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Session Objectives
 Be able to state why you need the Best Practices Thinking Process
 Understand Psychological Inertia and how it creates your Current
Situation
 Understand how Ideal Solutions make you relevant
 Know the most important behavior that makes Best Practices real
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Session Outline
 Why ASME Needs Best Practices
 Are Best Practices Really the Best?
 Mindsets & Behaviors of Great Problem Solvers
 Best Practices Thinking Process
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Basic Innovation Skills
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Psychological Inertia
Ideality
Best Practices and Resource Profiling
Secondary Problems
 Summary
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Table Stakes
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Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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ASME’s Mission & Vision
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To serve diverse global communities by advancing, disseminating and applying engineering knowledge for improving the quality of life; and communicating the excitement of engineering.
To be the essential resource for mechanical engineers and other technical professionals throughout the world for solutions that benefit humankind.

To Be Effective ASME Must
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Develop highly effective & successful leaders and volunteers
Facilitate the development, dissemination and application of engineering knowledge
Promote the benefits of engineering education
Respect and document engineering history while continually embracing change

ASME Leaders and Volunteers
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ASME leaders are effective in managing continuous change.
ASME volunteer leaders are successfully recruited and properly trained
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Best Practices & You within ASME
Community with Needs
Unit Leader
What is our job as Leaders?
Why do we need best practices?
ASME Vision and Mission
Volunteers
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Are Best Practices Really the Best?
Do best practices deliver on their promise?
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Units face risk of shaky finances
Unit’s face the risk that events may not break-even
Canceling events undermines ASME volunteer and member confidence
Transient leadership makes knowledge transfer and unit continuity tougher
Challenge to store physical items, documents, equipment
Unit leaders are unsure which events will provide the best service to members
Members’ needs are not well understood
Members need more service from units
Members live in other countries, states or communities making it tough for face-to-face events to occur let alone break even
Volunteers seem to be hard to recruit
The solution must apply and be implemented at the unit level through local leadership
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Units face risk of shaky finances
Unit’s face the risk that events may not break-even
Canceling events undermines ASME volunteer and member
continuity tougher
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 Unit leaders are unsure which events will provide the best service to members
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Members need more service from units
Some units have large geographic areas and driving distance makes it tough for face-to-face events to occur let alone break even
Volunteers seem to be hard to recruit
The solution must apply and be implemented at the unit level through local leadership
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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 Identify a problem area or program that needs improvement
 List one or two ASME best practices you may like to implement.
 REPORT OUT
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Contradictions & Problems
Community with Needs
Unit Leader
The Reality: it takes work to make a best practice effective
ASME Vision and Mission
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC
Volunteers

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Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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The Best Practice Challenge
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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 Responsibility for the Current Situation
 Pursue the Most Ideal Solution
 Problem Solving Courage and Will Power
 Problem Solving Persistence

The Power of Mindset
 Seek Advanced Resource Productivity
 Systems View
 Leverages Expertise of Teams
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Best Practices Thinking Process
 Assess your current situation
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System’s View
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Psych Inertia
 Define Success
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Future Ideal Reality
Align with ASME
Be Relevant to Members
 Identify best practices & resources you will need
 Identify secondary problems
 Problem solve and take deliberate steps toward your Future Ideal Reality
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Assess Your Current Situation
Tool #1: System View

System’s View is a
Questioning Tool for
Quickly understanding a system and its problems
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Assess Your Current Situation
Tool #1: System View - WEBINAR EXAMPLE
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Processes & Interactions
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Email commitment to attend –
Excel spreadsheet of attendees
Collect money at the door
– cash and checks
Excel spreadsheet of attendees – check when they arrive
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History
 1 to 3 PD events per year with breakeven as goal
Key Players
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1 person committee does it all
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Pay for lunch in advance
Headcount delivered in advance
 Known Competencies
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ASME has people that know how to do a PD event
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Lots of no shows
Hardware & Software
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Laptop
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Likes and Dislikes
Unit Culture
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MS Office  Ask for permission
Standards 
No risk taking
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Advertise 3 months in advance  Seen as a difficult job
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Speaker gets honorarium 
Cause & Effect
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Mail (postal) ad with newsletter
Use Email list
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The structure creates the problems
Inputs & Outcomes
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 System Structures
Approvals take too long
 ASME, Unit , Lead
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Assess Your Current Situation
Tool #1: System View - WEBINAR EXAMPLE
 Known Problems
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Poor Attendance at events
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Hard to recruit volunteers
Difficult to break even on events
Limited financial resources
Post 911 economy
Members leave events early
Scott Burr PD Chair has personal need to move to Oregon to support family
Transient volunteer team to support PD Events
Section is hit with $5000 request for reimbursement from previous Chair
Large geographic areas, driving distance to events, or different countries
Event cancellations undermines ASME member & volunteer confidence
ASME section’s finances are already shaky
PD Events are the main source of revenue
Section leaders are unsure which events provide the best service to members
Members need to get more service from sections
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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A Definition – Psychological Inertia
A body at rest tends to stay at rest
A body in motion tends to stay in motion
Inertia
Psychological
Inertia
A MIND that is complacent tends to stay at rest

