TCL

I would say, actually, from an overall success, definitely the project we just did went very well. The chairman of the client was thrilled. The team was one of the largest the office has ever had to work together in. And we covered so much ground in such a short period of time that overall, it definitely was painful at parts, but it definitely was a success. And everyone on the team learned quite a bit from it and grew quite a bit, I think. [8692],[8700]
Well I think it's, for me, it's the type of project that helps IDEO expand and grow. It's the type of project that teaches IDEO something too. So IDEO's done a lot of projects. And there are a lot of projects they've done that are quite similar to other projects they've done. And there seems to be quite a distinct pattern in team size and project length. It's always three person teams for three months. I mean, that's like the magic formula it feels. [8693]
So we dealt with space, we dealt with product, we dealt with service, we dealt with interface. We dealt with communications, then we dealt with organizational factors. So that, to me, that kind of size, breadth and depth is not something IDEO does every day. [8705]
This broke that a lot. And it didn't just break it because it was seven full time people for 17 weeks. But it broke it because it was by definition, a team with, I don't even think, only two people who are the same nationality out of the seven. Three offices, and just about every, it covered just about every core service practice area of expertise that IDEO has. So we dealt with space, we dealt with product, we dealt with service, we dealt with interface. We dealt with communications, then we dealt with organizational factors. So that, to me, that kind of size, breadth and depth is not something IDEO does every day. And it's a truly global client, five to 10 year relationship. [8701],[8703]
Different dynamic, different kind of thing. So that's why I think it was quite successful is that we pulled it off. The client is coming to us with a lot more work and we're starting to now think about how we road map and manage and navigate with a client that size of an engagement. So I think that's quite a huge step for IDEO. [8694]
Everyone's got an opinion and there was a general feeling that consensus was needed before moving on. So everyone gets consulted on every issue. And there was a lot of time spent debating and discussing things that probably didn't really need that kind of intensity. [8707],[8706]
The challenges with that one are IDEO is also very flat and the too many chefs in the kitchen thing happened, I think, a lot. Everyone's got an opinion and there was a general feeling that consensus was needed before moving on. So everyone gets consulted on every issue. And there was a lot of time spent debating and discussing things that probably didn't really need that kind of intensity. Certainly not when the client was comfortable with us moving forward on a direction, we were more on a lower level arguing, not really for a reason that was good for the client. But the client's paying for that. [8696]
And then I just think we have challenges with foreign clients, just the whole dealing with a Chinese client, translation, cultural differences, understanding how to present to a Chinese client. [8708],[8709],[8710]
And then I just think we have challenges with foreign clients, just the whole dealing with a Chinese client, translation, cultural differences, understanding how to present to a Chinese client. Really ramping up our capabilities and understanding what translation time is needed, how to use the room how the hierarchy, pecking order of the people who are sitting there. [8690]
I think that could have been managed a lot differently [8697]
All of that stuff, we learned along the way, but really we shouldn't be at that level with that size of a project, learning that along the way. [8711],[8712]
Their ability to comment when they're invited to comment, what we're asking them to approve, not being confrontational in dialogue. All of that stuff, we learned along the way, but really we shouldn't be at that level with that size of a project, learning that along the way. We should have some of that at the more senior level already nailed. So the junior people can learn, but that felt a bit, that was risky, even though we pulled it off. [8695],[8691],[8704]
And then yeah, I guess, I think we waited too long to really do the design, the think, build, build, think. So we did it, but we didn't do it on day one. We overthought the problem, I think, a bit. And in overthinking the problem, had to rethink it before we could ... It paralyzed the team in terms of build. And no one felt ready to start building because we were really bogged down in discussing the strategy and we needed to just making stuff sooner. So we go crunched of course for time and all that at the end. [8698],[8702]
It paralyzed the team in terms of build [8713]
So we go crunched of course for time and all that at the end. [8714]
It's my first IDEO project. I've been at IDEO for three and a half months now. And the whole time, it's been on this project. [8699]
Reference Tags
[8692] Great example - External Influences,[8700] Organizing effectively,[8693] Great example - External Influences,[8705] Organizing effectively,[8701] Organizing effectively,[8703] Promote autonomy & sense of ownership,[8694] Great example - External Influences,[8707] Indecisive leadership,[8706] Internal changes/challenges,[8696] Indecisive leadership,[8708] Communication issues,[8709] Cultural differences,[8710] Language barrier,[8690] Cultural differences,[8697] Indecisive leadership,[8711] Communication issues,[8712] Hindsight bias,[8695] Great example - External Influences,[8691] Insufficient Feedback,[8704] Promote autonomy & sense of ownership,[8698] Indecisive leadership,[8702] Planning fallacy,[8713] Indecisive leadership,[8714] Planning fallacy,[8699] Inexperience