Stakeholder Analysis and Mapping - 3 Key Questions to Ask in How to Manage Expectations in a Change

Failure reasons in change management are many and varied. But one thing is painfully clear. Any organisational initiative that creates change - or has a significant change element to it - has a 70% chance of not achieving what was originally envisaged.

The root cause of all this failure is lack of clarity and a lack of communication - and even more fundamentally - the lack of a language and contextual framework to articulate and manage the necessary processes of change.

This is what a Programme Management based approach to change is all about and why it so important. One important aspect of programme management is "Stakeholder Analysis and Mapping" and this is all about, in other words: "Who is this step change going to affect and how are they going to react, and what do we have to do to support them?".

How well you listen to and respond to ALL of your stakeholders' issues - and are seen to be doing so - is a significant measure of the effectiveness of your management of these relationships.

Leadership skills make a big difference to successfully managing stakeholder relationships. This is where the management of expectations matters. Here are 3 key questions to address in managing expectations in a change initiative, and specifically in relation to your employees.

1. Do your people really know what is expected of them?

Do your people know how to translate the high level vision and strategy into actionable steps? People are very different in the ways they process information, interpret life, and in the ways they are motivated. Many (probably most) of them are not able to make the leap from hearing and understanding your vision and strategy to translating that into purposeful productive action. This does not mean that they don't understand it, or agree with it, but it does simply mean that the leap is too great for most people to make - without your practical assistance.

2. Do they know what they can expect from you?

It is extremely important to that they know that you will work with them in "grinding out" in practical, manageable detail what the high level strategy, vision, values things actually mean for them as the "troops" in action.

3. Do they know what is expected of each other?

They also need to know what these actionable steps mean for them in terms of what they can and should expect from each other.

Of all strategies for managing change - the programme management based approach is the most likely to ensure that you avoid the staggering and needless 70% failure rate, as [amongst other things] it it will get you to focus on the critical issue of the human impacts of your change initiative.

For more on this: " Stakeholder analysis and mapping "

I invite you to take advantage of this FREE download: Starting the Change Process "

Find out the 3 main reasons for the 70% failure rate of all step change initiatives and how to avoid it. This FREE 29 page document offers a brief introduction to some of the key themes and key points that you need to consider in starting the change process.

Stephen Warrilow, based in Bristol, works with companies across the UK providing specialist support to directors delivery significant change initiatives. Stephen has 25 years cross sector experience with 100+ companies in mid range corporate, larger SME and corporate environments.

How Six Sigma and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis Create A More Productive Business Environment

While it isn't possible to prevent every problem from occurring, it is possible to put a damper on many of them in order to eliminate the presence of unwanted issues that could potentially slow down your business' productivity. Six Sigma provides many very useful tools for doing just that. One that is frequently used in various aspects of an organization is failure mode and effects analysis otherwise known as FMEA.

FMEA is used to diagnose potential problems and find solutions before they really have an opportunity to develop. This saves organizational leaders a lot of time and money in the long run and translates into more time for normal business operations that will increase the overall level of productivity. This, in turn will increase profits which is the true aim of any corporation.

Six Sigma and FMEA are used in large organizations throughout the world and have become value tools on many levels of business. Results have shown these tools to be very successful and companies have reported their productivity levels are on the rise as a result of utilizing them.

A well documented FMEA that contains robust action plans will help companies gain a better foothold on various issues in all aspects of the company. The Implementation of these plans is what helps organizations avoid the reworking of various projects. This saves a considerable amount of time and money because the information is there that enables them to be successful the first time around.

FMEA can also be used to minimize risks. It can be applied in various services to help companies avoid certain actions that could pose problems later on in a particular project. This is one of the greatest advantages of using FMEA and Six Sigma together. There is always risk involved in every business, so the more organizations are able to eliminate these risks, the more successful they will be all around. This, of course, will spell out larger profits due to a more productive atmosphere in the end.

Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

How Performing a DFMEA (Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis) Works With Six Sigma

Within the Six Sigma hierarchy are trained and certified professionals that are known a Master, Black or Green Belts, among others, depending on their expertise. They are the people that make changes to existing design and who also create detailed plans for new design that thoroughly address all possible faults and solutions to those faults. This is where DFMEA (Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis) comes in.

The current plans are thoroughly dissected right down to the separate components. Each component is considered as to whether or not it will fail, what the chances are that it will fail, and what to do if it does fail. A plan is put into place for every possible failure that is forecast.

