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Showing posts tagged Ross
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Implement Phase 2 (class)
Rapid prototyping was often emphasized in this course. I could understand its importance because it also often said in the world of enterprise information system development. Roughly saying, there are two way to develop the information system: water-fall approach and iteration approach.
(1) Water-fall approach is very traditional method, proceeding based on “big” milestones such as designing, developing, and testing phase. “Big” means we finish all task of all components in each of the phases. We cannot go back to the previous phase. It makes easy to plan the project but also it makes difficult to recover the mistake of the previous phase if we find it in the later phase.
(2) Iteration approach is to iterate “small” cycle of from designing to testing. “Small” means we finish all phase of only one component in one iteration, then, go on to the next iteration. It makes easy to recover the mistake of the previous phase and flexible to change the specification but it might be difficult to plan the project. Sometimes we should upset just before the dead line. Therefore, in the business, we consider this process is risky.
In the class, we did the rapid prototype to the assigned service concept. I found that we had better to use white-board or paper, drawing the “picture” or “flow” to develop the prototype, not just discussion or thinking in the brain.
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Wrap-up on BIT 678
This course was the most “Action Based Learning” for me. Every time, there are some excises performing the thing we just learned as a tool for innovation.
In the first that I took this class, I came up with three purpose for this class: experience of the process, experience with a team, leaning theoretically. Overall, I could achieved my goal, except third one because honestly I could not go through all required readings. However, I will be able to do that after the class. (Fortunately, I can take my time to do that since I will not go back to my country because I will take care of my new baby - will be tomorrow!)
In particular, it was great experience to work with my team. Of course, it was because of great support from my team mate. But also, I think it would be the essence that we learned in this course. “Collaboration” is not only for the close friends. We can “collaboration” with people who have different background, culture or language. But, to do that, we need to make a “foundation”, which would be sometimes “understanding”, or sometimes “listening”, or roughly saying, “teamwork” or “leadership”, that we learned through many activities in Ross!
I would recommend this class for the person who really wants to create innovation, not the person who wants to be TAUGHT how to make innovation. In the real business, we do not have many chance to try a new process of work. This class will be a great chance to do that. Additionally, group work and exercise in this course would tell participants what is the “collaboration” that generates “innovation”.
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Free: The Future of a Radical Price
Chris Anderson, “Free: The Future of a Radical Price”
Strategy of “Free” is now very popular in the internet age like Google, Linux or other Open Source Softwares, Wikipedia etc. Although it is, in my opinion, not “new” anymore in the real business, this book is very valuable to re-organize essences of the strategy, analyzing many case from many perspectives.
In STR 675, New Game Business Models, I think the concept, “Free”, of this book is the topic that should be added next. Or, this topic let us analyze current concepts from other perspective.
“New Game” in STR 675 means the strategies that is innovative, profitable and competitive, the ones that cannot by imitated by incumbents. In particular, following concepts and tools in detail: Less-is-more innovations, Long Tail, Crowdsourcing, Disruptive technologies, etc.
“Free” is, let’s interpret narrowly, the pricing tactics but also business-level strategy involving the perspectives of growth, competitiveness, penetration and monetization.
It might be so fun to have a business competition which thinking the strategy for the newspaper company, of course by using “Free” strategy and implementation.
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Synthesis of Design Thinking and the entire BIT 678
This note is a sort of “reverse engineering” for BIT 678 and Design Thinking in order to rap up, especially, confirming “what Design Thinking is and why that process is?” and relevant tools. This note aims “Design Thinking of Design Thinking”, which means it is not an academic writing, which covers everything theoretically, but a practical writing in order to utilize it easily beyond the class. One notice is that this note does not focus on Implement & Access Phase, which is the fourth phase of Service Innovation Design (SID) model, since we did not go through the phase very much.
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Change by Design (1)
Tim Brown, “Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation”
Finally, I started to read this book, even though now is the new year after the BIT 678, the course that is about “Design Thinking” at Ross.
