1. Synthetron wisdom of crowds via evolutionary (propagated) consensus in online discussions: experiences and challenges

2. CROWD SOURCING Synthetron
MODEL
EXPERIENCES
actors activity data big brain
LEARNING AND NEXT
challenges and opportunities

3. Wisdom of crowds? CROWD SOURCING
Synthetron helps managers to listen to relevant stakeholders via purposeful crowd-sourcing.
The objective is
to engage participants as change subjects to collectively share their feedback and co-create change
to get deep insights into what really matters from participants’ view to accelerate change.
©Synthetron

4. What is a Synthetron about
Smart listening 1
efficient
engage large groups
Feedback to co-creation
Finger on the pulse 2
instant insight in real ideas, feelings & opinions that matter
accelerate your change, your implementation
Applications 3
Internal stakeholders HR
Strategy and change
New development
External stakeholders
Citizens
Specific stakeholder groups
(Customers)

5. online web application
The Synthetron crowd source solution
Synthetron purposeful crowd-sourcing.
Stakeholders safely discuss with many, from their own PC online, identifying collaboratively what matters most to them
via 1 hour smart online discussions :
Moderated around set of well drafted key questions
Anonymous, written, collaborative conclusive of the public web
Conclusive and scalable thanks to evolutionary discussion process and special table setting
Participants feel engaged by the interactivity and co-creation
the outcome is a short list of “synthetrons”: those ideas matter most to participants, ranked by importance, and the long list of all ideas.
This quali- quant data can be further analysed and benchmarked as fitted with the Synthetron method for content, meaning, lab, buzz words, benchmarks, 3H, EBC)
patented
online web application +
evolutionary
discussion
process
Instant
short list of
top opinions
& ideas
©Synthetron

6. (promoted message obtained support)
It’s easy and engaging. Participants access the online discussion from their preferred location, write and react, think and score, guided by the moderator
topic
group
average
score
your score
Your message
Your reaction
A synthetron
(promoted message obtained support)
Neighbour’s
message
thinking
reading
scoring
writing
You can at the demo (4min)

7. Instruction film gives participants dynamics
link:

8. Scale and synthesis are solved
Moderated
1 hour participants
on questions that matter
Share & evaluate ideas
anonymously
Evolutionary propagation
strong ideas move on
weak ideas stay at table
Collaborative filtered propagation
Clever table setting

9. Benefits of social media without disadvantages
Participants are
Discussions are no
groupthink
moderated
focused on key questions
interactive & evolutionary conclusive
anonymous
safe space
Efficient
online
not
public
peers
not about share of
voice
about share of
thougths
Outcome is
deep insight
what they say, share
what they think, feel important
buzz words & mindset
what divides them
engaging experience of feedback and co-creation
short list of participants’ most important ideas
ranked by them
long list
all data
Ideas written
Writing on own PC
©Synthetron

10. Moderation: real time statistics on activity
Observe content micro level
ghosts”
2. Observe content: macro level
see all synthetrons unfolding
3. Watch the dashboard
real time statistics on activity
4. Moderate
review time/content script 10 10

11. 11
Instant Report: you know what matters to people on the topics that matter to you
The synthetron list per moderator question Instant print out
The synthetron with poll graphs
Excel sheet with all data
Weight
Content
context
By topic
Synthetron 11 11 11 11

12. Get answers from your stakeholders
to your important questions, engage and get deep insight into change forces
Accelerators
Mindset
Buzz words
Engaged
feelings
Barriers
Aligned
convictions
Impact
experiences
stories
Outcome
= deep insight
= engagement 12 12

13. Strategy/ plans/policy13
Synthetron reinforce your business at different stages of any programm
Analysis,
strategy, plan
Implement/
change
Adjust,
review
Listen
& engage
wave
Later stages
Pre change
Early stage
Scope
Issue/ solutions
Think tank/ Value Jam
Test
Strategy/ plans/policy
concept
Review
Progress/ policies,
implementation
Engagement Mapper Understand the level of alignment and engagement of staff, identify gaps and use employees’ own words and solutions to efficiently communicate and mobilise
Change Tracker Track and benchmark on a regular basis the barriers that are blocking the change process and identify the accelerators that can accelerate progress
Pressure points Understand directly from staff what they think matters.
Spot early warning signals before they become a major problem and find effective solutions. 13 13

