now act.

The decision statement in Phase 5 helps you to align your plans with your goal. The primary alternative itself is then structured into three segments:

Preliminary activities
Implementation activities
Post-implementation activities

The primary alternative in this phase is also described in terms of actions, time frames, expected results, gross cost, and relative risk. Additionally, this alternative is supported with such items as contingency plans, cost analysis, and organization charts.

The combination of alternatives 2 and 3 can now form the foundation for the decision statement:

Improve employee morale and retention through increased career counseling provide by additional supervisors (hired in increments) and temporary professional counselors.

Detailed actions, responsible parties, time frames, expected results, cost, risk are all summarized in the primary alternative (Figure 3-1), which begins with the decision statement.

The following items represent some of the more common aids used in controlling the planning process:

Gantt chart of key activities, the key time scheduler. It clearly identifies the individuals and duration that accompany each activity or action item.
Cost projection, also called a budget or pro forma. It sets out clear cost parameters for each stage of the plan.
Contingency plans, including any documents that specify actions dependent on certain prior outcomes. Here, a decision tree is used to show the paths to be taken depending on whether or not the new career plans and opinion survey show improvement.
Risk analysis table, providing details behind the risk level specified for key elements in the primary alternative. A good risk analysis should include investment costs, upside potential and downside risk of committing the investment, the probability and impact of failure, and how these factors affect the overall risk of the plan.
Staffing summary, especially important when managerial and organizational issues are part of your problem or opportunity. The three general areas of staffing, training, and documentation are often overlooked or underestimated, and yet they play a major role in successfully overseeing human resources development.
Organization chart, serving as a quick overview and double-check of the planned staffing changes. It also help to orient newly hired employees.
Business procedure, forcing you to specify the details of new or improved activities, together with the various parties involved. The procedure is succinct and yet completely clear in terms of who does what and when, plus how the results are to be used.

The format of the primary alternative table shown in Figure 3-1 is intended to be flexible so that is can accommodate any type of major decision.

Figure 3-1. Primary alternative.
Decision Statement: Improve employee morale and retention through increased career counseling provided by additional supervisors (hired in increments) and temporary professional counselors.

Plan	Action (Who)	Time Frame	Expected Results	Gross Cost	Risk
Complete Preliminary Activities.	Identify and interview candidate supervisors and consultants (department managers and personnel manager).	Over next 30 days	Find the necessary talent to implement the decision statement.	Time for department manager and personnel manager	L
Implement Primary Activities	1. Hire supervisors 2. Hire counselors 3. Begin career counseling and planning session (department managers and personnel manager)	Within next 2-3 months	Improved morale and completed career plans within 2 months after first planning session with each employee	$40,000 - $50,000 per manager; under $ 50,000 for all counselors	L
Monitor Progress And Execute Necessary Contingency Plans.	Conduct detailed reviews of career plans. Reissue opinion survey semiannually. If next opinion survey is negative, hire more managers.	Quarterly After second quarterly review	Important feedback on success of plan Hiring more managers will bring us closer to industry standard.	Time for all parties involved $40,000 - $50,000 per manager	L M

Supporting documents (as appropriate):
X Gantt chart (see Figure 3-2)
X Cost projection (see Figure 3-3)
X Contingency plans (see Figure 3-4)
X Risk analysis table (see Figure 3-5)
X Summaries of required staffing, training, and/or documentation (see Figure 3-6)
X Organization chart (see Figure 3-7)
X Formal business procedure (see Figure 3-8)