Effective simplicity rotterdam

From Crippling Bureaucracy and Overwhelming
Complexity to Effective Simplicity

Van verlammende bureaucratie en overweldigende
complexiteit naar effectieve eenvoud

Eugen Oetringer

www.comdys.com eugen@comdys.com

Denktank Project NL
Stichting tot versterking van het
vertrouwen in grote projecten
in Nederland
www.denktankproject.nl
info@denktankproject.nl

• E. Oetringer is lid van de werkgroep Complexiteit in projecten
• de vandaag voorgestelde informatie maakt deel uit van het
onderzoek van de werkgroep

28-Nov-2011 © Copyright 2011 by ComDyS, all rights reserved 2

Agenda

• What caused today’s situation? How do we know
what does not work?
• How do we know what works?
• How can we move from today’s situation to effective
simplicity?
• How do we make it sustainable?


Complexiteit: Definition


Patterns

• Patterns
– Are efficient where exact methods struggle
– Nothing wrong or right
– Not bad or good
– Things are as they are


A Common Challenge

“Bits and pieces”
+ Dependencies
+ Changes/dynamics
+
+ ≈ Complexity

≈ Complexity


Root Cause of Crippling Bureaucracy and Overwhelming Complexity

The Root Cause:
Extensive use of exact/linear techniques
Applying Exact/Linear Techniques beyond the Critical Threshold

Collapse $
Maximum affordable
Critical ThresholdTM
Cost
Effort

Collapse

Good Failure

Results Complexity

Bureaucracy

© Copyright 2011 by, ComDyS, all rights reserved (partially based on a graph by EDS, an HP company) Complexity
Complexity ≈ Number of “bits and pieces”+ number of direct and indirect dependencies + number of changes
with the objects and dependencies involved


Route Cause of Solution Failure

People/
Psychology

Manager

Process Specialist Solution
Need
Tool
Specialist


Root Cause of Strategies/Standards and Compliance Failure

Challenges today
• Information overload
• Outdated information
• Cultural differences
Common Strategies, • Lack of alignment with
Needs Standards, business needs
Guidance • Foreseeing all the possible
situations that can occur
Organizations, People, • 6 root causes/42 issues5
Best Practices, Locations,
Methods, Processes Needed
• Finding the for me relevant
directives in just a few mouse
clicks
• Trust!


Agenda

what does not work?
simplicity?


What Works

Client Focus, Integrity and Completeness

Maximum affordable

Non-linear/open Techniques
Cost

Exact/linear Techniques
Effort

•The factory model •Experience
− Definitions d •Common business sense
− Step-by-step processes •Non-linear/open processes
•Cause and effect •Agile software development
•Data •Guided self-organisation
•Software − Rabo Unplugged
•Mathematics •Pattern identification

Complexity


Common Characteristics

Good to The three
Great Laws of Rabo Einstein,
(Jim Perfor- Un- Newton, This Pro-
Characteristics Collins) mance Gartner plugged Darwin, etc. posal
Solution Approach
Reduce the complex system to its fundamentals   ()  
Look for an all-inclusive theory   ()  
Use of patterns, common business sense  ()    
Completeness ()    
Implementation
Low implementation efforts (no large change   PPM:   
management, communication efforts, etc. )
Self-organization over restrictive means (command     
and control, etc.)
Build a culture of freedom and responsibility (J. Collins)    
Build red flag mechanisms that turn information into  
information that cannot be ignored (Jim Collins)
Client focus/client vision     
Use of patterns, common business sense, non-  () ()   
linear/open process for complex/dynamic
challenges


Integrity/Being Complete: People and Systems
Lowest-effort/
highest impact
functionality


Process Approaches
Exact/Linear Non-Linear/Open
Process Model Process Model

Start

End

• Highly efficient when things are repeatable • Client-focused
and clearly definable (assembly line, new • When things are challenging to define (service
passport, etc.) environments, etc.)
• Documentation based • Natural workflows, incentive driven (often €0)

Or a combination of the two

Strategy/Standards Management and Compliance

Example: The IT Strategy
Management Process
 Non-linear/open process approach
• Process approach worked well before
(1980s, early 1990)
Needs Strategies,
• A response: “Is this a process?”
Standards,
Guidance  Portal with 1,000 documents:
• Easy to find; part-time job to manage
Organizations, People,  Can’t find a document? Send email to
Best Practices, Locations, community and wait 5 minutes
Methods, Processes  Document status
• Latest version, lessons, etc.
 The parts: proven in a complex
environment (30.000 IT employees)

Example I: “Bestrijding Aardappelziekte”

• Project Management through
Self-Organization
• Being complete
• Highly successfull


Example II: The Brain
ADHD Dizziness Concentration problems
Dyslexia Depression Learning difficulties
Autism Headache/Migraine Etc.

Maximum
Health Budgets

Question:
What would happen if open/non-linear techniques would be applied?


