Vincent M. Cramer
Embrace your organization's diversity. Make it work for you! The decision-making methodology
of Cramer's Cube gives you the power to develop innovative solutions to exceed your corporate
objectives.
The methodology of Cramer's Cube is readily learned and easily adopted by everyone in the
corporation. It forms the foundation for Diversity Asset Management™.
Cramer's Cube has developed the most creative approach to organizational development and
individual empowerment. The methodology focuses on the creation of solutions that are
innovative and possibly revolutionary. They are also realistically achievable. Group dynamics are
unlike anything that you have ever seen. You and your team will build pyramids, engage in the
fine art of debate, and learn the rules of argument. Everyone will have the opportunity to apply all
aspects of their diversity and individuality.
Cramer's Cube employs rich, descriptive language and utilizes three-dimensional pyramids that
embody the individual's contribution and represent the vehicle for team collaboration.
Team members achieve a level of pride and satisfaction, seeing that their talents have been
applied to practical and important assignments that impact the bottom line.
Corporate, university, and government leaders have never had such a powerful and
comprehensive tool for defining and determining their destiny.
Vincent M. Cramer has spent his professional career in the
explosive semiconductor industry. He has held executive
positions with semiconductor companies ranging from the
Fortune 500 to venture-backed startups. Having successfully led
his sales teams through countless cycles, Vincent has learned to
capitalize on the industry's periodic upheaval and
transformation. For consistent success in the semiconductor
business, he developed the ability to create dynamic teams by
unleashing their energy and harnessing their creativity and
individuality. Lessons from the chip business have great
applicability in today's economy. Vincent has encapsulated those
lessons into a cohesive decision-making methodology that he has
branded Cramer's Cube.
Chapter 6
Octalysis™
Octalysis™ is a one-word descriptor for Octal Analysis, a process that uses eight points or conditions for
describing the object or event being analyzed. It is the analysis of three criteria, each of which has two
extremes. The geometric representation of this is six pyramids, which are shown in the illustration. Each
pyramid has five sides, and the cube constructed from these pyramids has six. The reason for the
terminology "Octalysis," which denotes "eight," is that in Cramer's Cube, the criteria used in our analysis
are not analyzed from the vantage point of their poles. That approach would yield only six (three criteria
times two poles). We only create an octal world when we combine the pyramids and construct Cramer's
Cube. Now it is easy to see the eight. It is the corners of the cube, four each on the top and bottom of the
cube.
The eight corners have been assigned the name PV for Point of View. Each member of the team whose
pyramid is at the juncture of a PV will share responsibility for the analysis at that particular PV. Three
team members will discuss the dynamics of the contiguous pyramids that comprise the PV. They will
collaborate on the effects that result from this union. As independent Pyramists, you have a deep
understanding of the pyramid for which you are responsible. Now, the objective is to understand the
effects produced by the influence of each pyramid on its neighbors.
In the aftermath of 9/11, many government intelligence and enforcement organizations were forced to
review their actions and policies in the period leading up to 9/11. They were challenged to answer some
very hard questions. Was the agency's information gathering adequate? Did inter- and intra-agency
communication operate properly and efficiently? Were all possible scenarios covered in the planning
process and were appropriate responses established? Since the attack resulted in such devastation, it is
apparent that something, or many things, went wrong. One person quoted at the time of the attack said
that it was not a security failure. The tragedy of 9/11 was not a failure of preparation but a failure of
imagination. He went on to explain that many scenarios for attack were discussed, analyzed, and
prioritized. Only in hindsight could they have realized that individuals or groups would not only conceive
of the method of attack used on 9/11, but that they could actually implement the plan. The thinking on the
part of the teams who were constructing the scenarios of defense against possible terrorist attacks was that
it was not conceivable such a plan could be carried out. In Cramer's Cube, we are not faced with such a
daunting task. Should this team fail to meet its objectives, there will be no loss of human life. However,
there is a dramatic lesson to be learned from this story. We need to be vigilant that we do not suffer a
failure of imagination.
