1. The ‘One Page Management System’ (OPMS) An ‘Operating System for the Human Mind’ We can justify this bold claim through a live demonstration

2. GSC - OPMS Presentation2 OPMS OPMS is: The practical, effective means to accomplish Missions All kinds of Missions can be tackled more effectively through the OPMS: Organisational Missions Individual Missions Societal Missions A Mission is any challenging goal or objective that may require considerable effort, time, resources to accomplish

3. GSC - OPMS Presentation3 No limitations as to Mission! Just identify the Mission Ask people involved some ‘trigger questions’ about the Mission - enable them to articulate and clarify their good ideas ‘Structure’ (or organise) the ideas generated Integrate everything so that it becomes a continuing process Regular, steady work on Mission is required!

4. GSC - OPMS Presentation4 A picture of the OPMS

5. GSC - OPMS Presentation5 WEAKNESSES that may HINDER/PREVENT accomplishment of Mission EVENTS /MILESTONES that may occur during progress towards Mission Fundamental Dimensions ‘Dimensions above System Tie Line System Tie-Line ‘System’ Dimensions, derived from ‘Fundamental Dimensions’ THINGS TO DO to accomplish Mission BARRIERS / DIFFICULTIES / THREATS that may hinder/prevent accomplishment of Mission OPPORTUNITIES & Preparation Required to avail Opportunities to accomplish Mission Finance Control System Monitoring & Evaluation System(s) Production System(s) Marketing System Information Systems Planning System Mission ‘Dimensions below System Tie Line’ STRENGTHS (available) STRENGTHS (required) that may help accomplishment of Mission MISSION: “To enable each member of our staff to develop most effectively” A comprehensive system to help accomplish ANY Mission Represents any or all of the relationships in the system

6. GSC - OPMS Presentation6 Comprehensive view, crystallized onto a single page - regardless how large/complex the Mission may be! We can always ‘drill down’ to any level of detail required! OPMS - helps users develop a comprehensive view of any ‘Mission’

7. GSC - OPMS Presentation7 A uniquely powerful aid to problem solving and decision making Create effective Action Plans, to enable accomplishment of any Mission of current interest OPMS - to help accomplish Missions effectively!

8. GSC - OPMS Presentation8 Some example Missions: “To make the right investment decisions for our current needs” “To enable each member of our staff to develop most effectively” “To ensure effective Knowledge Management in the organisation” “To reduce inventory held by 20% within six months” “To increase turnover to Rs 2000 crores, with PAT of Rs 500 crores” To become an expert at the ‘C’ computer language To become a top-level consultant within 3 years To make the best decisions continuingly in complex situations

9. OPMS - helps users articulate their ideas about any ‘Mission’ by asking them appropriate ‘Trigger Questions’: “What, in your opinion, are the THINGS TO DO to enable each member to develop himself/herself for the needs of the organisation (and for himself/herself)?” The Mission

10. GSC - OPMS Presentation10 To challenge each member of staff to develop himself/herself to maximum possible for his/her own and for organisation’s benefit To make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in To enable each person develop himself/herself as an individual AND as a member of the organisation To provide all needed facilities for effective work and recreation To provide effective counseling for perceived needs of staff … (etc, etc) Responding to Trigger Questions: Stage I: A process for generating and clarifying available ideas Elements articulated in natural language, no jargon needed - as they come to mind, no need to worry about ‘order’ All good ideas to accomplish the Mission

11. On any relevant issue about which we are asked trigger questions - we ALWAYS have ideas! The ‘secret’ is to make effective use of all good ideas, filter out the irrelevant or not-so-good ideas! The conventional approaches DO NOT adequately enable effective utilisation of the good ideas of people at all levels of the organisation The greatest demotivator is the feeling that our good ideas are not being adequately valued by the organisation An effective process is needed to ‘handle ideas’ GUARANTEES Because of ‘Stage 2’ (to be described), we have a process that GUARANTEES that every good idea, whenever it comes to mind, could be integrated into our Action Plans!