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“So you think that’s air your breathing now? ….hmmm”
Morpheus to Neo in “The Matrix” after asking him to ‘Hit me!’.
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Assess Your Current Situation
Tool #2: Psychological Inertia creates the Current Situation
 What is it? – The CURRENT PARADIGM
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Decisions
Precedent
Traditions
Habits
Standards
History
Ability to fit in
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Rules & Definitions
Fears
Culture
Assumptions
Problem Statements
Facts
Everything we know
A “FACT” is based on our understanding, beliefs and conditioning at a point in time. Opportunities exist for POSTIVE CHANGE when we intelligently challenge assumptions and facts.
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Assess Your Current Situation
Tool #2: Psychological Inertia creates the Current Situation
FACT:
Our world view creates the current situation.
A change in world view creates a new situation.
This is how to overcome psychological inertia.
The Edge of What is
Known
Think on this.
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Assess Your Current Situation
Tool #2: Psychological Inertia creates the Current Situation
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Pain and Fear usually governs choice-making
Articulating the nature of pain or fear IS identifying opportunity
Pain and Fear help us define opportunities for innovation
Pain versus Opportunity
Innovation Opportunities are hidden in Pain & Fear
Priority
“Necessity is the mother of Invention.”
Plato, The Republic,
360 BCE
Pain Opportunity
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Assess Your Current Situation
Tool #2: Psychological Inertia – WEBINAR EXAMPLE
Pain translated into Insights and Questions
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Fixed costs drive the need for a break even point
More people may attend if they don’t have far to travel
Can PD Chair run the events from Oregon?
How can I make a transient team become more stable?
How can I avoid cancellations?
Cancellations hurt ASME’s reputation and volunteers
What is the post 911 Mindset of an engineer?
How can attendance be improved?
What is the Mindset of a volunteer? What do they need?
Can I create a system that assures break even or better on an event?
Why do Members leave events early?
How can we generate funds enough to pay back $5K debt?
How can I make large geographic areas and driving distance an advantage?
Fears
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Seems impossible to resolve all of the issues
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Problem is highly constrained
People may criticize efforts
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Assess Your Current Situation
Tool #2: Psychological Inertia sometimes creates GroupThink
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Assess Your Current Situation
Tool #2: Psychological Inertia can overcome GroupThink
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
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Countermeasures to Groupthink
Ideal Thinking
Diversity of Opinions
Elimination of Fear
Observation & Awareness
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Open Minded Thinking
A Structured Process
Reality Based Feedback
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Assess Your Current Situation
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About 1/3 of a population “persuaded” creates a tipping point to adopt new behaviors.
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Decide Where Your Going
Future Ideal Reality
“Begin with the end in mind.”
Dr. Stephen Covey
Ideal
Solution #1
Ideal
Solution #2
•
“You cannot solve a problem
that created it.” A. Einstein
•
Ideal Solution #3
•
Ideal Solution #4
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Decide Where Your Going
Future Ideal Reality
Useful Functions, Event, Conditions
Ideality =
Harmful Functions, Events, Conditions
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Decide Where Your Going
Future Ideal Reality
Relevance =
The
Ideal =
Solution
Things you want (Benefits)
Things you don’t want (Costs)
• The best solution we can imagine – not necessarily practical at first glance
• Biggest obstacle is believing an ideal solution is possible
• Goal is to improve the ratio
• Innovate to create more benefits - Problem solve to reduce costs
• Align with ASME’s Strategic Priorities
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Relevance
One of the most difficult problems in human experience is how to see things from another person’s point of view.
(Paraphrased) - Dale Carnegie
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Relevance
Motivations
 Self-fulfillment
 Psychological
 Survival
Self-
Actualization
Esteem &
Competence Needs
Community &
Relationship Needs
Safety Needs
Body Needs
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC
Abraham Maslow 's hierarchy of needs organizes the natural flow of human motivation proposed in his 1943 paper, “A
Theory of Human
Motivation.”

