Monday, October 19: 3:25pm - 4:10pm

• To define a "Top Ten" prioritized list of recommendations to help a Company transition into developing applications using Object Technology (OT).

• Follow the technique as described by the facilitator, and according to the plan developed by the facilitator.

• Identify timekeeper, scribe, and leader roles.
• Identify different scribes for each of the deliverables.
• Identify the presenter(s) of the deliverables. Note, you will have 3 minutes to present your deliverables.

• Identify two aspects of the technique that worked very well.
• Identify two aspects of the technique that did not work very well.
• Identify two classroom situations (from your teaching experience) in which this technique would be useful.

• One foil summarizing the facilitation technique
• One foil showing results of applying the technique (the prioritized list of recommendations)
• One foil summarizing results of reflection

1. Pose the question "What would you recommend to help a Company transition into application development using Object Technology" to the group.
2. Get answers to the question from the group:

• Give an example of what the answer might be, e.g. "OT training by development role." Make sure the example is written horizontally on a 3x5 or 5x7 card or yellow sticky. Each answer should be written in large letters with a "fat" marker using up to 10 words.
• Give the group a few minutes to think up and write down the answers to the question. You may impose limits on the answers in terms of quantity (e.g. 6 ideas per person) and/or time (whatever you can come up within 4 minutes.)

1. Organize individual answers into group answers:

• Collect the cards in any random order. Make sure anonymity is preserved, especially if the question is somewhat controversial.
• Start putting the ideas up on the whiteboard or flipchart, one at a time, in no particular order. Each time you read out an answer, ask the group to categorize the idea with others already on the whiteboard/flipchart. The intention is to have similar ideas grouped into columns that represent logical categories.
• After all the cards are up and in categories, ask the group to create titles for the columns. Use a different color for the title cards (if you can).
• You now have a starting point for discussing the problem question and ideas for solving it. Organize the title cards in a row, and get the group to discuss each title card to ensure that everyone has a common understanding of the idea. If necessary rewrite the title card to make the idea clear.

1. Prioritize group answers:

• Ask each person to prioritize the title cards from 1 to N (where N is the number of title cards). 1 represents the highest priority and N the lowest.
• Go down each title card, and record the priority numbers from each person.
• For each title card, sum the priority numbers and divide by number of people to get the group average priority.
• Arrange the title cards in terms of priority. The Top Ten titles form the deliverable.

1. Plan and pose question 5 minutes
2. Get answers from group 5 minutes
3. Organize individual answers 15 minutes
4. Prioritize group answers 10 minutes
5. Reflection 5 minutes
6. Capture deliverables on foils 5 minutes

• Identify scribes for deliverables and get them to complete deliverables during the exercise.
• To help with deliverables, prepare a foil describing the technique before exercise.
• Ensure timekeeper is doing a good job during the exercise.
• Make plan and roles (scribe, timekeeper, etc.) explicit (e.g. on whiteboard) so all members can see.

1. Pose the question "What are the main problems in developing applications using Object Technology" to the group.

• Write the question in a big oval on the whiteboard or flipchart

1. Record answers to the question from the group:

• Give an example of what the answer might be, e.g. "Developers do not understand objects."
• For each answer given by the group, record the answer on a line emanating from the big oval. If the answer is similar to an existing answer then record it on a line emanating from the existing answer. This will allow grouping of similar answers into a "fish-bone" structure.
• Ask the group to name the fish-bone structures by identifying what is common among the answers. If it is too difficult to come up with a single name, just concatenate all the answers together to define the group.

1. Prioritize answers:

• Put numbers 1, 2, ... N on pieces of paper (where N is number of members in the group), and ask each person to choose a paper. Person choosing 1 gets to prioritize the problems in terms of how critical they are in developing applications using OT; the most critical getting the highest priority. Person choosing 2 gets to make M/2 (ex)changes in the prioritized list (where M is the number of problems identified by the group); person choosing 3 gets to make M/4 (ex)changes to the prioritized list, and so on in order. Pass the prioritized list from Person choosing 1 to Person choosing N in order. For example, if N=5, and M=10, then Person 1 prioritizes the 10 problems, Person 2 can make upto 5 (ex)changes in the list, Person 3 can make up to 3 (ex)changes in the list, and Persons 4 and 5 can make 1 (ex)change in the list.

