Breaking space and time

Recently, global representatives of a organization came together, to design an ERP rollout strategy and roadmap. Instead of brainstorming in a conference room around a large table and powerpoints to anchor them, they chose to work in a kindergarten-like environment filled with mobile white boards, breakout areas camouflaged behind some tall plants, stuffed toys as onlookers, interesting information up on the walls about explorers from across the world. Woven into their serious agenda was an activity requiring them to build a model ship comprising of 155 parts. Starting with minimal instructions to guide them and 3 separate teams (each team comprising a mix of global peers) working on different parts, the complex ship was put together with new learning’s about decision making and collaboration across geographies – and more importantly, an intent to work together to build that ‘ship’.

After an intense 2 day workshop of imbibing complex information, juxtaposing it with real business needs and arriving at a pragmatic way forward, the client sponsor said “we did in two days, what would have taken us months to achieve”.

Interestingly, this is not the first time clients are astounded by such group transformation. It is what happens when people connect together in such an environment where space and time can be made to bend, to result in extreme collaboration.

Einstein is reported to have famously said the definition of insanity is when we try to solve problems at the same level at which they are created. This is why it becomes important to bend time and space for our clients, to create breakthrough results.

What exactly do we mean by bending time and space? Let’s consider ‘time’ – traditionally we view this as a linear function, trying to stuff it with a packed agenda. Often this can result in information overload. One hard retrospective look at our conventional meeting agendas reveals this truth. 

However, if one uses time compressing techniques, it becomes possible for participants to assimilate more, more meaningfully. Presenting the right information at the right time, enabling its application to a problem statement can create significant ‘aha’ moments that are deeply entrenched as a take away for planning next steps.

Combine this with the magic of space, and you can significantly influence the best thinking in people. The way a group of people come together to imbibe, assimilate and debate information can be enriched significantly by making the environment fluid. A group converges and dissipates into sub groups, structured for optimizing complex decision making. The way they share the output of their best thinking with each other, exchanging views and experiences to refine ideas even further, results in testing ideas and solutions.

Finally, bringing it all together as action plans with intent to be a part of the solution execution is a powerful amalgamation of each one’s contribution of ideas and insights – ready for implementation. A heated knife, ready to cut through the toughest cold slab of butter.

Seek ways to break space and time to enrich the transformation experience.