Every failure and recovery plan is than documented thoroughly, given a number that represents the severity of risks that it poses then is followed by the solution. Every fault has a plan that will be put into motion should the event arise. Every person on the Six Sigma team is given a portion of that plan that they are responsible to implement. In this way, there are no unexpected problems that could happen, and when a problem happens, there is already somebody in charge to put it to rights.

A careful and thorough analysis can not only protect the consumer, but it protects the business as well. Since this is completed before any part of the manufacturing process is begun, or before the service is offered, a business can determine if it is going to be a cost effective endeavor. It is well worth the time and expense to put together a Six Sigma plan using DFMEA and in the long run, it could save millions of dollars for the business that is considering the project.

Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Voltage Failure Modes

Question from a reader: "Hi Dan, What is the failure mode for Lithium Polymer batteries? I understand that Nickel Cadmium batteries fail as a short circuit usually. Therefore, a pack of NiCads will continue to operate with a shorted cell but with a voltage that is one cell lower. Do LiPo's fail...resulting in the loss of the entire pack? Thanks

Answer:

First of all the reference to a "failure mode" is not necessarily a singular event. It is in effect a catch-all phrase representing potential problems. I wrote a 3-part article series on the concept of Battery Failure Mode and Effects Analysis so for more detail please see my blog. But at the core of the concept failure modes in general are not new but a phenomenon in manufacturing quality assurance analysis (this phenomenon could also be applied to other industries).

Specific to the readers questions on lithium polymer batteries there could be a number of "failure mode(s)" and sub-failure modes related to the manufacturing and personal usage of a battery including Li-Po chemistry based cells. For example:

Batteries can have faulty cell design

Batteries can be manufactured under uncontrolled processes

Batteries can be operated in uncontrolled conditions

Batteries can be abused

Batteries can degrade and lose power

Heat and water for example are not good for any battery. But it is surprising to me how many people use their battery and device in both and of course that represents several potential failure modes. An example is when one of our customers several years ago always took his iPod mini into the sauna at his gym. Well that is not the best place for a battery or device. Eventually his battery "died" and so did the device (batteries technically do not die, but, they do degrade to the point where they will not transfer electrons from an electrical source to the internal chemical, for the required electrochemical energy change necessary recreate electricity for a device). That is a bad failure mode brought about be a user.

Another example is when there are metallic electrode shavings evident in the batteries electrolyte. When current is running from one electrode to another through the electrolyte the shavings cause any battery to short circuit. The short circuiting could result in the battery smoking, bubbling or stopping. That is an example of bad manufacturing and of course a failure effect. Another example of a failure mode is when you open the battery casing. If you open the casing once it is sealed hermeneutically then you run the big risk of causing a failure mode to occur.

In any event - any failure mode will cause a battery to either operate at a lower performance than originally designed or stop working period. One interesting side note is that devices can operate with a battery that is at a lower voltage (but not higher voltage) as the device originally manufactured. The reason is because a battery's voltage is not necessarily a static measurement.

Volts - or V - are an electrical measure of energy potential. Voltage can also be thought of as the amount of "pressure" of electrons that pass from a negative connector to a positive connector. Or V can be defined as the measure of the strength of an electrical source of power for a given current level.

Voltage can also be defined as the Electrical Potential difference - a quantity in physics related to the amount of energy that would be required to move an object from one place to another against various types of force. In the fields of electronics the electrical potential difference is the amount of work per charge needed to move electric charge from the second point to the first, or equivalently, the amount of work that unit charge flowing from the first point to the second can perform.

Mathematically voltage is commonly measured by V= I x R; where V=Voltage, I=Current, R=Resistance.

Beyond the definition what challenges many is the confusion that a battery contains four unique types of voltage measurements.

Each of the following voltage measurements can be taken from a battery:

Float Voltage - is battery voltage at zero current (with battery disconnected).
Nominal Voltage - is battery voltage range 3.7V, 5.2V, 10.2V, 12V etc that says that a voltage range exists depending on the number of cells in the battery. For example a 12 Volt battery is made of 6 cells and has a Float voltage of about 12V.

Charge Voltage - The voltage of a battery while charging.

Discharge Voltage - The voltage of a battery while discharging. Again, this voltage is determined by the charge state and the current flowing in the battery.

So yes a battery with a drop in voltage will continue to operate but not necessarily at a level that will power the intended device.

