Stuck? Here's a Tool to Make Progress

Is your project stuck? How might you create a plan and monitor progress towards the target in a simple, yet effective way?

The “Progress Canvas” tool enables teams to do this in a way they find valuable. I use a case study of a team responsible for testing in four countries, with country teams brought together only recently. Thus they had different tools and methods at different sites.

I show a representation of the Progress Canvas below.

Step 1: Identify Stakeholders

First, it helps to identify who has an interest in your success, both internal and external. This may be clients, end users, regulators etc. In our case study, the stakeholders were product managers. 

Step 2: Describe the Future

Detail a preferred future by asking, e.g. “What is happening when we have achieved our target? What are we, our customers, colleagues, competitors and other key stakeholders sensing and saying?”

I like to have people model this with clay, and then document what the model means. An alternative is to draw a picture.

Such exercises move people away from the normal discussion and increase energy through participation.

In the case study, the team produced a model of what the clients would see when testing was successful, e.g. tested products delivered on time, to budget, with nil defects found by end users and good communication with clients throughout testing.

Outside the workshop you can discuss this model with your stakeholders, to verify if your thinking is correct. Better still; create the model with your stakeholders.   

Step 3: Identify Focus Areas

Based on Step 2, identify five to six areas to focus your attention on to achieve this preferred future.

A potential issue here is that the team identifies too many focus areas.

In this case, an analysis of the focus areas will usually reveal that some are not that critical or some are sub-factors. Too many focus areas leads to a lack of focus!

If you are more scientific, be aware that to identify the focus areas is more an art than an exact science.

As in the case study, items like “deliver on time”, “reduce budget”, “reduce defects”, and “improve communication” describe focus areas but can be too vague.

The art is to translate them into focus areas that are very clear. Doing this, the case study team chose, e.g.:

? Develop a shared vision with stakeholders (improve communication)

? Automate test scripts and frameworks (reduce defects)

? Use consistent tools and methods across all teams (reduce costs and defects).

Step 4: Describe “10”

On a scale of 10 – 1, for each focus area, describe how you and stakeholders would know that you are at “10”, where “10” is the best it can be.

Step 5: Assess Progress

Draw a chart with the focus areas on the horizontal axis and a scale of 10 – 1 on the vertical axis. [See diagram overleaf].

On each scale, have people plot where the team stands today, e.g. for “Use consistent tools and methods across all teams”, people might rate between 2 – 6. Do not seek an average score. As you move forward, you want each person to progress upwards on each scale.

This is an example of a completed Progress Canvas, with a reduced number of Focus Areas.

Step 6: Source Energy

Now discuss, “What has enabled you to reach this score?” for each focus area. E.g. In the case study, “We have rich test experience across four countries” was a key strength. Record these on Post-it Notes under each focus area.

Note that people will often want to discuss what is stopping the team move to “10”. In this strength-based approach, it is much more effective to look for what is helping you make progress towards “10”.

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Step 7: Add Momentum

Identify and discuss what would move people one step up the scale for each focus area. Record each on a Post It note.

In the case study, one example was: “Hold workshop between all test leads on automation frameworks”. In this approach, the team leaves with a realistic set of actions to take forward.

Step 8: Set Sprint Actions

Here, people identify actions that they guarantee to take in a short time frame to initiate progress. E.g. “Request a list of tools from Test Leads”. These are kept simple and achievable so that the team initiates progress.

Step 9: Follow-up

Teams set review meetings every two weeks to monitor progress and set new Sprint Actions.

So

The case study team took their strategy forward, involved the teams in further planning and demonstrated their new approach to clients in workshops, eliciting a very positive response.

Use the tool with your team and see how quickly you begin to make progress.

To Close

The Progress Canvas is based on work done by Adie Shariff and Ali Abington, based on a Solution Focus approach.

We use it with teams when they are working on business plans, innovating new products and services, implementing projects, in fact in any situation where you need to develop and implement a plan. The step by step approach works particularly well in complex situations where the situation is changing regularly and so a full blown project or action plan would not be suitable.

One use identified recently, is to progress product / service development ideas before sign off and development of a full project plan. 

How might you use this simple but effective tool?

John Brooker I Yes! And. Think Innovatively.

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 About the author

John Brooker is a former Senior Vice President and innovator in Visa and is now the MD of Yes! And, where he has worked internationally with multicultural teams since 2001. John has developed his Team Impetus approach to help energise organisations. You can watch one minute videos of our clients reflecting on Team Impetus here.

John is an Open University MBA and tutored on the OU MBA Creativity, Innovation and Change course for 14 years. He is President of the international Association for Solution Focus In Organisations. Solution Focus is the underlying approach for Team Impetus.