Software testing is the process of checking whether the behavior of real software meets requirements and expectations. The tests carried out for this purpose are based on the customer's documented requirements.
But what exactly does the software testing life cycle look like? What does it have in common with software development life cycle ? What benefits can the customer and development team derive from testing? Answering these questions and understanding their features can save you fromunexpected consequences caused by choosing the wrong approach.
The role of testing in the software development life cycle
First of all, it is worth noting that the software testing process is closely related directly to the development process. The development life cycle consists of the following stages:
- Requirements analysis
- Design
- Development
- Testing and Debugging
- Operation and support
As shown in the list above, we must conduct testing in the fourth step of the lifecycle. But usually, if our main goal is to obtain high-quality software and minimize the cost of fixing bugs, we can conduct testing already at the requirements analysis stage. The sooner you start testing, the better results you will achieve.
The benefits of running tests at every stage of the software life cycle
Let's take a closer look at the benefits that testing can bring at every stage of the development process, starting with the very first.
First stage. Requirements analysis
Let's start with the first stage of the development lifecycle: requirements analysis. Requirements for the final product are usually formulated by the customer or project manager. These requirements can be either functional or non-functional. They are formed in the process of communication with the customer or analysis of standards and regulatory documentation. Why is it necessary to conduct software tests at this stage of the life cycle and what benefits can it bring to us?
Let's imagine a situation in which the existing requirements were not tested, but were used during the design and development phase. Only after the development is completed, the requirements and the product itself are sent to the QA department. As stated earlier, during the testing process we check whether the current behavior of the product meets the stated requirements. This means that the QA department can find errors not only in the product itself, but also in the documentation. As you can imagine, bug fixes in this case will be much more expensive compared to an approach that involves including tests at the earliest stages of the software lifecycle, such as the requirements analysis phase. By carefully analyzing the requirements, you can gather information that will help you optimize the project process from the very first days. Typically, requirements testing occurs during the requirements analysis stage. This task involves a series of tests based on characteristics such as completeness, consistency, unambiguity, etc. The main goal of this approach is to ensure that the customer's requirements have been correctly interpreted and remain correct, understandable and consistent. It is important to note that clear and accurate documentation helps you select the right goals for the testing process.
Second phase. Design process
The next stage of the software development life cycle is design process. Like requirements testing at the requirements analysis stage, this stage involves checking already created prototypes and mockups to ensure they are correct and meet the customer’s expectations. Moreover, usability testing should also be carried out at this stage. You should also start creating test documentation for this project. This task includes preparing a test plan, test cases, use cases, and other documentation as required by the customer. The software testing process at this stage provides insight into the product and understanding of its compliance with the requirements. It is important to accurately understand the tasks facing the QA department throughout the entire development life cycle.
Third stage. Development
During development stage It is important to conduct unit, integration and system testing. At the very beginning of this development step, unit testing is performed. This process is a test of a separate system module or functionality. Integration testing is carried out after several modules are combined together as a separate part of the application. Later in the development process, more and more modules are combined together. After development is completed, it is time to prepare for system testing. This stage of the software development life cycle involves a general test of the system for the integration of its components. This means that in case the system consists of different modules, we must check how well or how poorly each of them works within the system. Moreover, at this stage it is important to test the user interface.
Fourth stage. Testing and Debugging Process
In this step, you should run tests regardless of whether they were run in the previous steps. Must be carried out full functional testing And user interface testing, and all detected defects must be documented in the bug tracking system. In addition, regression testing is used. After finishing debugging provides an assessment of the overall quality of the product. After the last test is completed, the software testing process is considered complete.
Fifth stage. Operation and support
Even after reaching the product release stage, there remains a need for testing carried out on operation and support stage. Different users may work in completely different environments. Therefore, it is always possible that new errors that were not previously identified will make themselves felt. Moreover, users may use the software in initially unforeseen ways. This, in turn, may cause some unexpected problems. In this case, intervention from the QA department will be required.
Conclusion
Obviously, the software test management process affects all stages of the development life cycle. It involves comparing the actual state of the product and the state that was planned and documented in the product test plan. The process of testing, analysis and monitoring helps to plan and modify subsequent tasks in the best possible way.