? Dan Hagopian
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included with link. Dan Hagopian of http://www.batteryship.com has been writing about consumer electronics since 1996. Dan has a personal passion for understanding how electronic devices can be powered, for learning about various types of battery devices and their internal systems, as well as the interaction of batteries with interfacing systems, and finally about the internal control mechanisms of batteries. Dan writes on battery power related devices for mobile computing and portable power. Dan writes about this technology extensively and his work can be found at http://www.batteryeducation.com

"2012 How To" - Unique 2012 Preparation Guide, $27 Per Sale!

Make almost $27.00 per sale! Easy-to-Follow Affiliate Page with tips and tools. Earn $$$ by offering life-saving preparation guide with unique list of 209 most important items to survive 2012 (with exact places where to get them from) .

Check it out!

OCZ Technology Enyo Series 256 GB USB 3.0 Solid State Drive OCZSSDU3-1ENY256G

OCZ Technology OCZSSDU3-1ENY256G Solid State Drive OCZSSDU3-1ENY256G Solid State Drives

Price: $748.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

Motor Oil Analysis Testing on the Cheap - The Blotter Spot Test

It is often difficult to know for certain just how long your oil could last before needing a change. The type of car you drive, the size of the engine, the age of the engine, the type of driving that you do and the type of oil that is in your crankcase will ALL have a significant effect on oil longevity.

Of course, quick lubes will continue to tell you that 3,000 mile changes are a necessity, and, for SOME people, this may be true. However, for the vast majority of us, this hasn't been necessary for a good many years. Unfortunately, determining just HOW LONG is ok can be difficult.

Enter Oil Analysis

The best way to establish realistic oil change intervals is via oil analysis. Those who have been professionally trained to test oil and who have expensive lab equipment at their disposal are certain most qualified to determine the quality of the used oil sitting in your vehicle.

Such a thorough analysis of your oil can be cost prohibitive, though, since a professional oil analysis can often cost as much as a 5 quart petroleum oil change.

The Result - We Don't Do It

Of course, the result is that most folks won't pay for a "true" oil analysis - but they might be willing to perform a simple oil analysis themselves, if they knew how to do it. It won't give you detailed numbers as you'd get from a lab, but it can give you a fairly good idea of how well your oil is holding up, thus helping you decide whether it's time to make a change or not.

Below you'll find detailed instructions for 1 of 6 layman's oil analysis tests that you can use to determine how well your oil is holding up and whether it's ready for a change. In this way you can begin to set realistic oil change intervals for your vehicle.

Performing the Test

Using just this simple layman's oil analysis test can shed light on a wide range of potential oil problems which could require an oil change: excessive particulates, condensation build-up, glycol contamination, fuel dilution, failure of dispersant additives, formation of sludge and oxidation products. It is probably one of the most useful DIY oil analysis tests you can perform, and it's drop dead simple.

While your engine (and the oil) is WARM (not HOT), allow a drop of oil to fall from your dipstick onto a heavy, white, NON-glossy business card. Lay the paper or business card flat, but so that all but the very edges of the paper is suspended. As a possible example, if you're using stiff card stock or a stiff business card (which you really should be) simply set the card across the top of a cup or mug of some sort.

You want to wait for the paper or card to absorb the oil drop completely which might take awhile. The list of characteristics below should help you evaluate the condition of your oil based on the DRY oil spot.

If your oil is still good for continued use, the dry oil spot will be uniform in color without any especially dark areas or rings. There may be a slightly yellow outer ring.

If your dispersant additives are failing, you'll likely see a very dense and quite dark area, normally within the center of the circle. Consider changing your oil soon, especially if any other issues come up in the course of "testing".

Glycol (antifreeze) in your oil? Expect to see a very black and somewhat "pasty" zone within the oil spot. Change your oil very soon.

If the circle is really dark throughout and has a very distinct outer ring, your oil is severely oxidized and needs to be changed immediately.

If the center of the circle is quite dark and there are outer rings you may likely have fuel in your oil. This does not necessarily mean that you need to change your oil since it is common to have fuel in your oil, but it could if the level is too high. Only a professional analysis will tell you how high those levels are.

***

Would it help you to know more about cheapskate oil testing, how you can compare and contrast motor oils, how synthetics CAN and sometimes CANNOT be good options, how to compare the efficiency of various oil filters and much more? Take a look at The Motor Oil Evaluator or head over and check out my Motor Oil Bible ebook.