Article Idea:
Feature -> Objective Chain diagrams
suggested by Philip Haine on 2008/10/17
Feature -> Objective chain diagrams are a simple way of charting out the “why’s” behind a design or product vision initiative.
For example, why add that feature? To make it more streamlined for power users -> to have them tout the product -> to get free marketing -> etc.
A sample Feature -> Objective Chain diagram can be seen at:
http://productvision.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/…
Feature -> Objective Chains assist strategic decision making, because alternate initiatives that feed into the same goal can be seen in context and compared. The cause that has the greatest effect can be selected.
At the end of the day, team members can see clearly how their parts fit into the whole.
Feature -> Objective Chain diagrams can be generated with boxes & arrows tools like OmniGraffle, or brainstormed collaboratively with stickies against a whiteboard.
Feature -> Objective Chains relate to the “5 whys” method of understanding why we might take an initiative.
Feature -> Objective Chain diagrams differ from a precedent, fishbone diagrams. They are geared more to understanding and weighing the causes and effects of *future* activities rather than understanding the root causes of past failures. Unlike fishbone diagrams, they also permit many-to-many connections between causes and effects, and permit loops, which indicate virtuous circles.
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3 people said yes. | 0 people said no.
Patrick Stapleton
25 Reputation points
Posted 2008/12/10 @ 17:22PM with
This diagram looks a bit confusing too me. Do you find it effective with stakeholders, really?
Philip Haine
3 Reputation points
Posted 2008/12/15 @ 12:48PM with
Patrick, yes, extremely!
It’s easy for organizations and individuals to get lost in the details of what they are doing and spend months or years doing things because they have always been done. When I put their initiatives in this format they start to visualize the cause & effect and start nodding.
It facilitates discourse critical vision questions like, “why are we really doing this feature?” and “which of these goals really matters the most?” and “which initiatives are having the greatest contribution to the goals?” and “what other initiatives could we be doing that have stronger effects on our goals?” These strategic discussions have major effect on the ultimate outcome of a project.