The software testing life cycle is a process that cannot be avoided. It is continuous, time-consuming and requires a QA team experienced enough to producefull testing cycle . This integral part of the modern software development process helps the customer, the development team, and the end user to obtain a high-quality product.
Hello, dear readers! It's no secret that in each period of life a person faces different tasks; based on his needs, he realizes certain goals that correspond to his age and development. At three years old or seventeen, he will have a different attitude towards life and want something of his own from it.
Age periodization is the identification of the characteristics of psychological development at each stage of life. Many scientists in the field of psychology have attempted to identify the distinctive features of these periods. Many have succeeded. How good, let's find out now.
Eric Ericson
This psychologist became famous precisely for his theory of identifying development criteria in relation to age. He believed that at each stage, a person faces the solution of certain problems. Strong qualities are a favorable completion of the stage, and weak ones will interfere with overcoming and can become entrenched as a property.
This does not mean that a person will not be able to make the right choice, reach a new level, or contribute to the change of negative traits to positive ones. It will just take more time and effort.
Although each stage is characterized by age, the transition will depend not only on the facts, but also on the environment and changes associated with them: birth of children, and so on.
Infancy
Erickson called the first stage oral. It lasts up to a year. The main challenge of development now revolves around gaining trust in the world. A child who manages to develop this strong quality understands that the world around him is predictable and not hostile.
Attitude to the world is the result. She is now the main and significant figure in the baby’s life. Erickson claims that if, then the world will seem scary to him, arousing suspicion and fear. Instead of trust, the baby will receive a diametrically opposite quality - basic distrust.
Childhood
The second stage lasts up to three years. During this period the child. Permissibility within the framework of reason allows you to develop it, while it leads to internal doubts, worries, a constant feeling of fear, shame for your actions and weak willpower. Now the baby is less dependent on his mother and focuses on all the adult members of his family.
Playing age
At the third stage, which lasts from approximately three to seven years, the baby begins to develop in the society of his peers. He shows activity, initiative and strives to take care of not only himself, but also younger friends, as well as animals. He enjoys facing new challenges and acquiring unfamiliar skills.
If parents during this period try to limit the baby in every possible way, then passivity arises in him, which prevents him from overcoming this stage of development. This further contributes to low productivity at work.
School period
The task of becoming hardworking, of feeling competent in various kinds of issues, is laid down between the ages of 7 and 12 years, during the school period of growing up. Now the child is more dependent on classmates and teachers. In this social group he can actively participate in public life.
Now . They give the child the necessary sense of competence; he feels skilled in a certain area, more developed than others.
By the way, competition and the ability to work in a team are also achieved at this stage. It is now very important for parents not to interfere and to facilitate the child’s wishes in every possible way. If he encounters obstacles from adults, then he develops inferiority complexes.
Youth
From 12 to 18 years old, one of the most important stages of development begins. a person wants to gain autonomy from parents and society. He develops an attitude towards family, a definition. Now a person thinks about global things: “Who am I in this world”, “What is my purpose”, “What do I want to achieve”.
Now his task is to collect together all the ideas that he derived earlier and combine them into a single one. Loyalty to oneself and the successful completion of this period, which largely again depends on the peers who surround the young man.
If during this period a person is excessively with the heroes and adherents of some culture, this suppresses and limits his freedom to define his own “I”. He becomes dependent.
Youth
From 18 to 25 the dominant social group for a person is friends and loved ones. The period of identifying one’s own “I” is completed and the person seeks to merge with someone else in order to create his own family. During this period, it is especially important how a person developed in the previous stages - self-confidence, ability to take initiative, and so on.
What strong quality can be obtained upon completion of this stage? Love. The inability to trust others and the fear of losing independence brings a feeling of loneliness and social vacuum.
Adulthood
This stage extends from 25 to 65 years. Now a person is learning to take care of his neighbors, finding the golden mean between productivity and inertia, development and stagnation. The main task is to find the ideal combination of the parental role.
Old age
The last stage involves accepting yourself, the significance of your own figure, dignity and. The task of development is to find oneself for the second time, but not among friends, but in a more global sense, in relation to all humanity.
Wisdom helps to successfully complete this stage. A weak point can be contempt, misunderstanding, and hopelessness.
If you are interested in studying each of the above periods in more detail, I can recommend you the book "Human Psychology from Birth to Death". It examines the same 8 periods of human maturation, only in more detail and from the point of view of various scientists.