In Octalysis, you will be conducting yourself like the director of a government agency. In the aftermath of
9/11, each agency first undertook an internal accounting of itself. With the resulting knowledge, the
agencies then began the process of analyzing interagency dynamics. In our little geometric world, we will
be conducting an interpyramid analysis. After completion of this exercise, the output of the effort and the
insight gained will be shared with other team members in a quantitative manner. As a member of a PV
team, you will be expected to determine if each Pyramist strictly adhered to the specified methodology.
It will be important to evaluate the extremism of each Pyramist. Did each member of the group diligently
gather information at the absolute bottom of the pyramid? Did each member adhere to the extreme
analysis guidelines that were mandated by the entire team at the beginning of the process? Before
discussion begins on the effects resulting from the joining of the pyramids, the three members of this
corner group must analyze and certify the integrity of each pyramid. Again, make the determination that
the Pyramist responsible for each pyramid intensely focused his or her analysis in the lowest portion of
the pyramid, which is defined as the extreme limit of that particular criterion. Self-discipline requires that
each of you forthrightly determine that all members applied the proper degree of diligence. Amongst
yourselves, reapply the process of P.O.V: Provocation – Observation – Validation.
Ideally, a team is comprised of six individuals. The methodology can support team sizes from four to
eight, but the partitioning of responsibility and the collaboration sessions have the greatest impact and
efficiency when the team is comprised of six team members. In addition to the mathematical derivation of
this number based on the six pyramids, team dynamics appear to be at their optimum with six members.
A team of this size should yield the proper degree of diversity to create vibrant interactions.
If the team is comprised of four individuals, two members will be required to be the Pyramists for two
pyramids. These Pyramists will perform the PV exercise for two pyramids, but there are limitations. The
second assigned pyramid cannot be opposite the person's primary pyramid. The analysis suffers if an
individual attempts to be the Pyramist for two pyramids that comprise the poles of the same criteria. In
other words, one individual cannot be responsible for a pyramid-pair. The team members who are
responsible for a second pyramid will be assigned one of the other four pyramids. For eight members, the
two additional members will be assigned to two pyramids that the team designates as being most critical
to the success of the exercise. These critical pyramids will now have two individuals assigned as
Pyramists.
With each of the pyramids now having known properties, the individual team members will rotate around
the cube from the vantage point of the PVs. Through this process, every individual will have the
opportunity, actually the responsibility, to add his or her personal and professional perspective at all PVs.
This circulation process will enable individual team members to contribute experience, insight, and
viewpoints to the analytical process.
As you can probably see, Octalysis is a methodology of analysis and collaboration for reaching an
objective. By design, it ensures the greatest utilization of the talent possessed by each individual. The
vantage point from which each individual works is not outside the box. The perspective that is established
is at the corners of the cube, and the Kinetic Diversity™ is released inside the cube.
Having gone through the massive economic swings of the recent millennial inflection period, have we
learned any profound lessons as individuals or organizations? The Internet Bubble has burst! It came and
went so fast, it might have actually been an illusion that fooled all of us. It seems that everyone has been
hit with the shrapnel from the exploding bubble. Most of us are simply grateful that we have survived. As
Annie said, "The sun will come up tomorrow." But we can't expect to live tomorrow as we lived
yesterday. We should be attempting to draw powerful, if sometimes painful, lessons from this period in
our professional lives in order to increase our effectiveness in the days and years ahead. We have
probably learned that we were myopic during the economic upswing of the late 1990s, and in hindsight
we may think we should have done some things differently. However, since we are not possessed with the
power of foresight, we likely would do everything again in exactly the same way. Learning from the past
is very important, but dwelling on it is counterproductive. Rather than focus on past mistakes, we should
make a commitment to ourselves that we will learn something from this painful period.
It is not important that what we have learned may not have resulted from deep thinking, reflection, or
contemplation. It doesn't matter that our insight and wisdom may be the result of a few financial and
professional beatings. If lessons have been learned and we are wiser, what should be done with that
wisdom? How can that knowledge be applied? What can be done to improve our company and our
specific organization? Let's take control of our personal and professional destiny and that of our
company. Adopt a Spartan approach to your professional responsibilities. Become a member, if not a
leader, in a drive toward an effective Spartan world of battle-tested warriors.
