The Productivity Tools were designed to provide leaders a way of engaging everyone in the organization in aligning their efforts to build a productive culture. The method involves building a hi-level map of how the company intends to serve customers, make a profit, and grow. This hi-level map is really a collection of mental models which people construct together to serve as guidelines for how to work effectively toward shared goals and objectives that meet the needs of all their stakeholders. Having a compelling vision is the best starting point to generate the energy, commitment, and enthusiasm needed to build the map. A viable business model, a clear mission and a set of core values are also central to success.
All people use mental models to negotiate their daily lives.
Some of these models were learned in very different circumstances and different times. When people are attempting to work together on a task while working from significantly different mental models, the results can be extremely frustrating and even disastrous from a business perspective. For example, think about your mental model of effective teamwork. Many people are able to act on a model that works for them, but have great difficulty in describing the model to others. It is not necessary to have 100 percent agreement on a given model, but it will help to approach that in areas that require a high level of cooperation and alignment.