Unfortunately, my sense of proportion does not allow me to give a more extensive idea of each of these stages. Well, never mind, subscribe to the newsletter to... A person keeps many secrets within himself and psychology helps to get the key to the most significant moments. You can always find out about the most interesting ones on my blog.
The life cycle of a product is the time a product exists on the market, the time interval from product planning to its implementation and discontinuation. The product life cycle doctrine describes a product's sales, revenue, competitors, and marketing tactics from the time a product enters the market until it is withdrawn from the market. It was first published by Theodore Leviton in 1965. The doctrine is based on the fact that every product is sooner or later forced out of the market by another, more ideal or cheaper product. There is no indestructible product!
The product life cycle view is used both for classes of goods (TVs), and subclasses (color TVs), and even for a specific model or brand (color TVs “electronics”). The life cycle of goods can show changes in profit over time and sales volumes using the following stages (different authors have the number of stages from 4 to 6) (Figure 1)
Figure 1 - Stages of the product life cycle
1) Product development.
2) Implementation stage followed by testing. At this stage, there is a slow growth in product sales, most often accompanied by costs and even losses. A significant portion of money has to be invested in organizing production.
3) Growth (development) stage - at this stage the consumer recognizes the product. This is where sales increase and profits begin to rise.
4) Maturity stage - at this stage the pace of sales slows down due to the fact that most potential buyers have already accepted the product. At this stage, the company receives maximum profit, but due to the costs of maintaining the competitiveness of the product, profit begins to decline. After all, a lot of money is spent on sales promotion and advertising.
5) Decline stage - at this stage, the company's profit and sales volumes decline sharply.
Product development occurs at the first stage of the life cycle, where all attention is paid to the scientific research and design of the product. At this stage, the product already exists, but only in projects and drawings. The product itself does not yet have a material basis; only fragments or prototypes of the product exist. The company does not receive income from sales, since the product as such still exists. At this stage, there is a complex of unresolved problems in the form of investment injections in the hope that in the future they will pay off. The types of work and cost structures vary across industries, of course. So, if we take the food industry, then their product development is the creation of new types of recipes and food technologies. But the food industry conducts serious and very long-term research on the product. If we take the clothing industry, then the development and research here is of a model nature than in other industries. Fashion designers, when creating a new product, most often focus on the dynamics of fashion and consumer preferences.
Thus, creating a new product in any industry involves conducting, to one degree or another, the necessary research. The marketing beginning is the unifying link in the creation of any product. All research conducted by the company is aimed at creating a new competitive product that the consumer needs to satisfy their needs. Bank loans are often used as investment funds at this stage, but it happens that the company allocates its own accumulated funds. This is definitely the best option.
Figure 2 - the main stages of the product life cycle and their characteristics.
When a product is introduced to the market, the firm's costs for marketing and production support will change. Since a new product unfamiliar to consumers is being introduced into the market, the company must advertise it well. At the same time, the nature of advertising should change; if at the initial stage it was said that a new type of product was being introduced, then at this stage advertising should encourage consumers to buy this product.
At this stage, advertising must be extremely varied in order to attract the attention of potential buyers. Advertising should be launched on television, radio stations, etc. At the same time, the advertising video must contain explanations from a specialist about this product, so that the buyer knows what he is dealing with. But such advertising requires significant investment. Advertising at this stage is very important, since people are most often cautious and are in no hurry to buy a new product that is unfamiliar to them.
The introduction stage of a new product is usually the shortest stage, and the decline stage of consumer demand is the longest. It can be difficult to determine the end of one phase of the life cycle and the beginning of another. When a decrease or increase in sales volume becomes pronounced, this moment is usually considered the beginning of a new stage.
