Project Delivery – SHAZAM!

Shazam! An exclamation we’ve all heard – but most of us (myself included until today) probably don’t know the origin. In 1973 Marvel Comics created a character who, upon shouting this word, became Captain America. Shazam has many meanings, one of which is this:

 S   The wisdom of Solomon
 H   The strength of Hercules
 A   The stamina of Atlas
 Z   The power of Zeus
 A   The courage of Achilles
 M   The speed of Mercury

Now what does Shazam! have to do with project delivery?  Well, who wouldn’t want a little Shazam! in their projects?  Wisdom, strength, stamina, power, courage, and speed – what if we could purposefully and systematically introduce a little of these on every project we touched?

Don’t go into your next project scheduling meeting and shout Shazam! while wearing a cape (though if you do, please let me know how it goes).  Instead, learn what some thought leaders in the A/E/C industry have been doing to bring about real, meaningful, and valuable change to entrenched project delivery methods – with results that have Shazam! impacts for everyone involved.

In 2003 DesignFacilitator grew out of a small A/I firm looking for ways to do things better.  We developed a body of knowledge using client feedback to help project delivery firms continuously improve.  As we encountered more and more organizations who were looking for ways to do things better, with better results, and with better value for both clients and themselves, we began to find other thought leaders doing different, but equally amazing things.

One group leading the charge with a big dose of Shazam! is the Lean Construction Institute.  Don’t let the name fool you – they spend as much focus on the design and engineering processes as they do construction.   The lean movement takes the many lessons learned in manufacturing (as pioneered by Toyota) and other industries, and applies them to every day projects.  This amazingly innovative and yet necessarily practical group of people continue to discuss, promote, and operate design and construction processes that cut costs and schedule by huge margins, while increasing product quality and consistency.  And they do all this with a keen focus on maximizing value to the clients.

For the last year, DesignFacilitator has sponsored LCI and been actively involved in both their national Congress and many regional events.  If you are not yet aware of Lean Construction, or the ideas behind Continuous Improvement – I invite you to join us October 3-7th in Pasadena, CA at the 2011 LCI National Congress.   An introductory day outlines the key concepts of Lean, followed by two days of real-world case studies from architects, engineers,  contractors, and owners; followed by a fourth day of specialized break-out sessions.

DesignFacilitator and LCI co-sponsor Newforma will be hosting a 3-hour breakout session on Friday, October 7th to discuss real-world software tools that are helping firms around the world bring a little Shazam! to their projects.  You’ll hear from actual users and be able to participate in brainstorming sessions to help define a “state of the industry” approach for innovative project delivery.  We will demonstrate our Client Feedback Tool and how the process of Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) helps everyone in your organization constantly adjust to meet client expectations.  Newforma will demonstrate their Project Center and highlight the value opportunities found in Project Information Management (PIM).

If you are able to join us, please register here - admission is free to Congress attendees (register separately for the Congress here).

Those who can’t make the trip can’t afford to miss this required reading, and learn how a little Shazam! can change your project delivery for the better.

• Client Feedback – The Power of Feedback
• Lean Construction Institute – A list of recommended introductory readings
• Newforma - PIM introduction

Creating Incentive for a Creative Workforce

I stumbled across a fantastic video on the web today, that very creatively presents a new paradigm to motivate and incentivize your team – particularly creative types like those serving the architecture and engineering industry. Here’s the 10-minute video – it’s worth watching to the last second (and very cleverly presented – especially to visually minded people).

For those who don’t take the time to watch it – the presentation shows research focusing in on human behavior, and how incentives work to create better performance. The shocking revelation is that money doesn’t work as a primary motivator for creative professionals. While a fair and compensatory paycheck is required to maintain an employee’s good will, better performance comes not from higher pay, but from three key areas:

• Autonomy
• Mastery
• Purpose

This corroborates research by PSMJ that people leave their jobs most often because their:

• Talents are not seen
• Contributions are not appreciated
• Growth is not supported

Feedback is a powerful driver to attack each of these six items head-on, and build tremendous value in the relationships between your firm and your staff.