My friend said, “Logic or analysis that we learn in MBA are skeptical at the scene of innovation. There might be “something” in addition to them.” Design Thinking may provides one of answers.
This book is insightful, especially by reading after walking through Design Thinking, because there are a lot of real cases or stories using this way of thinking. In particular, some examples in Japan, the country where I came from, introducing cases of Hakuhodo, one of the biggest advertising agency, were interesting for me.
Additionally, I thought the most key elements of Design Thinking are User perspective and Rapid prototyping so far (See previous posts below). However, I would like to add another point, “Creative team”, including establishing team, selecting, educating/enlightening, and motivating members.
This book consists from two part: “What is Design Thinking?” and “Where do we go from here?”. The first part is, of course, an introduction of Design Thinking. The second part is that as design thinking begins to move out of the studio and into the corporation. Although I am now interested in the second part especially, I finally have finished going through the first part. So, let me introduce only the first part here.
Synthesis of Design Thinking and the entire BIT 678
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BA 512
This class is about “ Ethics of Corporate Management”. According to the syllabus, we are firstly going to learn the framework that can be used to analyse the corporation from the ethical perspective, and, then, going to adapt the framework to the cases.
Honestly, I am a little bit skeptical about ethics. There are both aspects in my thoughts.
- The positive aspect is from my thought that corporations should have conscience in their business. Personally, I don’t run the business or be a shareholder of the business that makes people unhappy, such as making dirty weapons.
- The negative aspect is the fact that ethics sometimes harm the profits. Activities such as compliance, following SOX, and etc.., make us really annoying. In order to follow such activities, we may face many paper works, long lead-time of approvals, and slowdowns of business dynamism.
Nowadays, as far as I faced, many people become sensitive about ethics. At the same time, business become slow and costly, and harm share holder value ultimately. Is it the original purpose of the corporate ethics!?
There might be some clues in the course that we can think how to balance this dilemma. I am very exciting to learn a different thoughts from mine, and hoping to make broad my perspectives.
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MO 512
This class is about “Negotiating Strategy in a Global Economy”, improving bargaining & Influence Skills. The things I feel here in the US is that everything is based on the negotiation, and the negotiation is not the negative thing. Off course, we need to negotiate in the business world in Japan as well, even though people feel negatively a bit. But also, I will have a lot of opportunity to work with the US and, at that time, I need to negotiate professionally.
The purpose of taking this class is to polish my negotiation skill, and to have opportunity to do that in English. It will be one of the appropriate classes for me to finalize my MBA life!
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Negotiation - 1st round
[Process]
- proposal of seller’s price
- proposal of buyer’s (me) price
- negotiation from the perspective of amortization of the value of the properties by buyer
- negotiation from the perspective of inflation of the value of the land by seller
- ~ remaining as far apart as ever
- compromise from seller without clear reasoning (still exceed the buyer’s criteria)
- compromise from buyer with clear reasoning (little bit exceed the buyer’s limitation, but not unacceptable)
- ~ refusing any other proposal from seller with the clear reasoning
- agreement at seller’s proposal with one provision that does not have impact on buyer’s business
[Takeaway]
- Preparation is important, especially making target and minimum/maximum point supported by quantitative logic is effective
- Should pay attention to counter party’s attitude, which is whether he/she really wants to sell or does not need to so; for example, compromising by little and little shows a counter party’s willingness to sell/buy
- Shutting down is also an option, but, before doing so, should clarify the criteria
- Ask “Why are you selling?”
- Discuss other aspects - create value “win-win”, think outside of the “Box”
[Peer feedback]
- Remained unemotional - didn’t let emotions get in the way
- Wanted to keep going even when it seemed we were at an impasse
- Tried approaching the problem from several different angles
- At times I felt that my reasons weren’t being valued simply because they were qualitiative - going forward it might be helpful to listen for and acknowledge the underlying interests.
