Instructional design/BADL/Business Challenges

Challenge Characteristics

BDAL seeks change in the business and change in the individual. Through participation in Learning Sets and Business Challenge Teams, individuals address individual, team, and organizational development needs.

Business challenges originate with and are sponsored by senior leadership. The complex nature of the business challenges, create an environment where participants existing mental models are challenged and new knowledge is incorporated. The real-world experience builds individual, team, and organizational capabilities.

Business Challenges

Business challenges are complex issues without a clear and obvious solution that force senior leaders to question pre-existing values, beliefs and assumptions. By nature of their complexity, business challenges are usually strategic in nature.

Business Challenge Attributes
Appropriate	Inappropriate
Problems for which no one knows the solution	Problems for which regular problem-solving techniques would find an acceptable answer
Problems that could have an impact on your business results	Problems that are immaterial to business results in the short term
Problems no one know how to solve, but about which many people my have an opinion	Problems described by a clear and simple problem statement
Problems where there is no obvious right or wrong way to proceed	Problems where the degree of uncertainty associated with the problem is limited
Problems that present many potential ways forward	Are where the root causes of the problem are known or discoverable
Problems where inaction is not an option and resistance to change is probable	Problems that can be solved through systematic analysis
Problems originating from disruptive change in the marketplace	Problems where previous experience and practice have been successful
Problems that threaten the existing business model	Problems that can be objectively evaluated

Examples of Business Challenges

Challenge:	How to stimulate innovation
Appropriate for BDAL?	Yes.
Why?	Involves multiple stakeholders and processes that interact together No right solution Could have impact on larger business initiatives

Challenge:	How to reduce reduce production costs
Appropriate for BDAL?	No.
Why?	Could be solved with regular problem-solving techniques Low degree of uncertainty Can be objectively evaluated

Personal Challenges

Personal Challenges – are daily dilemmas, problems or seemingly unresolvable matters especially around leadership and management behaviors in situations characterized by:

High levels of internal and external conflict
Constrained resources
Rapidly changing labor market
Rapidly changing technology

Personal Challenge Attributes
Appropriate	Inappropriate
Developing skills in leading change	Single discipline training
Developing skills in conflict resolution	Learning specific processes
Developing skills in strategy execution	Job rotations
Developing skills in managing risk	Learning how to improve quality
Developing skills in communicating vision	Gaining experience in sales
Developing skills in managing mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures	Pursuing a degree

Examples of Personal Challenges

Challenge:	How to weigh alternatives and prioritize
Appropriate for BDAL?	Yes.
Why?	Could lead to leading change Has elements of strategic execution

Challenge:	How to conduct better meetings
Appropriate for BDAL?	No.
Why?	Is not complex Does not extend to others outside of assigned area

Challenges Quiz

Business Challenges Quiz

Before continuing, let's verify that you understand what types of challenges are best for BDAL. Examine the 7 challenges below and choose the 4 challenges that are most appropriate to tackle with BDAL. Check your answers with the feedback given.

You are an electric utility whose main source of energy is coal. Proposed legislation to introduce a carbon tax threatens to make you uncompetitive with a new start-up using clean technology. The cost of switching to alternative sources of energy would weaken an already overburdened balance sheet. High rates have turned public opinion against you.

You are a manufacturing company that currently relies on a shrinking domestic supply of a precious metal. The only remaining supplier is from China. You have no experience in the global market or how to manage currency risk

Increases in customer demand have strained production capacity resulting in backorders. Sales data also indicates increases in returns due to minor quality issues. Company maintains a healthy quality control analysis capability.

A low cost foreign competitor has entered your market, threatening your market share. You have new products under development that are three years away from being ready for market. Your current labor contract with a union is about to expire. Half of your workforce is eligible to retire in five years.

Your company has been having trouble finding new employees with the skill sets you need. You want to evaluate your benefits package compared to competitors.

Your company has been experiencing problems in the performance of its IT systems. Employees have reported numerous problems with computers locking up and poor response times. Internet bandwith seems to be insufficient for your operations.

Your company is a manufacturer of consumer electrics products in a highly competitive market. Sales have been declining for products that have been on the market for more than three years. Products that have been on the market for less than three years have received mixed reviews for not adding new features fast enough. Profit margins in the industry have been declining over the past year.

Now that you understand challenges, you can see if BDAL is right for the Organizational Culture

Welcome to BDAL

Introduction to BDAL

Challenges

Organizational Culture

BDAL Participants

Design Situation Analysis