Client Feedback enables everyone in the organization to collect feedback from the people around them. Clients can be internal or external. They can be the consumer of your service, or a provider of a service to you. Whatever your professional interactions are, maximizing each relationship’s performance promotes a sense of well-being and belonging that an employee will be reluctant to leave.

We’ve found most feedback (about 96%) is positive. This kind of reinforcement feels great!  People regularly receiving feedback feel appreciated and valued over and over again. All of a sudden, they know where their talents are, and can proudly share their successes.  Additionally, their managers have access to a library of great accolades from which to publicly acknowledge and reward employees. The rewards don’t have to be financial – the recognition and appreciation alone for a job well done creates a sense of purpose and mastery.

Of course, while 96% of feedback is positive, 4% highlights challenges. And here’s where your creative people can really shine. Given tools to uncover where problems lie, and access to the information so your staff can create solutions on their own, grants a great sense of autonomy and self-determination that is very satisfying. Your staff aren’t just great technical minds – they are great people – and they have ideas about how to solve people problems along with the technical issues of the projects they work on.

Given a good set of tools to track “client” perceptions, and to measure how your team performs relative to expectations, you can create an environment that is decidedly flexible, supportive, creative, rewarding, masterful and filled with purpose. Feedback enables your entire staff – from the receptionist to the corner offices – to be a part of something bigger; a contributor to a community in ways that are meaningful, fulfilling, and rewarding.

Incorporating feedback into your organization may prove to be a better incentive than simple dollars and cents.  Explore our Client Feedback Tool to learn how we can help.

Koontz-Bryant, PC – Client Feedback Journal, Part 3

Join us as we follow Koontz-Bryant, P.C. as they begin using client feedback to improve their business, culture, and overall prosperity.  In the third installment, Martha Shotwell, Controller, describes the process of sending their first surveys, getting staff buy-in and how they put their first feedback responses to work.  Read Journal Entry 1 and Journal Entry 2.

Part 3

At our last report to you, Koontz-Bryant had gone through the system setup with our implementation consultant, and we had conducted a Lunch and Learn training session with staff. We were just beginning to send surveys to clients, but did not yet have results to share.

To jump-start our efforts with the Client Feedback Tool, Koontz-Bryant’s president, Greg Koontz, sent general satisfaction surveys to several dozen clients. These surveys were not tied to particular projects, but instead were designed to gauge clients’ overall impression of our company. To speed the process along, Greg used the Client Feedback Tool’s import feature to bring in contact and company information from Outlook. We were pleased with the results. His response rate was 42%, and feedback was very positive. 

Of particular interest were the free-form comments people made. Where they mentioned a particular employee by name, we were quick to pass those compliments along. This gave us an opportunity to express appreciation to the employee, and to reinforce the idea that the surveys were a good thing. One of the comments related to the survey itself. Our client said, “I appreciate your use of the scale. It is a device I have not previously seen.” 

One of the survey recipients was an institutional client for whom we have done many projects. Though we knew our relationship was a good one, this client gave us the highest mark on every measure, and added, “I will take a consultant like Koontz-Bryant any day and twice on Sundays.” This high praise spurred us to build a marketing piece about this institution and our work together, and we included a glowing client testimonial. 

Getting individual project managers to send their surveys still seemed slow. As the “Firm Administrator,” I met with the practice leaders to identity barriers to cooperation. There seemed to be a bit of “decision paralysis” when it came to selecting the survey to use.  The Client Feedback Tool has 96 survey templates, and we had inactivated about two thirds of them. However, there were still too many to choose from.  We agreed that I would identify a few survey templates for general use. 

Most of our project managers have begun to send surveys. However, we were stumped as to how to overcome the problem of a few people not getting on board. We talked with Mike Phillips at Design Facilitator about this. His emphatic advice was to go ahead and send surveys on their behalf.  Regardless of whether the PMs “should” do these themselves, he reasoned, the important thing is to get the feedback, and not create a lot of organizational stress about it. When I offered to send surveys on behalf of a particular group leader, he was enthusiastic. We sat down with a billing register and he chose a batch of clients to survey. If PM participation lags, this is a technique we will use with other groups.

