About the Book
From Problem Solving To Solution Design
Creating solutions to solve problems can often prove very difficult to accomplish, even for seasoned Solution Designers. Complex organizational problems have several stakeholders, endless variables, and a myriad of possible solutions. It's hard enough to figure out where to start, and even harder to realize what the perfect, mutually-beneficial solution is.
With their combined tenure of over fifty years, J. Eduardo Campos and Erica W. Campos present their Solution-Designing expertise in From Problem Solving to Solution Design so that you can learn from their successes (and their failures) to craft sustainable solutions for complex problems.
Specifically, you will learn how to implement the I.D.E.A.S. framework that they have been perfecting over the years, which includes five critical checkpoints that any Solution Designer must hit to create solutions that are successfully envisioned, negotiated with stakeholders, and implemented to last over time.
- IDENTIFY THE ESSENTIAL PROBLEM AND PRIORITIZE YOUR ACTIONS TO SOLVE IT. - DESIGN SOLUTION OPTIONS ALIGNED TO YOUR GOALS. - ENGAGE YOUR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE SOLUTION AND INFLUENCE THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. - ACT ON THE AGREED-UPON RECOMMENDATIONS AND EXECUTE YOUR GOVERNANCE MODEL. - SUSTAIN THE IMPLEMENTED SOLUTION BY CREATING A FEEDBACK LOOP.
Treat this book as your field guide: it offers clear checkpoints for you to assist your organization in designing effective solutions for complex problems.
Table of Contents:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHORS FOREWORD NEW TIMES—NEW CHALLENGES INTRODUCTION IDENTIFY Define the Essential Problem and Prioritize Your Actions to Solve the Essential Problem DESIGN Set Your Goals for the Solution Design and Design Solution Options ENGAGE Prepare Your Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Influence the Decision-Making Process ACT Drive Your Implementation Strategy and Execute Your Governance Model SUSTAIN Leverage the Organizational Lifecycle and Create a Feedback Loop APPENDIX
About the Author :
J. EDUARDO CAMPOS, After creating business growth opportunities on four continents through his leadership roles at PwC, Embraer, and Bell Canada, J. Eduardo spent thirteen years at Microsoft, first as a cybersecurity advisor, then leading innovative projects at the highest levels of government in the US and abroad. Today, J. Eduardo is realizing his dream of building a better tomorrow by leading his consulting firm, Embedded Knowledge, Inc., to develop value propositions, customize business strategies, and form partnerships that enable organizations and entrepreneurs to design creative solutions for their complex problems. ERICA W. CAMPOS, is an experienced compliance professional who is passionate about using her skills to build transparent, ethical, and sustainable relationships across diverse groups. Currently a Compliance Senior Lead for Microsoft, Erica leverages her twenty-five-plus years in global management roles in large corporations in the financial (ABN Amro Banco Real) and consulting (PwC) industries. Applying her agile collaboration, influencing, and negotiation skills to support the interests of all stakeholders, Erica has a solid record of designing solutions that mutually benefit all involved.
Review :
Eduardo and Erica have written a very practical guide for dealing with complex problems.Through their" IDEAS (Identify, Design, Engage, Act, Sustain) Framework" they have simplified the complex giving the reader a recipe for success. The concepts are brought to life through the case studies reflecting their own diverse experiences. This is a great field handbook for business leaders and consultants alike. The reader is given tools, processes and frameworks for addressing everyday business challenges. I am already taking some of their concepts and frameworks and integrating these into my practice.'' —Paul O Beirne, Principal, ORCA HR Solutions
"Eduardo and Erica have effectively leveraged experiences in their respective corporate careers to bring the reader easy to understand frameworks for managing complex problems. The case studies illustrate some of their methodologies in practice and provide real life adaptations of their theoretical work. I recommend this book to anyone trying to tackle challenging problems and looking for innovative approaches." —Ed Steidl, Director, Microsoft
"Eduardo and Erica hold together the big picture with all its complexity and multi-variable data and at the same time, break down the information, section by section, into manageable, actionable steps. A feat of magic? Rather, an amazing ability to understand what it takes to move a project forward with many stakeholders. Applying design principles like visualizing data, and uncovering priority and hierarchy through charts, graphs and maps, speeds up the process and engages the team toward action. From Problem Solving to Solutions Design teaches you how to engineer and implement a successful project. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to sell their idea through an organization for buy-in, action and impact." —Pascha Scott, CEO, Vertetude Brand Communications and Retail Design
"If you are involved in internal organizational problem solving, you have with certainty faced the wall of silent - or perhaps not so silent - resistance to change. It is innately difficult to lead change from inside. Problem-Solving to Solution Design gives you rational tools, inspiration to innovate your own approaches, and an approach that will make sense to the stakeholders you work with. I highly recommend this book and wish this book had been on my shelf, when I first faced the challenges change-making from inside." —Mariianne Crary, CEO, HubSV.com
"From beginning to end, this book is an excellent read for anyone dealing with complex problems in any organization. Eduardo and Erica really simplified the process of thinking through the main variables, understand stakeholder management and focus on addressing what is essential to address the problem and design the best solution possible. The case studies illustrate the reality of every day and make it easier to digest and understand the concepts thought throughout the book." —Hiram Machado, President and CEO, adaQuest
"Problem Solving to Solution Design' is a great compass for all the professionals out there. Having personally worked with Eduardo on tackling very complex and transformational opportunities in emerging markets, I have seen Eduardo apply the 'IDEAS' framework to boil down big, bold ambitions into clearly articulated and structured plans. I have learned a lot from us putting into action the stakeholder engagement plan in order to get buy-in from Senior Leadership Team across multiple organizations, both inside and outside of Microsoft which ultimately led us to launch a large and breakthrough entrepreneurial endeavor in Latin America. I commend Eduardo and Erica for their passion and commitment to drive clarity and simplicity - and for making this project come to life. I strongly believe every professional - be him/her an entrepreneur, senior executive or someone just fresh from MBA - to review and apply the great lessons synthesized in this masterpiece." —Beny Rubinstein, Head of Microsoft Digital Stores in Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa, and former Chief Executive Officer, Acelera Partners
"If you're seeking a solution within a complex organization this book is an invaluable guide. I've read other change management texts that get lost in the forest of jargon and theory missing the bigger picture of how to achieve your goal in the real world. Eduardo and Erica have given me the tools to successfully create lasting change in my organization, and their system is one I'll refer to frequently." —L. David Prindle, Executive Director, Accelement