Example II: Results
Patients Before Alternative After Alternative
Treatment Treatment
Dyslexia – the School for special Within three months:
son education read his first book;
regular education since
ADHD – the son Daily incidents (highly Only one incident in 5
emotional reactions, years
etc.)
Severe weekly Medication required Longest period without
headaches – (each time) medication: 9 months
the founder

Classic Autism

Dr. Jaap Brand

• Positive stimulation rather than training was the key to breakthrough
• “If I have been able to overcome Autism, it should also work for
others”


Example II: Innovation Potential
Mental Matters can be of tremendous benefit
•Asperger (or close)
– Einstein, Newton, Darwin, Henry Cavendish, Thomas Jefferson, Mendel, Tesla, Montgomery, Charles de
Gaulle, Charles Lindbergh, etc. (Bron: “Genius Genes”, prof. Michael Fitzgerald)

•Asperger, Autism of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) tendencies
– Hans Christian Andersen, Ludwig van Beethoven, Graham Bell, Edison, Henry Ford, Michelangelo,
Mozart, Gorge Orwell, Andy Warhol, Ludwig Wittgenstein (bron: prof. M. Fitzgerald)
– http://autismparents.net/famous-people-with-autism/
– http://www.child-autism-parent-cafe.com/famous-people-with-autism.html

•ADHD
– Jochem Meijer (cabaretier, Bron: wikipedia)
– http://www.adult-child-add-adhd.com/categories/general/famous_people.php

•Dyslexia
– Leonardo Da Vinci, Edison, (Einstein), Churchill, Walt Disney, Whoopi Goldberg (bron: de GAVE van
dyslexie, Ronald D. Davis)
– Tom Cruise, Richard Branson, Whoopi Goldberg, W. Hewlett (oprichter Hewlett Packard) Whoopi
Goldberg (bron: http://www.beingdyslexic.co.uk/pages/information/dyslexia-inspiration/famous-
dyslexics.php)
– Scott Quinnell (Welsh rugby legend): Can now read (source:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/health/sites/programmes/pages/quinnell.shtml)

20-apr-2011 © Copyright 2011 by On Mental Health stichting 19

Example II: Waiting to be explored
Capacity Management Techniques from
Engineering Disciplines

Scientifically
Supported Treatments
Prof.
Michael Fitzgerald

Prof.
Manuel F. Casanova

Alternative Treatments


Example II: An exceptional Opportunity

Benefits
• Drastic reduction of the suffering
• Drastic reduction of treatment cost
• Higher levels of education
• Substantial reduction of violence, crime and associated
cost


Example II: One Treatment
Urgent survey need
among patients/
parents (this and
other treatments):
• What are the
treatment results
from their
perspective?


Agenda

what does not work?
• How can we move from today’s situation to
effective simplicity?


Step 1: “Get the right People on the Bus” (Jim Collins)4
In this case: System Thinkers
• Able to integrate
• Able to identify the lowest-effort/highest-
impact interventions at system level
• Able to ensure completeness of solutions
• Client focused


Step 2: Understand the Traps

Jim Collins: “Create a
Stop Doing List” 4

•The factory model •Traditional Best Practices/Methods
− Definitions − Governance,
− Step-by-step processes − Project Management,
•Simplification − etc
•Cause and effect approaches •“Start small”
•Wrong timing •Data
•Proof of concept •Software tools


Step 3: Start from Lowest Effort/Highest Impact Functionality

• Stop doing what does NOT work!
• Education: “The Three Laws of Performance”
– A new generation of Leadership Training
– Able to open people’s mind for the needed innovative
thinking –within days–
– Enables Integrity
• “Without integrity nothing works!”

• Deep coaching for key people
– Not to be confused with business coaching


Step 3: Start from Lowest Effort/Highest Impact Functionality
(continued)
• Establish Ground Rules
– How we work together
– Together with the employees – not dictated from above!
– Inclusive governance rules
• Establish the right balance between
– Linear/exact thinkers and system thinkers
– Linear/exact techniques and non-linear/open techniques

By the way:
• Solutions can be amazingly simple and low cost
• Even making a complete sub-project obsolete!
• 50% to 65% of the human potential is unused (Herman Wijfels)


Agenda

what does not work?
simplicity?


Step 4: Focus on


Step 5: Create Guided Self-OrganizationTM

Guided Self-Organization
• As much guidance as needed
• As little as possible

Needs Strategies,
Standards,
Guidance Examples:
• Rabo Unplugged
Organizations, People, • The IT Strategy
Best Practices, Locations, Management
Methods, Processes Process


Thank You

Eugen Oetringer

www.comdys.com eugen@comdys.com

References

1. Power to the edge, command and control in the information age. Davis S. Alberts, Richard E. Hayes, DoD Command and Control
Research Program. 2003.
2. The new quotable Einstein. Alice Calaprice. Princeton University Press. Princeton and Oxford. 2005.
3. “Complexity and self-organization.” Francis Heylighen. In Bates & Maack, Eds. Prepared for the Encyclopedia of Library and
Information Services, Taylor & Francis, 2008.
4. Good to great. Jim Collins. London, United Kingdom: Random House Business Books. 2001.
5. The IT strategy management process. E. Oetringer, Van Haren Publishing, Zaltbommel, 2004.
6. Genius genes – how Asperger talents changed the world. Michael Fitzgerald, Brendon O’Brien. Shawnee Mission, Kansas: Autism
Asperger Publishing Company
7. Plezier beleven aan taaie vraagstukken. Hans Vermaak. Kluwer. Mei 2009. ISBN-13: 9789013063028
8. How the mighty fall. Jim Collins. London, United Kingdom: Random House Business Books. 2009.
9. Playing with complexity. Marcel Hertogh, Eddy Westerveld. Dissertation. 2010
10. “The future of health service provision”. E. Oetringer, M. Fitzgerald. M.d. Sterke. Irish Medical News. 17-May-2010.
11. “The three laws of Performance”. S. Saffron, D Logan. Jossey-Bass, Wiley Imprint. San Francisco.

12. Heeft Het Nieuwe Werken de toekomst? Harold Janssen, Jaap Peters, 16-Nov-2010, www.managementsite.nl

13 Herman Wijffels, energiedag MKB-krachtcentrale 2010


Effective simplicity rotterdam

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