The 15-minute FOTO was introduced to generate effective and implementable solutions to certain obstacles within a time span of 15 minutes. It is no wonder that we tend to generalize solutions for certain problems, and a majority of the time, these outcomes are oversimplified to other people’s problems. The interference of generalization could be highly ineffective in generating solutions for deeper issues and collaborating together to induce a suitable outcome for countering the situation. We often tend to express our disagreement over an issue, and we are conflicted regarding disclosing a proper solution to a problem.

The 15-minute FOTO was introduced as an implementable tool which is employed by workshops that excel in Agile Software Management (IT). FOTO is an acronym for ‘From Obstacles to Outcomes’, and it allocated a time span of 15 minutes to generate a pool of outcomes for a specific problem. It involves scribing questions on a cue card to derive outcomes for a problem.

It is highly imperative to understand the components, which consist of an obstacle, an outcome, and a solution. An obstacle refers to a problem, which requires being tackles by applying an outcome to derive a solution to the problem. An outcome is known as a new situation or behavior, which is geared towards generating a solution, alternatively known as a particular way of approaching a problem.

Before indulging in the game, you should take some time out to demonstrate the workability of the game by taking few of your examples into consideration. Then, you should proceed further with practicing on a sample obstacle prescribed on your list. Next, you should predetermine an expectation which is geared towards generating a pool of positive of outcomes in the given 15 minutes.

In the next step, you can consider assembling the outcomes in a number of ways. You can implement a short-term, medium-term, and a long-term approach to organize the outcomes. Alternatively, you can implement the Cynefin four-point contextualization exercise to systematize the generated outcomes. Or, you can also employ a story mapping and impact mapping approach to arrange the outcomes in a systematic approach. You can also discuss with your team members to devise better problems for the given problem to complete a round of the game.

— Slimane Zouggari

The science of how to learn new things could become one of the major applied disciplines in our time. Each of us learns a lot of skills and abilities throughout the life. No matter how different these skills are — from making a cake and searching Google to performing Beethoven sonatas and writing scientific articles — they are based on general principles. Understanding these principles would make learning a more clear and painless process.
Psychology studies these principles from its very foundation. Today, we know much more about the training mechanisms, although still not enough. Even change management actively uses the model to study how the employees get new skills.
Skill acquisition models will help you understand not only how the learning process works, but also more effectively plan your own activities, avoid unnecessary difficulties and get the best result in less time.
True, they will not give you the most important thing — regular and conscious practice. This part of the work will have to be done by yourself.

One of the most famous skill acquisition models was developed in the early 1980s by the brothers Stuart and Hubert Dreyfus of the University of California at Berkeley. This model is often discussed in scientific and popular science literature.
According to the Dreyfus model, mastering any skill is divided into five stages:
• Novice
• Advanced beginner
• Competent
• Proficient
• Expert
Novice always follows the rules — for him, they have the status of an immutable law. When you start to learn a new skill, the rules are very important: only with their help you can at least somehow navigate the material and get the necessary experience. In addition, in many cases, the rules are sufficient. It is not necessary to be a cook to prepare a cake and to please your relatives – just read the recipe and follow the instructions clearly.
For the advanced beginner the rule is becoming situational: in one situation one method is good, in another it is better to use another one. The advanced beginner knows how to make more than one cake, and he will not prepare a vanilla cake the same way as a chocolate cake. This is already a good step towards competence.
The competent person sees not only the rules but the basic principles and models. He begins to rely more on his own ideas and experience, rather than on a set of instructions. At this level, you act more freely and can flexibly adjust to the situation. There is already a zone of personal responsibility for the result — a zone that many do not reach.
The proficient person goes farther and a little bit the other way. His actions are less based on principles, and more on a sense of intuition. The proficient realizes how to act at the right time, and his choice is often true. Instead of various disparate parts, he sees an integral whole.
The expert acts even more intuitively: he just does — and it works. If he is asked why he made this or that decision, it may be difficult for him to give an answer — for him, it seems so obvious. And it will not arrogant that is more common for a beginner, but a deep knowledge. We can even say it is a reflex. This requires many days and months of practice: the expert’s experience is so great that in every single situation he subconsciously knows what to do.

We must admit that the borders between these levels are conventional — there is no clear gradation between them. In addition, leveling up does not always mean something good. For example, an expert is not always a good teacher, and a person who is at the previous stage can feel more comfortable in this role.

— Slimane Zouggari

Thinking, Fast and Slow is a best-selling book written by Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist, a professor at Princeton University (USA), winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics.

Usually, we believe we are acting rationally. But is it true? Based on the research on cognitive and social psychology, Daniel Kahneman reveals the secrets of how the human brain works, describes unconscious prejudice, the properties of intuitive and conscious thinking, the role of emotions in evaluative judgments.
Without this knowledge, you risk making the wrong choices in the store, invest in wrong projects and generally make the wrong decisions. Thinking, Fast and Slow will teach you to use the limited attention resources effectively, to make decisions in conditions of uncertainty and to improve your own judgments.