Most products go through life cycle stages; they may differ in duration, duration and features. For some products, a decline may turn into a growth stage for others, introduction into a maturity stage, and for some products there is no introduction stage. For each stage, it is necessary to select an appropriate marketing tool: a form of promotion and distribution, a certain price. At the same time, their combination changes during the passage of various situations by the product. Typical situations of the product life cycle and the set of marketing activities usually applied in each case are shown in Table A. A product life cycle model can explain the dependence of many variables and describe the behavior of the product, and anticipate the future development scenario of the product. One of the important tasks of strategic planning is cycle modeling. A simplified view of reality represents the life cycle of products. Using the product life cycle, a marketer can maintain and track sales levels. In some cases, the product growth stage may not occur. If a product does not have its loyal consumers, it will immediately enter the decline stage. But if the product really has unique properties, then information about it will quickly spread among potential buyers in different directions (across different market segments). The high level of sales at this stage can be explained by the fact that the consumer begins to buy a new product, forgetting about the old competitive product.
The company reduces advertising costs and changes its nature with the transition to the growth stage. Since there will be problems associated with jobs due to the high level of sales. If growth remains low or begins to grow despite everything, then the company increases its production area, buys new equipment and hires new employees. Even a slight increase in production entails a huge number of unexpected problems, this is explained by the need for new investments, training of new employees, repair of old equipment, etc. Perhaps this stage is endless for the manufacturing company, since problems will constantly appear in the sales and production spheres.
The company's goal at this stage is to master and seize a leading position in the market and maximize sales volumes.
Marketing tasks at this stage:
1) capture certain positions in the market;
2) work out basic solutions;
3) strengthen customer commitment through advertising;
4) increase the duration of the growth stage.
5) As a rule, the following approaches are used to extend the period of intensive sales growth and rapid market growth:
6) improving the quality of the new product, giving it additional properties;
7) penetration into new market segments;
8) use of new distribution channels;
10) timely price reduction to attract additional consumers.
The main consumers - leaders of their social sphere and trendsetters - are called “adepts”. When they recognize the product, it becomes fashionable and famous. Of the number from end consumers make up 10 - 15% of the total mass. Mass sales at the growth stage are provided by consumers of the “early majority” (for example, students) or “progressives”. Of the total number of end consumers, their number ranges from 25 to 35%.
The maturity stage is the beginning of stabilization of business with a new product. It, in fact, ceases to be new. The main distinguishing characteristic of the product life cycle at this stage is a change in the trend in the growth rate of the number of sales. They are declining sharply because the market is already saturated. And the first purchases have already been made by everyone who wanted to. This process is much slower than the growth stage, but the constant increase in sales volumes brings it to its maximum value. Here, in terms of prices, competition with similar products is more intense. To compete, the company has to improve the quality of the product, but this leads to significant financial costs. All these measures lead to a reduction in profits. Demand becomes massive, the market has already been saturated with the product, and consumers begin to buy the company’s product again. Here we have to focus our advertising efforts on the conservative mass consumer. The form of advertising should become as massive and intense as possible. We need to search for additional markets for a new product and new customers. An incentive system is being introduced here for more private purchases for those who have already purchased this product. Also, in parallel, work is underway to find different ways to use the product in new areas of its application. Various methods for prolonging life cycle are shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3 - Ways to extend the product life cycle
At the end of the stage, the sales curve smoothly turns into a straight line parallel to the time axis, which indicates market saturation. In reality, the maturity stage can be very short. However, all stages of the product life cycle in practice have different durations. This is justified by the fact that an equally lengthy presentation of these stages is not more accessible and easier to understand at the initial stages of mastering the concept of the product life cycle. It is noted that growth and sales are slowing down. The volumes of consumption per capita are given. Regular customers are appearing, prices are becoming more flexible, and warranty and service are being expanded. The primary goal of the company is to maintain its gained market share. Marketing tasks at this stage: optimize distribution channels, find new sales markets, improve sales and service conditions, introduce complexes of stimulation measures and develop product modifications.
The marketing tool at this stage is: modification of the product consists of modifying the external design and properties, improving quality - all this is necessary to attract new customers. The following strategies are also used: a strategy for improving the functional characteristics of a product, including reliability, speed, taste, durability; the goal of a property improvement strategy is the introduction of new properties into a product, making it more convenient, safe and versatile; the main goal of increasing the attractiveness of a product is a strategy for improving the appearance kind.
The “late majority” or “skeptics” are the main consumers. Their number from end consumers is 30 - 40%; mass sales at the saturation stage are provided by them.