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Issue #1 – Example & Case
Study
Challenge:
• ASME Unit finances can be very shaky
• Units often want to produce events but are not sure it will break even

IDEALITY
We always produce a surplus on the event even if it is only
$1 or even if we have one paying attendee
CONCEPTUAL SOLUTION
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Eliminate our fixed costs
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The room is donated
The speaker donates their time
Our sponsors receive value in return for their donations so they want to continue to work with us (Win-Win)
We either own the infrastructure to produce the event or we get it donated
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Soda tub, serving trays, pitchers
Microphones, audio mixer, Webinar software
Participants pay in advance
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Issue #2 -
Example & Case
Study
Challenge:
• Unit’s often want to produce events that may not break even
• This undermines ASME member confidence if an event is canceled
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IDEALITY
We never cancel an event once it is advertised so members have confidence in our professionalism
CONCEPTUAL SOLUTION
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With financial risk mitigated, we never need to cancel an event due to risk of not breaking even
Select highly motivated speakers
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Speakers that need exposure
Speakers with demonstrated reliability
Have an alternate speaker as backup
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Issue #3 -
Example & Case
Study
Challenge:
• Unit leaders are unsure which events provide the best service to members
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IDEALITY
ASME members enjoy the event and feel they received good value
Events are not canceled due to financial risk
CONCEPTUAL SOLUTION
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Price events to be affordable
Provide value-add benefits
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Free snacks, lunch & drinks
High value seminar content
Poster size speaker Bios
Speaker Introduction
Ending Appreciation
Use financial risk mitigation solution stated previously
Survey members after an event about what they liked & did not like
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Issue #4 -
Example & Case
Study
Challenge:
• Members need to get more service from sections
• Members live in other countries, states or communities making it tough for face-to-face events to occur let alone break even
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IDEALITY
We serve as many ASME members as is possible
A program delivered by a local section is available to all other sections
We serve as many members of the engineering community as possible
We reach the largest audience possible
CONCEPTUAL SOLUTION
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Use webinar and webinar recording technology to make programs widely available to local sections.
Expand email list.
Use recorded webinars as a way to communicate to sections the “ how-to ” of producing events.
Use web based meetings to improve attendance or to even make meetings possible
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Issue #5 -
Example & Case
Study
Challenge:
• Volunteers seem to be hard to recruit to produce programs
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IDEALITY
The benefits of volunteering will far exceed the costs
It is worth someone ’ s time to volunteer
CONCEPTUAL SOLUTION
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Identify benefits volunteers want (WIIFM)
Deliver those benefits through the events: Improve career position & opportunities;
Enhance leadership & networking skills, speaking etc
Help volunteers see the value they bring to the big picture of the section & the engineering community
Frame and think of our roles in

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 Note alignment of ideality with ASME
 Document any good ideas you have
 Challenge the psychological inertia of the current situation
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Best Practices
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Who knows how to perform this function “the best” within my industry?
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Who knows how to perform this function “the best” outside of my industry?
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Resource Profiling
I want to start a fire
FR1 > Ignition Source
FR2 > Fuel
FR3 > Oxidizer
FR4 > Co-location of FR1-FR3
FR5 > Transfer to point of use
DP1 > 500 °C Temperature
DP2 > Propane
DP3 > Air
DP4 > Combustion Chamber
DP5 > Flame tube and outlet
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Resource Profiling
I want to collect funds using an automated web service
FR1 > Bank account
FR2 > ASME Non-Profit ID #
FR3 > Event Setup Interface
FR4 > Event Details
FR5 > Transfer Information
DP1 > Hometown Credit Union
DP2 > 501-c3- #XXYYWWW
DP3 > Acteva
DP4 > XVC Company Tour
DP5 > Contact District Leader
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Secondary Problems
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Secondary Problems
Problem Solving Persistence
IDEA
GOOD IDEA
Road Kill Zone
Time
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Secondary Problems
Problem Solving Persistence
IDEA
Develop the belief in your self and the passion to solve tough problems.
Also develop and evolve ways to influence others to persist In solving worthy problems.
GOOD IDEA
Best Practices is a Team Sport & is
Engineering Leadership in action.
Time
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Secondary Problems
Problem Solving Persistence
IDEA
You must learn to manage and lead the persistence to solve problems in your organization to have an edge.
It only takes one leader to break
Road Kill Zone influence others to deliver results.
Time
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Secondary Problems
Problem Solving Persistence
IDEA
Problem Solving Persistence is a critical skill in making best practices practical and implementable.
ASME leaders must embody this skill
Road Kill Zone engineering community.
Time
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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The Special Rule in Brainstorming
That won’t work!
You’re a fool to try !
That won’t work … our members dislike long events
Maybe its boring…
..not enough participation
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Best Practice
Productive Criticism Enhances Real-life Problem Solving
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Predictability of a Positive Outcome
2.
Evolve to here Project Types and the
Predictability of Positive Outcome
1.
Focus here first
Business /
Markets
Government /
Politics
Business
Processes
Technology
Technology
Processes
Science
INCREASING PREDICTABILITY OF POSITIVE OUTCOME
More Human
Involvement
High Situational
Complexity
Power, Money, Values,
Religion, Politics, Self-
Esteem, Fear of Loss,
Potential for gain
FACTORS
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC
Less Human
Involvement
Less Situational
Complexity