1. Identify solutions for each problem:

• For each problem, get the group to describe how to solve the problem. Try to reach consensus on the best solution and record the solution next to the problem.
• The Top Ten prioritized solutions describe the recommendations for helping a Company transition into OT.

1. Plan and pose question 5 minutes
2. Record answers from group 10 minutes
3. Prioritize answers 10 minutes
4. Identify solutions for problems 10 minutes
5. Reflection 5 minutes
6. Capture deliverables on foils 5 minutes

• Identify scribes for deliverables in plan which should be completed during the exercise.
• To help with deliverables, prepare a foil describing the technique before exercise.
• Ensure timekeeper is doing a good job during the exercise.
• Make plan and roles (scribe, timekeeper, etc.) explicit (e.g. on whiteboard) so all members can see.

1. Pose the question "What would you recommend to help a Company transition into application development using Object Technology" to the group.
2. Get each member to write answers silently:

• Provide identical strips of paper on which participants can write their answers
• Each answer should be written on a single paper, and should be limited to 1-10 words.

1. Toss spitwads:

• As answers are completed, ask participants to wad up their papers, and encourage them to toss it across the room into a receptacle (cardboard box or basket).
• Encourage participants to have fun with tossing their spitwads.

1. Conduct spitwad roll call:

• Distribute the spitwads randomly back to the participants.
• Participants read the spitwad out loud, and the answer is recorded on a flipchart.

1. Reach common understanding and eliminate duplicates:

• Number the ideas on the flipchart, and ask the group if anyone needs clarification on the ideas. If so, encourage everyone to offer definitions. If no clear definitions arise, eliminate the idea.
• Ask group if there are any duplicates or logically similar ideas that can be grouped under one heading. If so, ask members to identify ideas by number(s) and suggest changes. If there is an objection, the changes are overruled.

1. Prioritize:

• Ask members to identify the best idea on the list by number.
• Walk through the list tabulating votes (ask members to raise hands and do not allow any discussion.
• Remove the idea from the list and put it on a Prioritized List flipchart.
• Continue this process until Top Ten ideas have been prioritized.

1. Plan and pose question 5 minutes
2. Write answers silently 5 minutes
3. Toss spitwads 5 minutes
4. Conduct roll call 8 minutes
5. Reach common understanding 7 minutes
6. Prioritize 5 minutes
7. Reflection 5 minutes
8. Capture deliverables on foils 5 minutes

• Identify scribes for deliverables in plan which should be completed during the exercise.
• To help with deliverables, prepare a foil describing the technique before exercise.
• Ensure timekeeper is doing a good job during the exercise.
• Make plan and roles (scribe, timekeeper, etc.) explicit (e.g. on whiteboard) so all members can see.

1. Pose the question "If you were developing applications using Object Technology, what would be the main risks you would face?" to the group.
2. Get answers to the question from the group:

• Brainstorm the answers to the question, encouraging group members to suggest answers from their experience.
• Capture each answer on a yellow sticky or write on the flipchart.
• When an answer is similar to one already on the flipchart, ask group members to combine the two into a single answer.

1. Organize and prioritize

• For each of the risk identified, determine on a scale of 1 to 10
• Probability of occurrence (1 = low, 10 = certain)
• Cost of its occurrence (1 = low, 10 = catastrophic)
• Multiply probability by costs to rank the risks, and prioritize according to rank

1. Determine Top Ten prioritized recommendations

• For each of the top five risks, identify an action that can be taken to
• Lower the probability of occurrence
• Lower the cost if it occurs
• The ten actions are the priortized recommendations for a Company to transition to OT.

1. Plan and pose question 5 minutes
2. Get answers from group 10 minutes
3. Organize and prioritize 10 minutes
4. Determine recommendations 10 minutes
5. Reflection 5 minutes
6. Capture deliverables on foils 5 minutes

• Identify scribes for deliverables and get them to complete deliverables during the exercise.
• To help with deliverables, prepare a foil describing the technique before exercise.
• Ensure timekeeper is doing a good job during the exercise.
• Make plan and roles (scribe, timekeeper, etc.) explicit (e.g. on whiteboard) so all members can see.