Though some of internal company surveys have shown us where we had opportunity for improvement, all of our client responses have been 4 (meets expectation) and above.  At first blush this looks like wonderful news, but we do have some concern that we have “cherry-picked” the recipients.  A low score, properly addressed, can be an opportunity to forge a strong bond with a client. As our PMs become more comfortable with the process, we will encourage them to send surveys encompassing the most difficult relationships, as well.

In our next update, we’ll share our experience with an onsite consultation visit by the DesignFacilitator staff.

Version 4.2 Released – New Features

We are pleased to announce the Client Feedback Tool has been upgraded to version 4.2.  

New features include:

• Simplified administration of security, users, groups, and permissions – especially for large organizations
• The term “Teams” has been replaced by the more accurate term “Project Groups.”  The functionality of these organizational units remains the same.
• Expanded support for foreign language surveys.  We now support all international character sets for all customizable parts of the invitation and survey taking process.
• Simpler registration process for new users

Stay tuned for more.  We have an exciting list of great new features coming in Q4, 2012!

Koontz-Bryant, PC – Client Feedback Journal, Part 2

Join us as we follow Koontz-Bryant, P.C. as they begin using client feedback to improve their business, culture, and overall prosperity.  In the second installment, Martha Shotwell, Controller, describes developing their feedback plan, training their staff and how they got started collecting client feedback.  Read Part 1.

Part 2

When Koontz-Bryant, P.C. decided to embark upon a program to collect regular client feedback, we had some questions about getting started.  We knew that with the Client Feedback Tool we could jump in with already-written surveys, and that compilation of results was part of the program. But how would we get buy-in from staff? What was the best way to train? How would we introduce the surveys to our clients? As Mary Poppins tells her young charges, “Well begun is half done.” We felt that our success with the feedback program depended on a good roll-out.

One of the things we liked about the Client Feedback Tool was the implementation assistance that came along with it. As a starting point, DesignFacilitator presented an outline of implementation steps that included consultation, software setup, training, and review. A pre-consultation questionnaire got us thinking about details such as our goals for feedback collection; who would be in charge of implementation; who would request feedback, and how often; who would review results and how results would be used.  With Ryan, our DesignFacilitator consultant, we scheduled some webinar meeting dates and got to work.

Two of us at Koontz-Bryant were charged with implementation. Our Controller would be the Firm Administrator and responsible for setup, and our COO would determine when surveys should go out, encourage staff participation, and assure appropriate follow-up. In our initial online consultation, Ryan talked with us about our company and staff structure, and our thoughts based on the pre-consultation questions. He helped us think through the feedback work flow, and shared some examples of what had worked with other firms. Ryan gave us a bit of homework and challenged us to come up with an assignment for the staff who would be using the Client Feedback Tool.

A week later, the real fun began. Our account went live and through an online meeting Ryan stepped us through the setup. He had already inserted our logo, and we selected colors for our firm branding settings. He showed us how to set up firm members and teams. Preference settings allowed us to determine default settings for notifications (what range of low/high scores should trigger an email alert?) and message defaults (messages sent to clients with the surveys). We learned how to use filters to narrow down the 96 pre-defined survey templates, and how to set up clients and projects. Over the next week, we completed setup of firm members and deactivated some of the survey templates.

Our next step was to train the staff. We scheduled a two-hour lunch and learn webinar for all office personnel. Koontz-Bryant management had been impressed with DesignFacilitator’s “Power of Feedback” presentation, so we asked Ryan to present a fair amount of that background material. He then walked staff through the program, guiding them through the steps of requesting feedback, reviewing results, and managing their personal preferences. An open discussion at the end allowed staff to ask questions. At the end of the session, we asked staff to send a survey to someone – client or internal. A few of the staff jumped right in and sent surveys to their coworkers, and a couple of people sent them to clients. However, some employees did not respond. 

