CHANGEMENT MEANS ALSO TO HAVE SOME GOOD IDEAS

Each technique description in this section includes a step-by-step procedure for using the technique as well as any relevant information about a technique’s strengths and weaknesses. As with all such techniques, modifications should be made to suit a group’s particular preferences or needs.

Advantage-Disadvantage

There are several variations of the advantage-disadvantage technique, but only two will be described here. The first variation relies on implicit criteria and uses a listing of each idea’s advantages and disadvantages. The second variation uses explicit, unweighted criteria that serve as direct measures of advantages and disadvantages.

Follow these steps to implement the first variation:

• For each idea, develop separate lists of its advantages and disadvantages
• Select the ideas that have the most advantages and the fewest disadvantages

The second variation uses these steps:

• Develop a list of criteria to use in evaluating the ideas
• Write the criteria across the top of a sheet of paper
• To the left of the criteria, list the ideas in a single column down the side of the paper
• For each idea, make a check beside each criterion that is an advantage
• Add up the number of check marks for each idea and select the ideas with the most check marks

Both of these variations have their own advantages and disadvantages.
The first variation considers advantages and disadvantages that may be unique to each idea. However, it is relatively time-consuming to use, makes comparisons difficult due to the lack of standard criteria, does not use weighted criteria, and is subject to manipulation by its users.
The second variation has strengths in its ability to screen a larger number of ideas in less time than the first variation, in its use of standardized criteria, and in the fact that its outcomes are less subject to manipulation when compared with the first variation. However, the second variation has disadvantages as well because it requires that an either/or decision be made in evaluating each idea and, like the first variation, it lacks a provision for weighted criteria.

Battelle Method

Developed at the Battelle Institute in Columbus, Ohio, for screening business development opportunities, the Battelle method uses three levels of screens to evaluate ideas.
Each level uses criteria that are progressively higher in cost.

In the Battelle method, cost refers to the resource investments required to obtain information needed to evaluate an idea. Thus, ideas are evaluated first using information that is relatively easy to obtain, then using information that is more difficult to obtain, and finally information that is the most difficult to obtain. The funnel effect produced by using such screens makes it possible to reduce a moderate amount of ideas to only a few.

The major steps for using the Battelle method are the following:

• Develop lost-cost screens (or culling criteria) phrased in questions that can be answered with a yes or a no
• Establish a minimally acceptable passing score
• Assign a weight to each criterion
• Compare each idea with each of the culling criteria questions
• Eliminate any idea that receives a no response
• Using the remaining ideas, compare each one with each of the rating criteria questions
• Eliminate any idea that falls below the minimally acceptable passing score for the rating criteria
• Using the ideas that survive, numerically rate each one against each scoring criterion and multiply that rating by the weight established for the criterion

This procedure can be understood better by looking at the challenge of improving interdepartmental communications. Hold weekly meetings to discuss job-related problems with the Battelle method.

This idea survives all the screens and could be selected for implementation, combined with other surviving ideas, or retained for additional analysis.

On the positive side, the Battelle method provides a relatively efficient means for screening ideas systematically. The involvement of a group in developing criteria for the screens also should increase group commitment to the final ideas selected. Finally, the use of weighted criteria in the scoring screens ensures that all criteria are not assumed to be of equal importance.

Changement means also to have some good ideas - 2

Changement means also to have some good ideas - 3