The saturation stage gives way to the maturity stage. At this stage the increase is zero. It is distinctive in that its duration is much longer than maturity. Any company, in principle, benefits from being at this stage. After all, sales and production have already been established, there is no need to master new equipment and develop new product models; the company wants to remain at this stage as long as possible, because it is economically profitable. But there is no rest period in the market. If the company stops at the saturation stage, then after some time competitors will bypass it, creating a similar product model, but more advanced than that of your company. And the company will suddenly collapse in the form of a decline in its sales volumes. Because of this, a company at the saturation stage must constantly work and update its product so that it is not overtaken by competitors.
Inevitable and inevitable, coming sooner or later, is the stage of decline. If the company is ready and removes the outdated product model from the market and replaces it with a more advanced model, then it will survive the recession stage quite well without losing profits. Thus, in order not to incur large losses, the company must plan for the downturn stage in advance. Although there are cases when a model, having reached the stage of decline, may appear on the market again, using some alternatives for introducing it into the market. In order to appear on the market again, the production program can be reduced. Sometimes using this approach slightly extends the product's life cycle, and the company can make some profit. Another way to extend the life cycle of a product is to change its packaging or shape. The last way to extend the life of a product is to move to another, less developed market. The company tries all three of these alternatives; if they are not effective, then it has to completely curtail the production of this product.
Along with typical cases of the product life cycle, there are also special cases. It happens that the real life of a product is depicted in the form of a so-called “boom” curve. It shows how, using a competent marketing policy, a company can achieve high profits and large sales volumes, and then maintain these positions (Figure 4)
Figure 4 - Boom curve
It also happens that situations occur when sales volume increases sharply, then also decreases sharply. This curve is called the entrainment curve (Figure 5). It shows a situation where a product gains rapid acceptance among consumers for a short period of time. Typically, such products include songs and melodies.
Figure 4 - "Entrainment" curve
Figure 6 - Long-term entrainment curve
The next curve is a consequence of a phenomenon so familiar to everyone - fashion (Figure 7). The fashion curve shows the life of goods that undergo periodic and repeated explosions and declines in demand in the market.
Figure 7 - Fashion curve
The “renewal” curve (Figure 8) is a special case of mode.
Figure 8 - “Resumption” curve
“Product improvement” is a periodic improvement of a product aimed at increasing its performance characteristics, which contributes to the resumption of a period of growth after some stabilization of sales. Resumption is usually associated with a drop in demand for a given product in an already well-developed market. Resumption of growth is usually conditioned by its introduction into other, usually less developed, markets. A firm's renewal-based product policy is often used in the international trade of technologically advanced countries with less developed countries (Figure 9).
Figure 9 - Product improvement curve
“Failure” is a lack of success in the market, the product is a loser. Failure usually happens with an unsuccessful product model. If mistakes were made, miscalculations in the process of market research, product design, etc., then when the product is introduced to the market, the growth stage does not occur, buyers ignore the new product and a decline immediately follows the introduction. This is a failure (Figure 10)
Figure 10 - “Failure” curve
There are cases when the sales volume of a product increases for a long time, and then quickly decreases and reaches an average level (Figure 6) - this is the “Long-term passion” curve. A long-term hobby is a seemingly simple hobby, but with its differences they lie in the fact that the decline of a product does not affect all its consumers, but only a part.
A marketer needs to choose the optimal moment to enter the market with a new product or to introduce an existing product to a new market. At the same time, one product can be in different markets at different stages of its life cycle. The duration of the stages may also vary in different markets. All this must be taken into account when compiling a company’s product portfolio. It is desirable that a company with a wide range of products simultaneously have products that are in the stages of introduction, growth and maturity. In this case, income from the sale of goods at the maturity stage contributes to the effective introduction of new products, and goods at the growth stage can provide additional funds for updating, developing modifications, and introducing discounts on the price of goods at the maturity stage. It is necessary to formulate a product portfolio in such a way as to constantly introduce new products and at the same time maintain a balance of products at different stages of the life cycle.
Practice shows that changing the life cycles of goods is subject to the requirements of the following laws:
The law of increasing needs, according to which each satisfied need forms the basis for the emergence of new, higher needs and at the same time creates the prerequisites for their satisfaction. Thus, the law of increasing needs leads to the need to develop goods with higher consumer properties (speed, comfort, safety, etc.). In addition, the sales volumes of these goods in physical and monetary terms are increasing;
The law of accelerating the pace of social development. In accordance with this law, all processes occurring in society and leading to the final result tend to accelerate.