A few days after the training, we sent a survey to everyone who attended the lunch and learn, using a training template that was already pre-established in the Client Feedback Tool. Everyone had an opportunity to see the process from the client’s perspective. More important, we gathered valuable feedback about our training process. We learned that overall our training met or exceeded expectations, the food was great, and our consultant got high marks for responsiveness and quality of presentation. We also learned that:

• the staff was less interested in the “why” of collecting feedback than in the “how”;
• two hours was a bit too long, even though the first half-hour was lunch; by the time we got to the “how” people were mentally tired;
• most people could not see the details of the software projected on the screen.

For anyone going through the process, our recommendation is to focus more on the “how”, and to find a way to set people up at multiple computers so they can see the screens.

The Client Feedback Tool has a section for tracking followup. We followed up with each person who rated an area low, and recorded this activity in the software.

A few weeks after the training meeting, our president, Greg, met with project managers to establish specific points in a project’s life cycle at which a survey should be sent. To increase our momentum, he also sent initial surveys to a batch of top clients.  Results are starting to come in.

In our next update, we look forward to sharing results with you.

Version 4.1 Released!

We are pleased to announce Client Feedback Tool Version 4.1 has just been released.  As the first release following a major version, we have focused on performance and refinement across the board.

• Reporting is 50% – 500% faster
• Schedule recurring surveys (monthly, quarterly, yearly)
• 33 customer-requested enhancements added
• Team creation / management redesigned to be easier
• 17 known defects repaired

We are eager to hear how well the performance enhancements work for you in real-world usage.  Please send your comments and feedback to support@designfacilitator.com and let us know!

How’s Your Kaizen? – Continuous Improvement Using Feedback

Kaizen is a Japanese word meaning “change for the better.”  Any LEAN organization, at one point or another, will run across this idea.  Wikipedia summarizes nicely:

Kaizen is a daily process, the purpose of which goes beyond simple productivity improvement. It is also a process that, when done correctly, humanizes the workplace, eliminates overly hard work, and teaches people how to perform experiments on their work using the scientific method and how to learn to spot,  eliminating waste in business processes.  In all, the process suggests a humanized approach to workers and to increasing productivity: “The idea is to nurture the company’s human resources as much as it is to praise and encourage participation in kaizen activities.” Successful implementation requires “the participation of workers in the improvement.” People at all levels of an organization participate in kaizen, from the CEO down to janitorial staff, as well as external stakeholders when applicable.

Note the incredible focus on everyone in the organization, in a very human way, seeking means to improve.  Just as important, Kaizen requires a systematic approach to test and measure efforts.  Without a methodical system to monitor results, changes are often a shot in the dark, and real lasting change difficult to obtain.

Service businesses (architects, engineers, lawyers, etc) face even greater challenges realizing incremental improvements.  The very nature of a professional service is a customized, solution-oriented approach to each unique project and client.  Kaizen comes from manufacturing, where practitioners performed the same function repeatedly.  In an assembly line one can easily measure widgets per hour, consistency of widget quality, and cost per widget – each of which monitors how changes to employee efforts affect production output.

Services are rarely so easily repeatable.  In fact, the only thing “standard” about a “standard” project is that no project ever matches the standard process.  And yet, while services firms may earnestly measure billings, schedule delivery, and quality of deliverables, they very rarely objectively measure the real delivery – client satisfaction.

Professional services, by nature, means we are servants.  And while our “master” (the client) requests a product (technical drawing, constructed building, etc), what they really need is our help – our service.

To truly practice kaizen – and realize lasting continuous improvement in your professional services firm – you must measure how well your service delivery met the clients’ expectations.  Gathering feedback objectively, consistently, and continuously will give you the real-time data needed to always get better.  Employing a system that everyone (from the CEO to the janitor) can use allows everyone to get better.

