I have a problem with starting software projects. I have been working with software for my whole career, and typically when I start working with a company, I understand the situation and what needs to be done.
While it is obvious to me, it is seldom obvious to my clients and their staff. They called me for help because they were not able to achieve the goals that they set out for themselves. I am ready to get going and can see the steps that need to be taken, but I can't go there.
Over time, I have learned that I can only go as fast as my clients are capable. In the early stages, it seems quite slow and little visible progress is seen. This can be frustrating for managers of projects as they are anxious to get going. However, this is a difficult time for people to go off in a rush. They are working in unfamiliar territory, with changes to their business processes, new technology and tools and typically a new list of issues every day. This is not normal operations.
Many consultants will offer a "solution" to this problem. They will bring in a group of outsiders who will make the project happen. There is a flurry of activity and everybody is happy. Then the project grinds to a halt. Often this is because roadblock and roadblock has been put in the way. This is usually after a lot of money and time has been spent. The reality hits that the staff has to know what is going on. It can't work without them.
While the early stages of a project can be frustrating for those that know what needs to happpen next, it is a time of learning, and sometimes learning can be slow. people learn what they need to know. Once learning has started and everybody understands where things are going, they start to look for opportunities to use the software and they understand how it can help them.
This occurred in a recent project that I worked on with a client. The first month was frustratingly slow. We focused on the business process and looked for ways that the software could help improve the process. We uncovered many process issues that would prevent successful implementation. In the second month, things were still slow. Volume of work prevented catching up with the backlog, but now we were no longer building a backlog. We were keeping up with day to day requirements. More process problems were identified and resolved. By the end of the third month, the staff had taken ownership of the software and could see how it was helping them. The backlog was eliminated and the software was functioning as desired.
Although progress was slow in the early stages and required ongoing support and coaching, the learning process was happening. The slow start was worth it.
In starting any new project, leave time for learning. Start slow. It will pay for itself later on. I have seen too many failures where companies bring in a ast of thousands to make early progress. The only thing that they succeed in doing is increasing the costs.
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Is there a difference between education, training and learning?
In most of my engagements with clients, they have been challenged with the implementation of software to run their business. A lot of what is talked about is that they lack training in how to use the software effectively. Although that may be true, what I find that is holding them back is learning, not training.
What I see classified as training is mostly "how to". This is how software suppiers provide information on their software products. This training is all about how to use their product. However, this is not what most businesses want or need. They want to know how to use the product to make their business operate more effectively. If they don't need a particular feature today, they don't need to be trained on how to use it. Since few software suppliers get into the business to understand their problems and what they are really trying to do, they can't give specific "how to" training. They have to provide what I call "fire hose" training (like trying to drink through a fire hose). This is very ineffective, since people don't understand the relevance of the features and functions, they don't remember much of what is presented.
People learn what they need to know by being open to learning. They are looking for answers and learn how to do things when they are looking for answers.
My view is that this is the purpose of education. We often talk about thinking outside the box. This is meant to say, don't always come up with the same solutions. Solve problems by thinking about them in new ways (outside the box). I don't believe that we can think outside the box. It is a box because we are operating within it. That is the pupose of education: to help change the size and shape of the box. I personally use many things to help change the size and shape of the box that I operate in. I read books on many different topics, most of them not in my field. I attend seminars by a variety of speakers. All of this helps to change the size and shape of the box that I operate in. That box is always changing. I enjoy anything that gives me one idea that changes the shape of that box.
In an engagement, I start by looking that my client's business. What is happenning? What kinds of problems are they encountering? How does their business process operate and how does their software support it? In asking these questions, I always find problems with the "box". Each individual is operating in their own box, not recognizing what is happenning in somebody else's box. This causes productivity problems because they are creating work for each other. By understanding their business process, I am able to help them learn how to make their business more effective, by educating them on the broader implications on their business. In many cases, they also are uncomfortable with technology. They don't know what to look for and are still suffering from the after effects of firehose training.
By helping them to see the big picture, they start looking for solutions. They start looking to the software and how it can help them. Initially, their lack of comfort with technology may prevent them from asking these questions. This is where support can help. I help them to learn how to ask these questions, and get answers.
Although there is some need for software training, I see much more value in education, creating the knowledge to open your mind to learning. Once the learning process has started, it can go on forever. It also involves personal ownership of the learning process, whereas training puts responsibility on someone else.
What I see classified as training is mostly "how to". This is how software suppiers provide information on their software products. This training is all about how to use their product. However, this is not what most businesses want or need. They want to know how to use the product to make their business operate more effectively. If they don't need a particular feature today, they don't need to be trained on how to use it. Since few software suppliers get into the business to understand their problems and what they are really trying to do, they can't give specific "how to" training. They have to provide what I call "fire hose" training (like trying to drink through a fire hose). This is very ineffective, since people don't understand the relevance of the features and functions, they don't remember much of what is presented.
People learn what they need to know by being open to learning. They are looking for answers and learn how to do things when they are looking for answers.
My view is that this is the purpose of education. We often talk about thinking outside the box. This is meant to say, don't always come up with the same solutions. Solve problems by thinking about them in new ways (outside the box). I don't believe that we can think outside the box. It is a box because we are operating within it. That is the pupose of education: to help change the size and shape of the box. I personally use many things to help change the size and shape of the box that I operate in. I read books on many different topics, most of them not in my field. I attend seminars by a variety of speakers. All of this helps to change the size and shape of the box that I operate in. That box is always changing. I enjoy anything that gives me one idea that changes the shape of that box.
In an engagement, I start by looking that my client's business. What is happenning? What kinds of problems are they encountering? How does their business process operate and how does their software support it? In asking these questions, I always find problems with the "box". Each individual is operating in their own box, not recognizing what is happenning in somebody else's box. This causes productivity problems because they are creating work for each other. By understanding their business process, I am able to help them learn how to make their business more effective, by educating them on the broader implications on their business. In many cases, they also are uncomfortable with technology. They don't know what to look for and are still suffering from the after effects of firehose training.
By helping them to see the big picture, they start looking for solutions. They start looking to the software and how it can help them. Initially, their lack of comfort with technology may prevent them from asking these questions. This is where support can help. I help them to learn how to ask these questions, and get answers.
Although there is some need for software training, I see much more value in education, creating the knowledge to open your mind to learning. Once the learning process has started, it can go on forever. It also involves personal ownership of the learning process, whereas training puts responsibility on someone else.
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