Most modern marketers believe that marketing relates not only to the production and sale of goods or services, but covers everything that can satisfy various human needs - organizations, individuals, ideas, all types of human activity. However, the main thing is the product. Commercial success depends on the availability of a modern, high-quality product that is beneficial for the buyer and consumer.
Everyone knows that a company moves through certain cycles; they can be compared to the cycles of human life. A company also has a nascent stage: as soon as an entrepreneur has an idea, he begins to look for money or invest his own. At many stages, the cycle may stop, and the company may leave the market. This can also happen at the stage of its inception, if there is not enough strength or money to implement the idea.
The red zigzags in this diagram mark the most dangerous periods in the company's development. Certain effective financial management skills are required to overcome these dangerous periods.
If the “Infancy” period is successfully completed, the “Intensive Activity” period begins. The company begins to receive profits, and the manager begins to feel that the company is invincible. Then comes the “Maturity” stage, when administrative resources are connected to the management of the company. After the “Prosperity” and “Stability” stages, a decline begins in the company’s life cycles.
How to manage finances at every stage of company development
| Development cycle according to Adizes | 1.Budgeting | 2.PLOTLI system | 3.Business automation | 4.Who manages finances | 5. Budget deficit/surplus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Birth of the company | Absent | Direct more than 40% of profits to the SI sector | Absent | Business owner | Cash shortage |
| 2.Infancy | Flexible budget that needs to be constantly adjusted. We take a pessimistic scenario as a basis | Investments in your own business | Absent | Business owner | Cash shortage |
| 3.Intense activity | Flexible budget | It is necessary to invest money in the SI and RK sectors | Partial automation of business processes. It is necessary to understand what needs to be automated (cash flows, warehouse accounting, etc.) | Business owner | Budget surplus |
| 4.Maturity | Flexible budget | Introduction of management accounting | Budget surplus | ||
| 5.Flourishing | Aggressive budget | Investments in your own business. The Republic of Kazakhstan is formed. The Republic of Moldova appears | Experienced finance specialists | Budget surplus | |
| 6.Stability | Aggressive budget | Portfolio investing. The Republic of Kazakhstan has been formed. The list of RMs has been determined | Management accounting is automated | Experienced finance specialists | Budget surplus |
The time that these life cycles of company development take according to Adizes is individual for each company. For example, a company can spend a long time in the “Intensive Activity” stage, or it can spend a hundred years at the peak, in the “Stability” cycle. It is important to decide what strategy and tools you will choose for the development of the company.
Continuation
| Development cycle according to Adizes | 6.Financial structure | 7.Financial knowledge of the owner | 8.Strategy development | 9.Financial control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Birth of the company | Absent | Enough basic knowledge | ||
| 2.Infancy | Absent | Budgeting knowledge required | There is no strategy, but forecasts appear | No financial control |
| 3.Intense activity | A financial structure is being formed (there is a cashier, an accountant, etc.) | Need to get | ||
| 4.Maturity | Extensive knowledge in financial performance management | A financial strategy for the business is being drawn up | The owner thinks he is in control of the finances because he looks at the cash flow statements. Financial control appears when a management accounting system is implemented in a software product | |
| 5.Flourishing | It is recommended to fully formulate the financial structure (specify job responsibilities, etc.) | Extensive knowledge in financial performance management | A financial strategy for the business is being drawn up | The owner thinks he is in control of the finances because he looks at the cash flow statements. Financial control appears when a management accounting system is implemented in a software product |
| 6.Stability | It is recommended to fully formulate the financial structure (specify job responsibilities, etc.) | Extensive knowledge in financial performance management | A financial strategy for the business is being drawn up | The owner thinks he is in control of the finances because he looks at the cash flow statements. Financial control appears when a management accounting system is implemented in a software product |
We analyze the PLOTLI system in more detail in
The metaphor of a river is perfectly suited to describe the development of an organization. At first it is a small stubborn trickle. Gradually the stream expands and becomes an increasingly powerful stream. Somewhere a river passes through the mountains, turning into a noisy, strong mountain river, full of stones and dangers. And now it is a calm, flat river, flowing its waters measuredly and sedately. Somewhere it is wide, somewhere narrow, somewhere it runs fast, and somewhere it runs slowly.
