BuildingaCultureofExperimentation

AarniHeiskanen&MikkoTaskinen

©2016AEPartnersOy

”Howtomakeexperimentationpartoftheeveryday?"

Cultureofexperimentation

Thetwobusinesscultures

Exploitativeculture

Explorativeculture

Integrativeculture

• Productivity• Efficiency• Predictability

• Creativity• Serendipity• Uncertainty

InspiredbyRalph-ChristianOhr

“Clashofsocialcontracts”

BreakrulesanddreamOpendoorsandlistenTrustandbetrusted

ExperimentanditeratetogetherErr,fail,andpersist

Payitforward

ExcelatyourjobBeloyaltoyourteamWorkwiththoseyoucandependonDotherightthingthefirsttimeStriveforperfectionReturnfavors

ByViktorW.Hwang

RulesoftheRainforest(forinnovation)

RulesofthePlantation(forproduction)

Plan- Do- Check- ActDo- Check- Plan- Act

Experimentationcanbeabridgebetweenthetwocultures

WhatareexperimentsExperimentsareanagileandefficientprocedurefordeveloping,testing,andimplementingnewpracticesandtechnologies.

WhatisneededExperimentsrequiremanagementcommitment,smallinvestmentsandtolerancetooccasionalfailure.Theexperimentersneedanopenmind.

HowtoexperimentTheparticipantsexperimenttofindasolutiontoachallengeorutilizeanopportunity.

WhytheyworkExperimentsareinspiring,theyusethestrengthsofindividuals,theyadvancelearninganddiscoveryinteams.Successfulexperimentscangrowintonewpracticeswithoutpressurefromabove.

Experimentationimprovesacompany’sabilitytobeproactiveandadaptivetothechangesinthebusinessenvironment.

Threesuccessfactors

• Thepastdoesnotdeterminethefuture

• Fromstagnationandcynicismtogrowth

• Awarenessofthecapacitytoinfluencethingsandpeople

• ExaminingwhatdrivesmypresentbehaviorandwhatcanIchange

• Utilizingthepotentialofanindividualinternallyandexternally

• Creatingideasandnewwaysofworkingfromacombinationofindividualandteamcapabilities

Attitudes Behavior Interaction

Thevalueofexperimentation

AvaluemapofexperimentationCompany

Individual

Shortterm

Longterm

Faster speed to market

Foresight

Commitment to work

New perspectives

Stories

Fresh attitude towards

work

Learning how to learn

Positive cultural change

Improved customer orientation

High develop-ment ROI

New markets

Finding new capabilities

Team

Howtoexperiment?

Metrics

Elementsofexperimentation

Achallenge Rightpeople

Managementcommitment

Evaluation

Communi-cation

Application

Challengingtherolesandhabits

ofpeople

Interaction

DOINGandlearning

Typesofexperimentation

Customers

Partners

Public

Newservices/products

Existingservices/products

Customerexperiences

Businessprocesses

Knowledge/skills

Technologies

Rapidprototyping

Pilotprojects

Ideacapture

Onlinecampaigns

Crowdsourcing

Focusgroups

Competitions

Surveys

Discussiongroups

Tests

Withwhom

Internal

Forwhat How

Hackathons

Gaming

Impactareas

Individual

Team

Company Culturalevolution

Teamlearning

Personalgrowth

Company’svisionandstrategy

Alearningpath

• Wakeup!• Whatisexperimentation• Whyitisnecessary• Whattoexperimenton• Whatmakes

experimentationsuccessful• Whatisreflectionon/in

action

• WhatassumptionsdoIholdtrue

• HowcanIchallengemyassumptions

• Whatismypotential• What’sholdingmeback• Howtostrengthenself-

knowledge• WhatshouldIletgo/update• WhatshouldIpractice

• Howtosetgoals• Howtoorganize• Howtocarryout• Howtoevaluate• Howtofeed-forward• Howtodecideonnextsteps• Howto‘sink’newmethods

intodailyroutines• Howtopractice/reflect

1- Understanding 2- Personaldevelopment 3- Experimentationpractice

Examples

Aclandestinetrialthatchangedhowacompanymanagesprojects

Practicalinsightandprototypingresultedinanewbusiness

Aliisaconstructionengineerwhorealized,whileworkingonprojects,certainlimitationswithexistingconstructionsoftware.Theywereinternalsolutionsthatdidnotallowcollaborationwithsubcontractorsthatareresponsibleformostofthetasksinamodernproject

Afterprototypingandcollectingcustomerfeedback,AliandhisteamcreatedBulldozAIR.Itallowsteamsworkinginthefieldtobettercollaboratewiththeofficebyexchanginginformationinavisualway.

LearnmoreatAEC-Business.com.

Animpossiblegoalrevampedamasterplanningprocess

ThecityofConstitución inChilewaspracticallyobliteratedbyatsunamiin2010.Thecityleadershipdecidedtocreatethenewmasterplanin90daysinsteadofthenormalprocessthatcantakeupto15years.

Reachingtheimpossiblegoalforcedthesystemtorethinkthewholeprocessandinvolvecitizensinnovelways.Theresultwasabetter,faster,andcheaperwayofplanning.

LearnmoreatAEC-Business.com.

Niina Jaatinen,anengineeratSwecoStructures,wasponderinghowtoimprovethewayengineeringwasdoneinthecompany.Shediscoveredscrum,anagileprojectmanagementframeworkwidelyusedinITdevelopment.

Sheprototypedscrum,withoutinforminghisseniors,withagroupofprojectmanagers.Oncetheclandestineoperationwasexposed,shewasfirstscolded,thenpraised.Thenewwayofworkinghadprovedtobesosuccessfulthatitisnowbecominganorminthecompany.

LearnmoreatAEC-Business.com.

Anunservedneedinspiredanewonlinebusiness

ThedevelopersofServiceWhale hadlearnedthat40%ofconsumersincludethewords‘price,’‘cost,’or‘estimate’whenshoppingformajorhomeimprovementprojects.However,theinformationishardtofind.Basedonthatnotion,theydevelopedaservicethatallowsahomeownertogetupfront,customizedquotesonline.

ReadthewholestoryatAEC-Business.com.

Innovationcouldhappenoveraweekend

Ahackathon istypicallyaweekend-longeventwhereteamsofprofessionalssolveproblemsgivenbyindustryparticipants.

AECHackathon hasquicklybecomeaglobalcommunityofinnovatorsthatincludeallelementsofthebuiltenvironment.Theyoffertheopportunitytocollaboratewithcuttingedgetechnologiesanditsdevelopersanddesigners.

Learnmoreataechackathon.com.

Anideacompetitionhelpedimproveprofessionalservices

Afewyearsback,weorganizedanideacompetitionforaprofessionalservicesorganization.Theyinvitedtheirstaffof300totheonlineeventandaskedthemtogenerateideasonhowtosupporttheirclients’sustainabilityefforts.

Theoutcomewasover120ideasofwhich20werechosenforvoting.Thewinnersgotresourcesforworkingoutsolutionsfromtheideas.Anotherresultofthecampaignwasadatabaseofcategorizedandevaluatedideasthatmyclientcoulduseinthefuture.

LearnmoreatAEC-Business.com.

Contactusformoreinformation

AarniHeiskanen

AEPartnersaarni.heiskanen@aepartners.fi

MikkoTaskinen

Peilausmikko.taskinen@peilaus.fi

Photos:©2016AEPartnersOy