Steve Neiderhauser

A Whole New Mind Map

Steve Richards has created a mind map of Dan Pink's, A Whole New Mind.

The mind map is a visual reminder of the skills needed to thrive in the age of abundance.

Options Thinking

In a prior post I wrote about Dr. Robert Fichman's paper -- Options Thinking in IT Project Management. I have discovered that this paper is available as a word doc from his website.

The Starbucks' prepaid card case story provides an example of how to use options in product management.

Stage your Investments

I learned about staging investments while working for an Investment bank. Staging an investment means that you make an initial investment, look at the results, and determine your next move.

This technique is especially useful when a great deal of uncertainty exists. I recently used this technique to analyze applications in the new area of prototyping software for websites.

What's more, WinFX is ready to burst onto the scene and create a product platform that will increase competition. Indeed, Microsoft has announced "Expression."

So after analyzing a number of products, I've decided that Axure is the best way to stage an investment in this venue. For a small investment you get a fast way to create wire frames, and produce several options to protect against volatility. Here's one option:

Option to learn – Axure creates an option to learn about prototypes. You'll learn how to produce visual requirements and eliminate rework at your company, without a huge investment.

Product managers should take special interest in website prototyping tools.

Writing for the Unconscious

In the article Writing for the Unconscious, Jennifer Van Sijll analyzes the dance between the conscious and unconscious that takes center stage in the Sixth Sense.

Jennifer's article is written for screenwriters. Still, business people who are brave enough -- or curious enough -- to read her article may learn a couple communication steps.

Serious LEGO

I've been researching prototyping and modeling software for the past couple months. So I was rather amused when I chanced upon a LEGO website promoting LEGOs as a way to model new thoughts. The LEGO Group cites research that shows:

The hand is connected to the brain. When personal desire drives you to learn something using your hands, a complicated process takes over that generates a powerful emotional charge. Using your hands releases thoughts that are stuck in your head.

Facilitator's Guide

If you have worked at a company that needed everyone to hold hands and agree to a solution before taking action, you know how frustrating collaboration can be.

Still, some decisions require collaboration and a facilitator to guide the group. The Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making, by Sam Kaner, is considered by many to be the top book in this area. The book moves past touchy-feely techniques and provides methods for groups to look at problems in a new light. Mr. Kaner introduces reframing, because when someone views a problem from a singular angle, other potential answers are never considered. Here are just a few of the ways that you could reframe a problem:

• From "It's a problem" to "It's an opportunity."
• From "We don't have any power in this system" to "We haven't found our leverage points in this system."
• From "We don't have enough money" to "We haven't figured out how to find new sources of money."