Simply//Implement: First “The 100%” – Then please dive deep (Part 1 of 2)

Spoiler alert: it’s not about complexity, nor about sophistication

What is “The 100%”?

“The 100%” is the overall picture of your Large Complex Project (or any other major topic). It’s 100% of the situation. All Key Dimensions, all key elements, roughly only, but complete. Maybe with gaps: but the gaps are also clearly flashed out, as intrinsic part of “The 100%”.

Why “The 100%”?

Use “The 100%”, because:

• You will communicate clearer
• Others will communicate better towards you
• You and all around always communicate and understand context, not just detail

As a bonus, everyone (including yourself) will over time learn what “The 100%” of your Large Complex Project is, the structure and key elements, the overall total. Not just snippets, or bits and pieces.

You can hardly overestimate how much this will improve thinking quality all around. On top of better communication and understandability.

Real-life example – the difference

Here a real-life example of “The 100%”, from the Large Complex Project “Develop and implement a new Key Account Plan approach” in Automotive. The Key Dimensions were:

• The major Workstreams I), II) and III)
• The all-important Project Team
• The tricky Governance
• Key Implementation Risk A), and Medium Implementation Risk B)
• 2 larger gaps, not yet fully analyzed and understood
• A summary bucket for “All that other stuff which is also important”

All elements together = “The 100%”.

Day-to-day conversations – without and with “The 100%”:

Someone comes to you for guidance.

Colleague 1: “Boss, we need to improve the definition of market share, because currently it covers only conventional vehicles.”

Colleague 2: ”Boss, it’s about our new Key Account Plan approach. As you know, in Chapter 1 “Customer Analysis” we show the market shares. Currently we only include conventional vehicles. We also need to add electric vehicles because they grow so rapidly – wouldn’t you agree?”

Who communicates more effectively? Colleague 2 does. Why is that? She uses “The 100%”:

1. She establishes the overall topic, the “new Key Account Plan approach”. This equals the headline of “The 100%”
   As boss you now know the overall topic she would like to discuss
2. Now she points towards one of the many Key Dimensions of the “new Key Account Plan approach”: it’s about “Chapter 1” (part of Workstream I). Then, the excellent communicator she is, she dives one step deeper: New Key Account Plan Approach/Chapter 1/Market Shares.
   Now you know what topic the discussion is precisely about, without ambiguity or guessing. And, as importantly, you know the context, in this case implicitly, as you are well aware of all other neighboring Key Dimensions from “The 100%”
3. Only then, once she has made clear what “The 100%” is, and what the sub-topic, she describes the concrete problem at hand (“…need to add electric vehicles…”)

­A few seconds, and she conveyed the specific topic to discuss, plus the all-important context:

• Saves lots of time
• Even more vital: avoids misunderstandings
• And most importantly: enables higher-quality thinking, discussions, and therefore better results. Why? Because your brain focusses on what matters (and not on guessing what the counterpart may be up to). And you implicitly, at all times, know the context (the other Key Dimensions), which always, always improves the quality of your thinking, and therefore your guidance.

Less effort, higher quality: worth trying…

Now, how should you use “The 100%” in real life? 2 major steps:

• Step 1: How to create “The 100%”
• Step 2: How to use “The 100%” daily, 10x a day; especially in complex discussions

Well… Thanks for the feedback from some of you, that these articles should stay below 5-600 words. I agree with you. Therefore, you will find the ‘How’ you can use “The 100%” in my next article, next month.

Your 3 Key Takeaways:

Share your experiences and challenges. I would love to discuss them with you

Contributing to implement Large Complex Projects is my passion and my life. Always happy to discuss further!
Simply book a discussion slot here.

Dr. Ulrich Riedel
(Managing Director UR//C)

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Simply//Implement is a series of articles with one objective only:
To share with you how you can best implement your Large Complex Projects (and strategies, and transformations)