12. GSC - OPMS Presentation12 Both Stage 1 (Idea Generation & Clarification) and Stage 2 (Idea Organisation) are designed to make the best possible use of available ideas! (or Idea Organising) this is the process that enables us to organize our ideas to ensure that the right ones become available for action at any point of time. Structuring! Stage 2 - Idea Structuring! It is done through a process of modeling to show us, for instance, how the accomplishment of one idea or ‘element’ may help the accomplishment of another OPMS Idea organising is something we are doing intuitively ALL the time - OPMS merely makes the process rigorous and scientific

13. GSC - OPMS Presentation13 Idea organising: suppose we have just two ideas - To challenge each member of staff to develop himself/herself to maximum possible for his/her own and for organisation’s benefit (1) To make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in (2)

14. To ‘structure’ them, we just ask ourselves a couple of questions: ‘Challenging each member of staff to develop himself/herself to maximum possible for his/her own and for organisation’s benefit’ (1) making our organisation a truly exciting place to work in (2) ?” “Does the achievement of HELP THE ACHIEVEMENT OF YES” Response: “YES” Such modeling questions help us articulate and clarify the linkages we perceive between the factors in our system

15. The question is reversed: ‘Challenging each member of staff to develop himself/herself to maximum possible for his/her own and for organisation’s benefit’ (1) ?” “Does the achievement of HELP THE ACHIEVEMENT OF NO” Response: “NO” making our organisation a truly exciting place to work in (2) Such responses represent the relationships perceived by the modelers at a particular period in time - these perceptions could and often do change!

16. GSC - OPMS Presentation16 Make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in (2) Challenge each member of staff to develop himself/herself to maximum possible for his/her own and for organisation’s benefit (1) We don’t show the ‘no contributions’ “ should contribute” Model at this stage: No contribution Accomplish (1) to enhance accomplishment of (2)!

17. GSC - OPMS Presentation17 Make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in (2) Challenge each member of staff to develop himself/herself to maximum possible for his/her own and for organisation’s benefit (1) “ should contribute” Model at this stage:

18. Then, a third element is added to our model:

19. GSC - OPMS Presentation19 Make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in (2) Challenge each member of staff to develop himself/herself to maximum possible for his/her own and for organisation’s benefit (1) “should help accomplish” To provide all needed facilities for effective work and recreation (3)

20. GSC - OPMS Presentation20 To challenge each member of staff develop himself/herself to maximum possible To make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in To help each person develop himself/herself as an individual To provide all needed facilities for effective work and recreation To provide effective counseling for perceived needs of staff To enable each member of our staff to develop most effectively should help accomplish Read bottom-upwards, in direction of arrows. THINK the elements READ the arrows as encountered! Interpretive Structural Model Stage II: An effective process for ‘organising all available ideas The relationship is the heart of the matter! should help accomplish

21. GSC - OPMS Presentation21 where ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ are ‘elements’ in the system under consideration and ‘ ’ represents a specific transitive relationship ‘transitivity’ The model is based on ‘transitivity’ of the relationship we’re working with: If ‘A’ ‘B’ AND if ‘B’ ‘C’ THEN ‘A’ MUST ‘C’ Because of transitivity, it is quite efficient to create these models, as we have to ask only a small fraction of the total number of possible questions “precedes”, This property is already familiar to most of us through the transitive relationship “precedes”, which is familiar to us through PERT & Gantt Charts (the major modeling tools in ‘Project Management Software’)

22. Because of transitivity, we can generally create these ISMs by responding to just 15%-40% of all the possible questions between elements

23. GSC - OPMS Presentation23 To challenge each member of staff develop himself/herself to maximum possible To make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in To help each person develop himself/herself as an individual To provide all needed facilities for effective work and recreation To provide effective counseling for perceived needs of staff To enable each member of our staff to develop most effectively should help accomplish Interpretive Structural Model “should help accomplish” There are many types of structures, each based on a specific transitive relationship. Particularly useful for ‘Action Planning' are ‘Intent Structures’ - structures comprised of ‘intents’ linked by the “should help accomplish” relationship These models can become as large as required to describe the most complex live situation! Over time, as we work on our Missions, our models may come to comprise hundreds or even thousands of elements!