The principal idea
In the 1970s, two hypotheses were generally accepted. First, people are rational and think reasonably. Second, most deviations from rationality are explained by emotions. But Kahneman’s research has shown that the constant mistakes of people’s thinking are due to the very mechanism of thinking rather than to the influence of emotions.
Today, in general, researchers agree with the thesis that our minds tend to bias systematically. Kahneman’s principal idea is to demonstrate the work of the mind with the latest discoveries in cognitive and social psychology.

Two systems
In his book, Kahneman identifies two systems in the human psyche:
System 1 is responsible for a very fast, automatic, often emotional reaction that does not require effort and control. It works automatically and very quickly, almost without requiring effort and without giving a sense of intentional control. Some skills of System 1 are built in by nature: object recognition, orientation in space, reflex facial expressions. Others are formed by practice: simple calculations, driving a car on an empty road, recognizing stereotypes. Some of them we realize, some do not.
System 2 highlights the attention needed for conscious mental effort, including those for complex calculations. Its work is related to conscious activity, choice, and concentration. The System 2 requires attention. The problem will no longer be able to be fulfilled.
Here is the trick: our limit of attention is not endless, and it is reasonable to save it. Therefore, System 1 takes a lead. The problem is that saving energy and time, it is at risk of a lot of mistakes.

Kahneman several times mentions that the systems are absolutely virtual: you will not find even the slightest trace in the brain. We cannot say that some parts of the brain are responsible for the System 1 operation, and some of them provide the System 2 functioning. The separation used by Kahneman is nothing more than a model of brain work, and the model always simplifies the object.
Kahneman believes that it effortlessly generates impressions and feelings that are the main source of belief and conscious choice of System 2. When System 1 faces difficulties, it turns to System 2 to solve its current task through more detailed and targeted processing. System 2 is mobilized when System 1 cannot solve the issue.
The System 2 formal characteristic is that its actions are coupled with effort, and one of its main characteristics is laziness and unwillingness to spend more energy than necessary. Laziness is an integral part of our nature. Therefore, it happens that those thoughts and actions that System 2 considers to be its own, are often generated by System 1. System 2 specifically reacts to the overload. System 2 protects the most important task so that it could get all the necessary attention, and distribute spare power to other tasks.

— Slimane Zouggari

The switch to the IT service management is inextricably connected with a number of organizational problems. Understanding the problems caused by the organizational changes helps to choose the most efficient solution.
There are a number of methods and approaches to change management that has proved their effectiveness. Their implementation contributes to the work organization improvement and increases the quality of changes.
In the article, we are going to review how the change curve can help to control the changes at different hierarchical levels of organizational changes.

Curves of change
The organizational structure of any company can be divided into three hierarchical levels: personal (certain employees), team (departments) and organizational (the company in general). Below you will find the change curves for each of them. They reflect the stages of perception and response to organizational changes and show the employee, team or organization productivity fluctuations during these periods.

The personal level is characterized by the following stages:
Rejection. “Why to change anything if all is well? How to respond?” — questions asked by employees at the beginning of the changes implementation, especially when the motives and goals are not clear and often are considered as a threat.
Resistance. “Everything was much better before!”. In search of certainty and stability, employees negatively look at the changes, not understanding what they will eventually result in, and fearing that they will lead them out of the comfort zone. Therefore, employees try to prove that the old working methods were much more effective and there is no sense in making changes.
Analysis. “How to live with this and what to do next?” When the employees are in a low mood, but at the same time there comes an understanding of the inevitability of change, they thoughtfully analyze the situation. Employees understand what is required of them now and how to achieve it.
Interest. “Perhaps it will be useful.” Once employees understand the inevitability of change, as well as their place and responsibilities in the new environment, they begin to look for ways to benefit themselves.
Adoption. “All the changes for the better!”. The workers understand that the current situation is not worse than the previous one, it is possible to work and develop further, the given changes let be successful and more efficiently to solve working tasks.

The team level is divided into the following stages:
Questions. While employees are trying to determine how to understand the change, the team actively discuss the situation. There are a number of questions: what to strive for, whom to obey, what to do, how to work?
Answers. The team tries to answer the questions. Gradually, the discussion may cause the controversy and disagreement. There may be conflicts associated with the redistribution of roles and responsibilities.
Analysis. Having formed the team structure, and when the team members solve all the controversies, each member deeply analyzes his role. This phase alternates with the previous one until the team accepts the new position.
Interaction. Formed teams recognize themselves as part of the large organization. They are not limited to internal interaction. Gradually, they build a cooperation, understand the common goals and the role of each group of employees on the way to their success.

The change curve at the organizational level can be represented in the form of three main stages. They are the following:
Defrosting. The need for change is thought over and planned.
Change. The changes implementation. It may cause a loss of efficiency due to the potential difficulties.
Freezing. The third stage is the most difficult, laborious and painful for the company — a rejection of the previous work process, fighting the habits, developing and freezing new practices.

Thus, understanding the nature and phases of organizational changes minimize the loss of efficiency.

— Slimane Zouggari