DesignFacilitator’s Client Feedback Tool is the only tool built exclusively for this purpose in the professional services industry.  Contact us to learn how this powerful and easy to use tool can help your “kaizen.”    www.designfacilitator.com

The Influence of Feedback on Your Clients

You already know feedback helps you build committed, loyal relationships with your clients. While there are many reasons why receiving feedback from your clients produces great results, you may surprised by how powerful just giving feedback can be.

In his well-researched book Influence, Robert B. Cialdini describes six primary behavioral responses influenced by our basic psychology.  One powerful predictor of human behavior is the idea of consistency and commitment.

Cialdini demonstrates that our society places great importance on being perceived as consistent. Those who change their stance from a previous stated position are often branded unreliable.  Consider a politician who, even if justified, changes his stance on an issue.  He’s wishy-washy.  Across many vectors of our culture, there is a strong need appear consistent.

The influence of this demand to be consistent often drives behavior.  Even if the underlying reasons to act or behave in a specific manner are gone (or contrary to our best interest), the need to be consistent with a previous stated view or behavior is overpowering.

Consumer industries have known about this for years.  Many providers of household products have offered prizes for essay contests about their products.  Why?  Once you make a statement that a given product is great and describe why you like it so much, you now have a strong psychological need to be consistent with that statement going forward.  You have unwittingly committed yourself to preferring that brand over any others because buying any other would violate your innate need to be consistent.

Feedback from your clients is just as powerful.

When you solicit feedback and your clients respond – especially in some documented written format – you are changing something deep within their psyche.  Their need to be consistent will commit them to their feedback.  Their commitment will drive their behavior.

Over 96% of the feedback collected by our system is positive.  That means 96% of the time your clients are being influenced to prefer you and your services.  When your client needs similar services again, he will be more likely to choose you, just to be consistent with his past statements.  When telling others about his experience with you, he will be more likely to say positive things – again, just to be consistent.  When his boss asks why your fees are so high, your client contact will defend you and how great you are, and worth every penny – because he’s committed to his statements.

Even if you do nothing with the feedback you collect (though you should do something), the act of giving feedback will create more loyal, committed, consistent clients.  Asking for feedback is such an amazingly easy way to dramatically improve your firm.

The Client Feedback Tool and the Lean Construction Institute

DesignFacilitator’s Client Feedback Tool is one of two Sustaining Sponsors of the Lean Construction Institute (LCI), the premier worldwide organization for firms practicing or interested in implementing continuous improvement strategies.

We hope you can join us at LCI’s national event, the Lean Design Forum, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; June 9-10.

Here’s more from LCI Executive Director Dick Bayer:

Join us for 2 days of in-depth dialogue on Lean design and construction philosophy and methodologies. Hear from national leaders in design and construction who have been implementing lean thinking and integrated project delivery methods specifically related to design and the participation of designers throughout the life of a project. Meeting format will include both presentations, workshops and question + answer periods.

Presentations will include: Todd Henderson from Boulder Associates to reprise Romano Nickerson’s presentation to the Nor-Cal COP on integrating lean into a design practice; Stacey Root, also from Boulder Associates reprising her presentation in Cincinnati last year on the team approach they took on the Van Ness California Medical Office Building; Kevin Kerschbaum of HGA discussing contemporaneous modeling of post-op and emergency care for Affinity in Wisconsin.

We’ll be discussing the role of Lean principles in Design in the workshop on Friday.  The purpose is to begin a robust conversation in the community about design.  However, we need to tap into our resources on this subject from around the country so we won’t be developing a specific, adoptable document that defines or tries to define the role of lean principles in design. Structural engineers, mechanical system designers, architects, city planners – all are important to a great diversity of ideas on how the creative process we call design is informed by lean principles.

Registration details are at: http://lci-p2sl-design-06-2011.eventbrite.com 

Power of Client Feedback Webinar

The Power of Client Feedback Webinar is now available online for you to view anytime. If you would like to view it now, please click through here:

The Power of Feedback – Informational Webinar by Ryan Suydam