24. GSC - OPMS Presentation24 THINGS TO DOTHINGS TO DO The model may keep on growing until the Mission is successful! are actually helping to accomplish everything else that needs to be done for the project! Even when we have thousands of elements integrated into our model, we shall be able to focus on a narrow band of elements in the full confidence that by so doing we are actually helping to accomplish everything else that needs to be done for the project! Current focus

25. GSC - OPMS Presentation25 To challenge each member of staff develop himself/herself to maximum possible To make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in To help each person develop himself/herself as an individual To provide all needed facilities for effective work and recreation To provide effective counseling for perceived needs of staff To enable each member of our staff to develop most effectively Interpretive Structural Model Intent Structures Another important attribute of such ‘Intent Structures’ WHY? HOW? Up  WHY? Down  HOW?

26. GSC - OPMS Presentation26 THINGS TO DOTHINGS TO DO WHY? HOW? UP“WHY?” UP the model to find out “WHY?” DOWN “HOW?” DOWN the model to find out “HOW?” To be able to discover the “HOW?” and the “WHY?” of things is probably the greatest motivator that exists! WHYs? HOWs? !!! To ensure effective handling of a task by people reporting to you, just enthuse them about the WHYs? of the task - then let them work out the HOWs? !!!

27. GSC - OPMS Presentation27 My personal performance Organisation’s profits My personal rewards “contributes significantly to” Rewards include: i) Financial rewards… ii) Other rewards: working conditions, etc...

28. GSC - OPMS Presentation28 To challenge each member of staff develop himself/herself to maximum possible To make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in To help each person develop himself/herself as an individual To provide all needed facilities for effective work and recreation To provide effective counseling for perceived needs of staff To enable each member of our staff to develop most effectively should help accomplish Read bottom-upwards, in direction of arrows. THINK the elements READ the arrows as encountered! Interpretive Structural Model Any such model can easily be translated into ‘standard prose’ very easily indeed! And this little model would translate into nearly a full page of prose. Models of 30 to 40 elements may amount to 20 to 30 pages ! Obviously, it is MUCH easier to read, understand and remember the model!

29. GSC - OPMS Presentation29 THINGS TO DOTHINGS TO DO The prose translations of such models increase exponentially in size with increase of number of elements in the model!

30. GSC - OPMS Presentation30 The process helps develop clear linkages between individual’s aims to the organisation’s Mission!

31. GSC - OPMS Presentation31 My personal performance Organisation’s profits My personal rewards “contributes significantly to” Rewards include: i) Financial rewards… ii) Other rewards: working conditions, etc... Helps ensure that individual actually see & properly understand & appreciate the linkages between him/her and the organisation!

32. GSC - OPMS Presentation32 To challenge each member of staff develop himself/herself to maximum possible To make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in To help each person develop himself/herself as an individual To provide all needed facilities for effective work and recreation To provide effective counseling for perceived needs of staff To enable each member of our staff to develop most effectively should help accomplish Read bottom-upwards, in direction of arrows. THINK the elements READ the arrows as encountered! Interpretive Structural Model Make clear to all the excitement of working at a exciting job, in an exciting company!

33. GSC - OPMS Presentation33 Whatever the issue (or Mission), this initial part of the OPMS process enables users to create an effective Action Plan, along with all needed systems, to accomplish the Mission. The processes underlying OPMS are quite unique in their power and universal applicability!.

34. GSC - OPMS Presentation34 A quick comparison of models using two specific relations: “Should help achieve” (ISM) Usable at every stage of project - in particular, it’s perfect for exploration!Usable at every stage of project - in particular, it’s perfect for exploration! Can handle all types of ‘elements’ within system, e.g. motivation, etcCan handle all types of ‘elements’ within system, e.g. motivation, etc Co-relates with ‘effectiveness’Co-relates with ‘effectiveness’ Ideas, Creativity, motivation, etc are effectively handled through “contributes” or “should help achieve”Ideas, Creativity, motivation, etc are effectively handled through “contributes” or “should help achieve” “Precedes” “Precedes” (PERT/Gantt) Useful when intricacies of system are somewhat known to us Can handle ONLY elements connected with time process Cannot handle ‘soft’ issues like “motivation” Co-relates with ‘efficiency’ ‘Action Planning’ done through conventional Project Management software is bound to leave out many significant elements (and issues)

35. Actually, in order to properly understand our ‘whole system’ we need to use a number of relationships, each appropriate to its own time and place!

