You Can Never Find a Horn When You’re Mad!
Also, who is in charge? It might just be you!
On Productivity…
Remember when Homer built a car?
No? Just me? OK, let me catch you up.
In the "Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?" episode from The Simpsons' second season, Homer designs a car for his half-brother Herb Powell's struggling Detroit car company. It’s a cautionary tale of the pitfalls of user-centric design run amok. For example, Homer insists on multiple horns, because “you can never find a horn when you’re mad.” The end result is “The Homer" and it’s an utter disaster. Spoiler: "The Homer" causes Herb's company to go bankrupt.
The episode serves as a reminder for designers about the importance of finding the right balance between what users really want and what makes a great product.
Users lie. Most times they don’t even know that they do. They state their preferences and their observations with such certainty. As creators, our challenge lies in giving users what they want but often by going beyond what they demand. This mirrors the sentiment, "you gave me what I asked for, but not what I needed," which highlights the disparity between what users say they want and what they truly need. The best designers excel at bridging this gap. Don’t let Homer design your car. You know better.
On Leadership…
Who's in charge? Who is actually making the decisions? Ever find yourself in a group where everyone has an opinion but no one can make the call? Or the other end of it, where too many people want to decide? Too many cooks and not enough cookies.
Enter the DACI Decision-Making Framework.
If it sounds sexy, it's because it is! The DACI decision-making model stands for:
Driver
Approver
Contributor
Informed
This framework is designed to streamline decision-making processes in teams and organizations. It can codify the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved. Here's how it breaks down:
Driver: The Driver is the person responsible for leading the decision-making process. They are driving the bus! The Driver ensures that the process moves forward; they coordinate the efforts of the Contributors (get to that in a minute), and convert their input into something actionable. The Driver is the project manager of the decision-making process. But, they are not necessarily the final decision-maker. Which brings us to the...
Approver: The Approver is the person with the authority to make the final decision. The big kahuna. The boss. The buck-stops-here guy or gal. Much like Highlander, there can be only one. The DACI model calls for this to be a solo act to ensure clear accountability. This person reviews the options presented by the Driver and Contributors and then makes the final call.
Contributors: Hi, Contributors! Contributors are the folks that give input, information, and analysis to help inform the decision. They are experts or stakeholders with relevant knowledge or skills pertinent to the decision at hand. Their role is to support the Driver by contributing insights and perspectives to shape the decision-making process. Contributors basically act as subject-matter consultants.
Informed: Ah, the Informed. This group consists of those who need to be kept up-to-date on the outcome of the decision. But they do not actively participate in the decision-making process. The Informed get to sit back and learn what everyone came up with. Keeping the Informed group in the loop ensures transparency and helps with the implementation of the decision.
DACI has its strengths and limitations. Let's dive in.
Strengths:
Clarity and Efficiency: By defining clear roles for team members, DACI can reduce confusion about who is responsible for what.
Improved Communication: With roles clearly defined, communication can be more straightforward. The right people get to be involved at the right stages.
Accountability: Assigning specific roles helps ensure accountability. There is a designated Driver responsible for moving the decision forward and an Approver who has the final say. Boom. Done.
Hold on, it's not perfect.
Limitations:
Rigidity: In some cases, the model is far too rigid. It doesn't allow for flexibility in roles that might be necessary in a dynamic or fast-changing environment.
Over-Simplification: Complex decisions that require a more nuanced understanding from multiple stakeholders might not fit well within the DACI framework. It can result in a decision-making process that doesn't fully explore all facets of a complex issue. Not everything fits into nice little boxes.
Dependence on Role Assignments: The effectiveness of the model is heavily dependent on the correct assignment of roles. If the wrong person is in the wrong role, it all kind of breaks down.
Potential for Exclusion: There's a risk of excluding valuable input from team members who are not formally designated as Contributors or Informed. This can lead to possibly missing things and a lack of buy-in.
So, is DACI "amazing" or "kinda terrible"? It largely depends on the context of its application and your organization's culture. In environments where decisions are pretty complicated and involve a lot of stakeholders, a more flexible and inclusive approach might be better. However, for teams looking for a structured way to streamline decision-making and clarify roles, DACI is the bomb dot com. I said what I said!
The key is for organizations to assess their specific needs and decision-making styles. Team dynamics really come into play to determine whether the DACI model, some other framework, or a bespoke approach would work the best.
On Gratitude…
My wife loves dragon fruit. But it's expensive, and she struggles with the cost when she buys it.
But oh how she loves it.
A while back at the store, it hit her. “I am worthy of dragon fruit.” So she bought what she wanted and hasn’t looked back.
These days, I feel the same about writing. I sometimes feel guilty about taking the time to write. I feel selfish for huddling in front of my computer (yet again) to process, create, and emote. But then I catch myself and remember that it fills me up. I find a lot of value in this process.
So, my friends, do something for yourselves because you are worthy. Sit in quiet solitude. Go up on stage. Drive. Hike. Nap. Believe that what you do is worthy and has value. Because you, dear reader, are worthy of dragon fruit too.
My team uses the RACI model, but I like your explanation of DACI better!
LOL. Amen!