1. Practices for Involving Stakeholders Presenter: Ann Majchrzak February, 2001 Marshall School of Business University of Southern California majchrza@usc.edu

2. Focus of Research Identify practices for involving stakeholders in a “collaborative learning process” to achieve innovative business-IT solutions

3. Sources for Findings zTracked CS577Fall 00 students and clients to see which practices affect learning zTracked CS577Fall 01 students and clients zInterviewed local IS development departments of large companies zObserved client-developer meetings in several development efforts

4. What is “Collaborative Learning”? Business Side Business Side This is Knowledge Transfer or Individual Learning: IT Side IT Side This is Collaborative Learning Together, learning new ways of structuring IT and business processes

5. Why Worry about Collaborative Learning? Business Efficiencies (faster,cheaper) Business Effectiveness (better) Business Innovation (new services, products) Lost Opportunities in:

6. Practices for Encouraging Collaborative Learning I. Creating Shared Responsibility II. Creating Shared Understanding III. Managing Conflict

7. I. Shared Responsibility What is it? It is the psychological attitude that “we’re all on the same team”; “we’re in this together”

8. When Sharing Responsibility, what is Learned? zTopics people want to learn about (work process, development process, how to use IS to improve business) zWhat learning must occur for project to be successful (work process, development process, how to use IS to improve business)

9. Practices for Encouraging Shared Responsibility: 1) Accept a broad notion of client’s role yNot just user interface design 2) Help to make clients part of development team yJoint tasks, rewards 3) Identify learning as a mutual goal 4) Monitor progress toward shared responsibility at end of each meeting

10. Practices for Encouraging Collaborative Learning I. Creating Shared Responsibility II. Creating Shared Understanding III. Managing Conflict

11. What is Shared Understanding? zA common body of knowledge shared by clients and developers about: yA vision of the IT-enabled to-be work process yBusiness & technical rationale for vision compared to alternatives yExecution Plan yGoals, preferences, and fallback options for each stakeholder (“What does each what to accomplish? What happens if it doesn’t work?)

12. When Sharing Understanding, what is Learned? zCommon body of knowledge zHow to improve efficiency of learning among team members

13. Practices for Encouraging Shared Understanding 1) Focus on actual work process, not hypothetical ideal 2) Learning is not telling; it’s about allowing people to make abstract concepts concrete 3) Customize learning techniques 4) Keep creative ideas flowing with role plays, prototypes, probing questions 5) Active listening

14. Practices for Encouraging Collaborative Learning I. Creating Shared Responsibility II. Creating Shared Understanding III. Managing Conflict

15. What is it? It is surfacing and resolving conflict in a fair and even-handed manner.

16. When Managing Conflict, what is Learned? zPreferences (for both client and developer) zFallback Options (for both client and developer) zAlternatives that meet all 4

17. Managing Conflict zAccept that conflict is the natural order of work that involves multiple stakeholders yClients and client organizations have different agendas and needs than developers and developer organizations zRecognize that conflict won't go away -- but it can be managed zConflict is managed by the creative development of a new (not yet identified) win- win solution.

18. Problems with Managing Conflict zMost people aren't fully conscious of their preferences or their fall back options prior to the moment of conflict. zDuring conflict, the last thing anyone wants to disclose is preferences or fall back option

19. Finding Win-Win Solutions zPrior to conflict: yUse Shared Understanding Techniques to identify preferences and fall back options zDuring conflict: yReiterate common goals through goal hierarchies yCompare current option to fallback & goals yAsk what happens if we can’t agree

20. Do’s & Don’ts of Achieving Win-Win zDo: yFrame conflict as a shared task yExpect preference hierarchies to change ySuggest”absurd” alternatives to stimulate thinking yWork together to search for alternatives yAssume that both clients and developers have preferences and fall back options

21. Do’s & Don’ts of Achieving Win-Win zDon’t: yCompare current option to “phantom” alts yThreaten to take the fall back option yGet upset if stakeholders won’t reveal prefs during conflict yUse power or threats to force resolution

22. Ex Difference in Practices: Individual vs Collaborative zUse prototypes for single solution zEnforce single representation of knowledge (“ERD”) zExplain own knowledge zTalk zStay in role z Use prototypes to explore different concepts z Represent knowledge in different ways z Have others explain your knowledge z Draw, listen, ask questions z Reverse roles

23. Checklist during meetings Did you? yUse prototypes to explore concepts? yLet clients develop prototypes yCreate “test-drivable” prototypes? yMake sure client asked as many questions as you did? yStimulate creativity through questioning? yRestate dialogue to improve understanding? yUse examples from more than one work context? yAvoid using IT-language?

24. Checklist during meetings (Cont) Did you: yUse visual examples to explain concepts? yReversed roles? yTry more than one way to represent how work is done? yElaborate on client’s idea? yGround ideas in client’s physical world with a role play by sharing stories of how work is done? yAsk about client’s unstated reactions to an idea? yShow any IS’s that client might want to emulate?

25. Summary 4 Every client-developer encounter is an opportunity for learning 4 Controlling the learning process is better than leaving it uncontrolled 4 Control it by: 4 Building and maintaining a sense of shared responsibility for outcomes 4 Building and maintaining a shared understanding 4 Preparing for conflict and managing it for win-win solutions

26. Would you like to be a part of this research? zResearch on identifying best practices continues zIf you would like to participate, contact me at: majchrza@usc.edu

27. Thank you!