14. Synthetron is RELIABLE and TRUSTED: Clients
within organisations
with consumers
& citizens
brainstorm
with stakeholders & members

15. Mathematical model patented

16. Scale and interaction leading to conclusions
Moderated
1 hour participants
on questions that matter
Share & evaluate ideas
anonymously
Evolutionary propagation
strong ideas move on
weak ideas stay at table

17. Conditional propagation : evolutionary process
Different conditions
Consensus : Average score Treshold more or less stringent: 3 levels Targetted, Exploratory, open
Importance: Absolute score treshold
Debate: only agree site disregard dissenting scores
Different propagation engines
Continious propagation
Exponential propagation
Build in smoothers
Wild card
Silent neighbours
Blockers dissent

18. What did we learn?

19. Learned from actors: purposeful discussions
Enjoy, interaction,
Pleased to contribute/ be listened to
Feel safe
A bit to fast, reflection time
Homogenic (employee) versus heterogenic (citizens)
Participants
contributor
New unexpected insights
Very actionable
Risk of platitudes, to high level and not specific
client
Importance of script
Balance engagement process versus insights creation
Balance feedback, aspiration, cocreation
Breaking lines pitfall
Level of question matters from concept to keep , start, stop thinking
Balance feel and think
moderator

20. BIG BRAIN ? Learned from Activity analysis

21. Messages per participant
Database
Example ACTIVITY INTENSITY Participation size does not matter
Database of participants activity data
Giving insights
on how to moderate
on propagation
Benchmarks:
level of consensus,
depth of consensus
bipolarity
gemiddelden
EN <100
NL <100
NL > &00
Messages per participant 15 18
Words per message 21 22

22. Example Different activity profiles
Not about share of voice but about share of content
Attitudes : extrovert, reflective, vocal or more observing all actively contribute

23. caveat: breaking lines in the dialogue space
#  Experience  =
=  knowledge/info  #
chit chat
policy
beliefs
Concept discussion
deep dialogue
Experienced
based focused discussions

24. BIG BRAIN ? Wisdom Learned from content analysis

25. What 4000 managers, executives and staff say that really matters …
Making Change Work (*)
What 4000 managers, executives and staff say that really matters …
©Synthetron
(*) Key findings from a collaborative study Prof. Paul Verdin Solvay Business School (ULB) /TiasNimbas (Tilburg) & Eric Cabocel Synthetron N.V. with J. Celens /Synthetron N.V. & F. Faelli /Bain & Co. Benelux . More details can be found on “MAKING CHANGE WORK-What managers, executives and staff tell us that really matters” Review of Business & Economics -June 2011
This presentation is a simpler version of presentation of professor P. Verdin and E. Cabocel at Insead Conference September 2011

26. Background – The data
an empirical database of verbatims created by more than 4000 managers and other employees and supported by “votes”
issued from 90 “Synthetron” online discussions
all addressing issues associated with strategic or organisational change:
involving 22 companies and some public institutions –mostly large and medium-size multinational companies
©Synthetron

27. ....26 sub-categories of topics that matter in making change work

28. Artificial intelligence tested no smart solution yet?28
Quali Quant data: deep insight from specific analysis
Issue solution map
Value map
Mindset
Little automation
Artificial intelligence tested no smart solution yet?
Activity profile
3H change level
ECB force
Buzz word
Segmentation
Benchmark 28 28 28 28 28

29. challenges

30. Reflection limits and challenges
real time
Recruitment
Cycles of 3-4 min reflection time
Cross continent
Anonymity
safe space- moral dislike
collaborative filter ethical
named version
Breaking lines
Limits to wisdom
 Surowiecki

31. Reflection challenges from experience
Distribution activity
Synthetronisation
Analysis
Table setting
Slow time
Social open application

32. Joanne celens ceo joanne.celens@synthetron.com www.synthetron.com