Friday, January 06, 2006

Tech Group Strategy - focusing questions

Regarding the definition of the tech group's strategy, I have some questions for you to consider to help you focus. You have identified your customer: Anyone who has chosen to champion or implement "Lean” techniques.

Now brainstorm on the following questions. Do not draw conclusions yet. It's best not to refer to the strategy statement for this exercise. It is OK for the same answer to appear under more than one question.

Knowledge

What does the customer want to know? Examples: How to participate in tech group; how to deal with resistance to lean?

What do you want the customer to know? Examples: "Respect for people" is an all-important element of lean; How to participate in tech group.

Action

What does the customer want to do? Examples: Meet experts; Confront the boss.

What do you want the customer to do? Examples: Go to conference; join the conference call.

This refers to what the customer "wants to know/do" rather than "needs to know/do" because we have a natural tendency to think of "need" as something the person should do, in our opinion. You want to think of the person's own motivations and emotions that drive their behavior.

You don't have to do formal research right now, although you could plan some for the future. You know this customer, you work right next to him/her, or he/she manages your company, or you met this person at a function, and so on. You may be this person yourself.

When you get to the "we want the customer to know/do" you are in the realm of the "should" and the project or product you want to develop.

Once you get some answers to the questions, I can take you through a prioritization process.

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