36. GSC - OPMS Presentation36 Some important transitive relationships in systems: “helps achieve” (“contributes to”) - “aggravates” “enhances”; “supports”; “leads to”; includes; “implies”; “should take priority over”; “facilitates ” “precedes” - for scheduling of anticipated events/milestones in a well- understood system - however, precedence is practically useless for working in systems of which significant parts are unknown and many others Using appropriate relationships, we can cover ALL aspects of the systems we need to create

37. Another modeling tool in the OPMS ‘Field Representation’ (FR) Method OPMS! This is the tool that actually helps us create the OPMS!

38. GSC - OPMS Presentation38 Constructing a Field Representation First, we try to cleanse our minds from all pre-conceived categories...First, we try to cleanse our minds from all pre-conceived categories... Then, OPMS asks questions like…

39. GSC - OPMS Presentation39 Field Representation & Profiling (contd.) (In the context of the kind of actions needed to overcome the barriers, etc.) “ “ Is (B) Need to improve productivity of Indian software industry IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS (A) Our educational systems are not adequately effective ”?””?” (Elements from documents on “National IT Mission” formulated several years ago by Govt. of India)

40. GSC - OPMS Presentation40 Response “YES” would put element ‘B’ into the same category as ‘A’ - “NO” would put it into a different category… … as shown, next

41. GSC - OPMS Presentation41 Field Representation - after initial response A: Dimension 1 Our educational systems are not adequately effective B: Dimension 2 Need to improve productivity of Indian software industry Finally yielding models like the one illustrated at next slide...

42. GSC - OPMS Presentation42 AFTER Dimension titles provided later, AFTER insertion of elements into dimensions!

43. GSC - OPMS Presentation43 The ‘System Tie Line’ represents any or all of the relationships inherent in the system under consideration.

44. GSC - OPMS Presentation44 The elements are ‘linked’ by appropriate relationships as perceived by the users

45. GSC - OPMS Presentation45 The OPMS provides a facility to enable users write down prose translations of such visual linkages “XYZ” MAY TEND TO INCREASE THE SEVERITY OF “ABC” XYZ ABC A comprehensive ‘network of relationships’ to be built up step-by- step, over time, to enable clear understanding of the system represented in the Field

46. GSC - OPMS Presentation46 It takes a while to develop the skills needed to use the System Tie Line effectively to link different dimensions and elements together… It’s well worth our while to work towards developing these skills…

47. GSC - OPMS Presentation47 …because, as earlier claimed, Field Representations, over sufficient iterations, can be shown to satisfy a fundamental systems law, called Ashby’s Law of Requisite Variety

48. GSC - OPMS Presentation48 Ashby’s Law of Requisite Variety (Simple Simon’s version) … “The dimensions of a proposed solution to a problem must match the dimensions of the problem” (If too few dimensions, the solution won’t work – if too many, the solution would be too expensive or too complicated!)

49. GSC - OPMS Presentation49 The Field Representation processis found to be the ideal tool for handling complex projects - to help us integrate the parts into a whole !

50. GSC - OPMS Presentation50 Integrating all the models of all the work done towards any Mission into a single Field Representation creates a ‘One Page Management System’ (OPMS). ‘model of models’ The OPMS is a ‘model of models’ - it is comprised of ALL the models that are created in various relevant dimensions during progress towards the Mission - any Mission! OPMS ‘double-loop learning’! Because the OPMS is a model of models, it ensures the development in users of Chris Argyris’ grand concept of ‘double-loop learning’! ‘cybernetic learning’ On deeper examination, we find there are actually many more loops than just two - and we can handle them all through this process. We we could call our process ‘cybernetic learning’

51. GSC - OPMS Presentation51 WEAKNESSES that may HINDER/PREVENT accomplishment of Mission EVENTS /MILESTONES that may occur during progress towards Mission Fundamental Dimensions ‘Dimensions above System Tie Line System Tie-Line ‘System’ Dimensions (derived from Fundamental Dimensions) THINGS TO DO to accomplish Mission BARRIERS / DIFFICULTIES / THREATS that may hinder/prevent accomplishment of Mission OPPORTUNITIES & Preparation Required to avail Opportunities to accomplish Mission Finance Control System Monitoring & Evaluation System(s) Production System(s) Marketing System Information Systems Planning System Mission ‘Dimensions below System Tie Line STRENGTHS (available) STRENGTHS (required) that may help accomplishment of Mission MISSION: “To enable each member of our staff to develop most effectively”

