Example Reflection

{ Visualization }
1] Challenge and Selection -

I used the tool of Visualization, or we can say Visual Thinking, to achieve a shared understanding of a
problem space among a diverse group of stakeholders before attempting to identify and define
possible solutions to the problem. I use this approach often with our customers, who are
government agencies working to apply technology innovations to modernize their mission or the
delivery of their services to their customer, which may be U.S. citizens, businesses, and non-citizens.
I have used the technique of using a straw man visualization of a problem domain with a set of
questions or prompts for discussion to allow a diverse group of stakeholders to learn from each
other in the process of defining the scope, boundaries, key elements, and relationships between
elements to consider when identifying pain points and opportunities for improvements or solutions.

2] Application –

When I started this process by creating a straw man graphic of the problem domain. To develop the
straw man graphic, I drawn from any existing material available to understand the environment. The
existing material may be operational or procedural documents, training materials, marketing
materials, GAO or other auditing reports. If materials were not available, then I would conduct
informal interviews with one-three of the stakeholders who serve as my main points of contact on
the initiative.

So, appropriate to the situation, I will borrow the concept to “front-stage/back-stage” from
previous research, and discussed in David Gray’s book, “The Connected Company”. The front-
stage/back-stage approach helps to reinforce the notion that every service – even an internal service
– has customers with whom the service provider interacts and internal processes that enable the
organization to provide the service. The template I often start with also has a column on the left to
identify Partners and Value Chain Providers and a column on the right to identify Oversight
Organizations, such as Congress, GAO, labor unions, advocacy groups, and other entities that may
add constraints to how the organization operates. The straw man graphic is simple, using simple
shapes and icons available in Visio or on the Internet. If the front-stage/back-stage view doesn’t
work, then I will create a different type of visual, either based on a high-level process flow with swim
lanes for different stakeholders, or another format. For the activity, I will divide the stakeholders into
groups of 5-6 participants each representing a different organization or area of interest. Each group
receives a poster-size copy of the straw man graphic that they can write on directly, or use sticky
notes to make comments.

I give them two-three questions to answer, such as:

A] What key elements are missing from the graphic?

B] What would you change about the graphic to make it more accurately reflect your
problem space?

C] What key insights do you have about the relationships between the entities in your
problem space?

I give them approximately 20 minutes to discuss the questions and mark up the graphic. Then I have
each group report out on their answers to those three questions while pointing to the mark-ups on
their poster. As each group reports out, I record commonalities in the insights of each group, and
then additional insights that come from the group discussion on an additional copy of the graphic.
After the session, I digitize each group’s poster as an artifact, create a view that combines the shared
and new insights from the group discussion, and then create a revised graphic that incorporates
their feedback and proposed changes that they agreed to as a group.

3] Insight and Approach -

The thing I learned from conducting this exercise with several groups is that while the graphic –
especially the revised graphic that incorporates their feedback – is important for reinforcing their
understanding of the problem they are working to solve, the more valuable aspect of the activity is
the shared insights and shared learning that occurs while they are working to define their problem
space. The graphic gives the diverse group of stakeholders a focal point for discussion that allows
them to share their perspectives and develop insights into potential root causes of their problems.
While they could create the graphic from a blank slate in a collaborative manner, starting with a
straw man jump starts the conversation for them. They can quickly identify where they are in the
graphic – or if they are missing – and can more quickly gain new insights about relationships
between key entities instead of taking time to identify them. They can also identify variables in the
problem space – that is, it helps them to identify what they don’t know, in what areas they need to
obtain information or data to provide the values for the variables.

Since I discovered that the most valuable aspect is the shared insights and learning,
next time I would use the visualization activity as a starting point for a series of design thinking
activities. Then the revised graphic that incorporates their combined feedback can serve as a
reference tool throughout the remainder of their work.

By,

Ankit kumar