If we are going to float down this river, it is important for us to clearly understand what kind of river is in the place where we are going to raft in order to choose the right boat and equipment and prepare.
For example, if we believe that a winding but safe river awaits us ahead and we set off in summer shorts and a T-shirt on a simple boat, and after the next turn the river becomes fast and icy, it will not be easy for us to cope with the flow and there is not much chance of survival.
So it is with organization. For example, we see that our company’s employees share little information with each other, there are conflicts, there are many dismissals, and new employees rarely stay to work after the probationary period. What is the reason? How to unite a team, improve the psychological climate in the team. Organize team building training? But it will not fix system errors.
The root cause of such a situation is different at each stage of the organization’s development. At the startup stage, this may be a lack of faith in the future of the company; at the expansion stage, it may be a lack of understanding of one’s own functions and the functions of colleagues, or a lack of understanding of the peculiarities of interaction.
At each stage of an organization's life cycle, the team faces different challenges. And the tools to solve them also need different ones. In this article, we will go through each stage of an organization’s development (using David Sibbett’s organizational model as a basis), and analyze team mind management methods that will be useful at each stage:
It's too early to talk about teamwork. You are just forming a team. But mind management will be very useful to you. After all, in order for people to “catch fire” with your idea and believe in it, you need to convey this very idea in a simple, understandable and inspiring way. How to do it? Very simple! Throw aside PowerPoint, arm yourself with a sheet of A3 paper and colored pencils (flip chart and markers if you plan to speak in front of a large audience. Read more here and here Presentation in the form of a story: a fairy tale for adults).
If you still prefer a computer, then pay attention to such tools for creating presentations as:
- Mural.ly ( mural.ly);
- MindJet ( mindjet.com);
- ConceptDraw( conceptdraw.com);
- Sparkol ( sparkol.com).
A startup is a stage of opportunity. The main type of group work at this stage is brainstorming. A startup needs a name, a logo, a website, and marketing activity. You need to build trust, identify the resources needed, and begin aggressive lead generation and sales. You can brainstorm using either a flip chart or online tools and programs. For example, you can brainstorm.
It is convenient to brainstorm using the following tools:
- MindJet ( mindjet.com);
- ConceptDraw( conceptdraw.com);
- Rizzoma ( rizzoma.com);
- Mural.ly ( mural.ly).
Group analysis tools that will be useful to you at this stage:
- Trend Matrix;
- Opportunity Map;
- Competitive analysis;
- Map of market segments.
2. Expansion.
The organization is growing. Sooner or later you will want to create a strategy. What would it be like without her? But don't rush. First, just stop, gather as a team and analyze what you have done. At this stage, it is important to conduct a session of analysis of the current situation. You can use techniques such as:- team profile;
- financial profile;
- partners map (Competitors-Complementors Map);
- 10 types of innovation;
- market analysis (Porter's 5 forces);
- competitive analysis;
- 5 human factors;
- market segment map;
- context maps;
- customer journey map;
- PEST analysis.
- time line;
- "er" card;
- corporate explainer xplainto.me.
Done? Now we can move on to strategic issues. The following methods will help your team form an image of the desired future:
- "guest from the future";
- foresight.
- What are we aiming for?
- Where will we play? Markets, regions, consumer segments, sales channels.
- How will we win? How are we unique? Our value proposition.
- What opportunities do we need to exploit?
- What management system is needed for this?
Once the strategy is formulated and written down, visualize the connection between the strategy and the company's corporate culture (create a visual story).
You can move on to the strategic plan. In what steps do you plan to execute the strategy?
You can conduct one or more of the following team mind management sessions:
- session on creating a strategic roadmap;
- session of forming a strategic platform;
- strategic plan creation session;
- session on creating a strategic matrix;
- session on creating a matrix of strategic initiatives;
- session on creating strategic teams;
- session of creating and adopting an action plan to implement the strategy.
3. Separation of business units.
At this stage, the organization needs a strong leader. This is the stage of development when competence comes first. For further successful growth, it is important to identify business units and a management company. At the same time, some business units may be start-ups, while others may be at other stages of development.The basis of group work at this stage is the organization of interaction between the management company (or management center) and business units. In the group, create:
- a map of the strategic vision of the organization as a whole;
- conceptual maps of the organization (general rules and principles);
- general knowledge base;
- solution search tools map;
- general table of collisions and risks.