52. GSC - OPMS Presentation52 The whole system on a single page!

53. OPMS Linkages between various dimensions ‘above the System Tie Line of the OPMS are broadly illustrated below and in following slides : A: THINGS TO DO B: BARRIERS C: STRENGTHS HELP ACCOMPLISH HINDER HELP OVERCOME

54. …more linkages… B: Barriers/Weaknesses HINDER Activities Strengths required HELP ACCOMPLISH HELP OVERCOME Opportunities HELP AVAIL

55. Activities B: Barriers/Weaknesses Strengths required HELP ACCOMPLISH HINDER HELP OVERCOME Opportunities HELP AVAIL MISSION HELP ACCOMPLISH

56. These models can become as detailed as required, right down to the level of… WHICH BARRIERS hinder WHICH ACTIVITIES? WHICH STRENGTHS are required to overcome WHICH BARRIERS? All this and more becomes clear as the OPMS is developed!

57. GSC - OPMS Presentation57 Recall that we have two types of models...

58. GSC - OPMS Presentation58 To challenge each member of staff develop himself/herself to maximum possible To make our organisation a truly exciting place to work in To help each person develop himself/herself as an individual To provide all needed facilities for effective work and recreation To provide effective counseling for perceived needs of staff To enable each member of our staff to develop most effectively should help accomplish Interpretive Structural Model

59. GSC - OPMS Presentation59

60. GSC - OPMS Presentation60 Linkages between ‘BARRIERS’ & ‘THINGS TO DO’ The barrier marked in the FR HINDERS / PREVENTS accomplishment of the objective marked in the ISM

61. GSC - OPMS Presentation61 Linkages between ‘BARRIERS’ & ‘THINGS TO DO’ That barrier also hinders accomplishment of all elements above the THING TO DO that it directly hinders!

62. GSC - OPMS Presentation62 Linkages between ‘BARRIERS’ & ‘THINGS TO DO’ Just identify appropriate means to ‘overcome’ the barrier identified - and integrate those into the Action Plan!

63. GSC - OPMS Presentation63 Ensures rapid evaluation of project feasibility - helps ensure ensure that time is not wasted on infeasible projects Provides a comprehensive view of the project, crystallised on a single page Enables each individual/group to ‘drill down’ to the level of detail required for his/her functions Links up individual performance to the performance of the whole organisation Links up individual goals to Organisational Missions Enforces high level of ‘self-discipline’ in the organisation Enables people to create practical, clearly-understood means to overcome Barriers, Threats, Weaknesses, etc - at EACH level in the organisation Some features of the OPMS: enable It’s THE most powerful and systematic tool available to enable the good ideas of people involved in problems and issues It’s ‘Cybernetic Learning !

64. GSC - OPMS Presentation64 It is ‘top-down’ because we choose a ‘Mission’ for the whole organisation (or part of it that we need to consider) It is ‘bottom-up’ because the Action Plan to accomplish the Mission is made effective from the bottom upwards OPMS - it’s ‘TOP-DOWN’ + ‘BOTTOM-UP’!

65. any Can readily be integrated with any process that is currently being used: Standard Project Management TQM Balance Score Card Theory of Constraints ‘e-Think (Kepner & Tregoe) Any other... ` OPMS OPMS would help make any such practice very significantly stronger

66. GSC - OPMS Presentation66 References: JN Warfield’s contributions: http://www.ajarmail.com http://www.ajarmail.com G.S. Chandy temporary URL: http://onepagems.tripod.com http://onepagems.tripod.com

67. GSC - OPMS Presentation67 Our Services: Half-day workshops for individuals, and up to two people ‘User’ workshops - 2-Day & 3-Day Workshops (groups from 8-12 people) ‘Facilitator Training’ - 2 sessions of 5 days each with 3-month interval; in-house project work during the 3 months interval Supply of OPMS software

68. GSC - OPMS Presentation68 G.S. Chandy c/o Sahi Oretrans Pvt Ltd 30 Western India House Sir P.M. Road, Fort Mumbai - 400 001 India e-mail: chandygs@hotmail.com chandygs@hotmail.com