51
Session Objectives Review
 Be able to state why you need the Best Practices Thinking Process
 Understand Psychological Inertia and how it creates your Current
Situation
 Understand how Ideal Solutions make you relevant
 Know the most important behavior that makes Best Practices real
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

52
Session Objectives Review
Be able to state why you need the Best Practices Thinking Process
Best Practices are not perfect.
Best Practices Thinking adapts them to our specific situation.
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

53
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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 Assess your current situation

System’s View

Psych Inertia
 Define Success



Future Ideal Reality
Align with ASME
Be Relevant to Members
 Identify best practices & resources you will need
 Identify secondary problems
 Problem solve and take deliberate steps toward your Future Ideal Reality
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

55
Session Objectives Review
Understand Psychological Inertia and the Current Situation
“So you think that’s air your breathing now? ….hmmm”
Morpheus to Neo in “The Matrix” after asking him to ‘Hit me!’.
Our world view creates the current situation.
A change in world view creates a new situation.
This is how to overcome psychological inertia.
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

56
Session Objectives
Understand how Ideal Solutions make you relevant
Relevance =
The
Ideal =
Solution
Things you want (Benefits)
Things you don’t want (Costs)
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

57
Session Objectives
Know the most important behavior that makes Best Practices real
Mindsets, Beliefs and Behaviors of Great Problem Solvers










Responsibility for the Current Situation
Pursue the Most Ideal Solution
Problem Solving Courage and Will Power
Problem Solving Persistence
The Power of Mindset
Seek Advanced Resource Productivity
Systems View
Leverages Expertise of Teams
“Structured Innovation & The Inventor’s Mindset” by Scott Burr & Dayna Hubenthal
“NASA Systems Engineering Behavior Study” by Christine Williams & Mary-Ellen Derro
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Session Objectives
Know the most important behavior that makes Best Practices real
IDEA
GOOD IDEA
Road Kill Zone
Time
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Add Session Title Here
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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About Us
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Bonus Slides
System’s Engineering
Tool #1: System View - WEBINAR EXAMPLE


System Design, Event Planning, Speaker

ASME District Leaders / Local Programs
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Customer Service & Goodwill Exchange
Financial Transaction – Acteva


Audience Online & In-person

GotoWebinar & Screencast.com
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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System’s Engineering
Tool #1: System View - WEBINAR EXAMPLE
Bonus Slides
A ?
A ?
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC

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Bonus Slides
System’s Engineering
Tool #1: System View - WEBINAR EXAMPLE
Professional Development System
Professional Development
Team Segment
Registration &
Payment
System of System Level
Segment Level
Event
Delivery
System Level
PD Seminar/Webinar
Audio GoTo
Webinar
Volunteers
Speaker Morning
Setup
ASME
Host
PD Chair &
Core Team
On-line
Advocates
Laptop Room Attendees Internet
Screencast.com
Copyright 2005–2012 Hubenthal Burr Associates, LLC
Sub-System
Level

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Bonus Slides
System’s Engineering
Tool #1: System View - WEBINAR EXAMPLE
Mission Statement
User Requirements and CONOPS
Serve ASME member PD needs, Serve volunteer needs, meet. Section and District needs
On-Orbit Operational System
Demonstrate and Validate PD System
Did we serve members, volunteers,
Sections and Districts?
Systems
Engineering
Domain
System Requirements and Architecture
Member can view any ASME program from anywhere;
Online attendance and in-person attendance
View live and in any time zone
Share Revenues across ASME
System Integration and Test
Integrate & Assemble subsystems into PD System.
Ask for ongoing feedback and make changes.
Verify integrated usage is seamless and does not affect ASME member
Subsystem/Component Design
Use GoTo Webinar as delivery platform
Use acteva and excel for registration system
Use email for member& volunteer interaction
Use GoTo Meeting as meeting platform
Use custom designed audio system
Revenue sharing system
Subsystem/Component Integration and Test
Test audio system
Test GoTo Meeting and GoTo Webinar in test event.
Ask for feedback and make changes.
Volunteer feedback: needs met?
Revenue sharing feedback.
Member needs feedback.
Sub-Systems
Engineering
Domain
Procure, Fabricate
& Assemble Parts
Pay as we go for systems. Fabricate and assemble
Audio system. Pratcice with acteva and Goto Plaforms