Sunday, May 02, 2010

Tweak and Improve the Model

What is the model? Who cares about it? The model to me in work and business is the shared mental understanding between service provider and customer about what the current problems are and what possible solutions are.

A "good model" is shared and exhibits a few other key properties: resiliency, constant improvement, change, innovation, and frequent new insights and enhancements.

A "bad model" is one that is stagnant, one-sided, confusing, unclear, unshared.

I'm working on a project for a client right now that in my opinion has a "bad model". I am building the product and model that represents it and it is currently bad because I think I am the only one that understands it. This is the worst possible place to be in; but also potentially the strongest if you understand it and communicate effectively about it. Getting to this place of realizing a "bad model" comes from poor communication, lack of mutual understanding, poor collaboration, or a fullness of delegation and lack of care. Hoping for miracles will not create good models by itself. As I improve this "bad model" into a good one, it is my hope that the customer will start to realize that the bad model can potentially be good if we decide to build it together; but it requires cooperation and partnership.

We have to build a better reality with each other. I cannot build something "for you" without your input, knowledge, needs, or voice.

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