4. Regulation.
In order for the organization to be manageable, for each employee to understand his future in the company, his capabilities and the requirements for him, clear and generally accepted rules of the game are necessary. If at the previous stages the rules of the game were mostly unspoken (“that’s how it is with us”) and management was carried out “according to concepts,” then now it’s time to add bureaucracy in the good sense of the word. Bureaucracy (from French bureau - bureau, office and Greek κράτος - domination, power. Wikipedia.org).Creating the rules of the game in a company is a long process that requires constant attention. To smoothly implement new rules into your corporate culture, actively use teamwork.
Get together and collectively make decisions about what needs to be written and documented and what needs to be left as customs and rituals. Constantly evaluate the practice of applying new rules, this will help avoid “over-bureaucratization.” The following tools will help you with this:
- meetings to compile a list of working and non-working regulations and clarify which regulations are still needed and which need to be cancelled;
- expectations management sessions for new employees;
- strategic mini-sessions to identify drivers of change;
- business model refinement sessions;
- sessions for broadcasting ideas from company management;
- change acceptance sessions.
Create a value core. Formulate the mission by gathering the most loyal and committed employees. Together, answer the question of why the company exists, what it brings to the market, clients, and employees.
At this stage, it is important to form during group work:
- company business model;
- functional management cards of top managers, middle managers and line managers of the company (conduct expectations management sessions);
- functional-process map of the company;
- map of company projects;
- organizational structure of the company;
5. Revival.
At some point, you or your colleagues may feel that the company needs fresh breath. You will want to shake up your staff, open a new business, develop a new market, launch a new product or service. In a word, once again feel the entrepreneurial passion and energy of a startup.At this time, someone in the company may believe that the organization has become too big, too bureaucratic and is dying. According to Adizes, this is the stage of aging. But you don't want your company to grow old and die, do you? To avoid this, it is important to add life. How to do it? An organization can be revived by introducing elements of organizations from other stages of development into various functions. Remember the history of the organization, repeat successful experiences.
Hold regular meetings to create visualizations and stories of achievements, new goals and opportunities. In addition to annual strategy sessions, don't forget about monthly meetings to take stock and set new goals. Invite your clients and partners to such meetings more often.
Employees in an organization in this stage may lack fresh influences to remain creative. Actively use graphical tools:
- sessions of analysis and visualization of organizational processes;
- building a process map (with key steps and steps);
- regular meetings of project groups (include employees from different departments and different levels in projects);
- regular meetings of innovation groups;
- corporate video viewings;
- meetings to exchange experiences;
- online meetings;
- analysis of cases using visualization methods;
- collaboratively building mental models that help everyone think process-oriented.
6. Merger, acquisition, consolidation.
At this stage, the role of teamwork is at least doubled. Two different cultures, organizations at different stages of development. This is a lot of stress for both managers and subordinates. It’s better to start with already known sessions, at which new ones will be formed:- company business model;
- functional management cards of top managers, middle managers and line managers of the company (during the expectations management session);
- functional-process map of the company;
- map of company projects;
- organizational structure of the company;
- maps of the company's main business processes (required: marketing, sales).
- map of the strategic vision of the organization as a whole;
- annual visual business plans for each business unit (it is convenient to use graphic templates for this);
- maps of interaction between departments within business processes;
- conceptual maps of the organization (general rules and principles);
- general knowledge base;
- solution search tool map;
- general table of collisions and risks.
7. Transformation.
This stage of organization development is interconnected with other stages. There are many changes in such an organization. This is a stage of serious transformation.Transformations, as a rule, affect all areas of the organization's development. For staff, this is a stage of instability. The following sessions will help reduce anxiety and avoid sabotaging changes:
- drawing up mental models of a new path (new corporate culture and work);
- creating graphic visualizations and videos highlighting new features;
- visualization of the core rules of the company (with an overlay on the time line to show that “we do not deviate from the core principles”);
- joint creation of a symbol or logo of change;
- storytelling - group creation of a history of changes (how it was - how it will be - what we will do for this);
- discussion of new opportunities and risks that need to be taken into account.
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