How effectively can we recapture the positive dynamics of the previous business cycle? How can teams
be reformed with an energy and commitment that is greater than what came before? First, realize that
team unity and effectiveness are not properly measured when everything appears to be going well. During
those euphoric days, we were probably just "tiders"; we were having a great time enjoying the ride as
everyone's ship was rising with the tide. In sport, team unity is not measured when everything seems to
be going well and the team is on a winning streak. It is tested and measured during times of adversity.
You and your organization must expect to be measured differently during the difficult time period that we
are experiencing. If you are waiting for the (name your product or market sector) to rebound, you are in a
dangerous mindset. Just as individuals have different views and strategies in dealing with personal
finances, we must revamp the views and strategies for our professional lives. Beginning today, start to
figure out how you can contribute to your company and your team to a greater degree. Additionally,
define a plan for your personal and professional development. Apply the methodology described in this
book to put your plans into action. Your company can't meet its potential with you on the sidelines.
The application of Octalysis might contribute greatly in this regard. The primary advantage in adopting
the principles of Cramer's Cube is synergy, which the dictionary defines as combined or correlated
action of a group; the action or behavior of any system in a way that cannot be predicted by the action or
behavior of its individual parts; combined action whose total effect is greater than the sum of the
individual actions."
There will be no attempt to resort to platitudes to deliver our crucial message. One such platitude that will
not be uttered is to "give it 110 percent!" I have never understood what that phrase meant, and I could
never visualize how it could be done. I do know what happens if a man or a machine tries to give it 100
percent. Before that point is reached, machines cease to function and, more tragically, humans do also.
That is why automobile manufacturers put a red line on the tachometer. They want you to be aware of
pending disaster before it rears its ugly head. When a car's performance approaches the red line, the
driver knows decisive action is required. On any treadmill or exercise bike I have used, there is always a
performance chart attached to the apparatus. It shows that an individual should exercise within a heartbeat
range of from sixty to seventy-five percent of an individual's maximum heart rate. The absolute
maximum heart rate that you can be expected to reach is eighty-five percent of your maximum rate.
Therefore, in Cramer's Cube we will attempt to be pragmatic and logical. Devoting our time and energy
to trying to achieve the impossible is absurd. We will not ask you to "give 110 percent" or to "think out of
the box" or to aspire to any unrealistic level. For starters, we will continue to focus our attention and
energies inside the cube that we are creating. Nothing can happen outside of it, so we are not going to go
there. From within the cube we will go to the extreme limit of the edges and deep into the corners. We
will go outside of the cube only for the purpose of looking back into it from the corners, or the PVs.
Although I know that no single man nor machine can reach 110 percent, it can be done, but not
individually. When Pyramists operate in Cramer's Cube, it is possible that the team can generate more
energy and imagination than the six individuals could possibly accomplish on their own. We expect that
1+1+1+1+1+1 will be greater than 6 due to the deployment of Kinetic Diversity™.
As we learn more about the human physiology, we are inundated with information from physicians,
physiologists, and trainers. After years of analysis of the human body, its capabilities and limitations
seem to be well understood. We are very aware of the fact that a person's maximum heart rate is 220
minus his or her age. Even without the data, it would be easy for us to predict that the performance of the
human body decreases with age. However, we now have a method to apply metrics to that decline. Below
that maximum range, we're given the range of percentages for which we should target our performance.
The percentage is different depending on the goal. It is higher if a person is exercising for aerobic training
and a lower range if the goal is weight loss. Nowhere will you ever see a recommendation that you
operate at 110 percent. That number only exists in the mythical world of emotional hyperbole. Having
previously established that our vocabulary must be concise and noninterpretive, this standard will be
applied to all forms of communication. Avoid the temptation to use clichés or colloquialisms. Eliminate
popular jargon that could be misleading or unclear in its meaning. Phrases such as "give it 110 percent,"
"thinking out of the box," and "political correctness" are open to interpretation. It will be the
responsibility of each individual to establish communication standards for the team. Should an individual
be challenged to explain a word or phrase, it should not be taken personally. The goal is to establish clear
and noninterpretive communications. That can only happen if we're willing to interrupt, and be
interrupted, to ensure the team's communication integrity.
Although neither man nor machine can exceed the maximum of its abilities, such limitations do not exist
when elements are combined. From a chemical standpoint, each element in the periodic table can only
provide what its properties allow and nothing more. However, as you might remember from your high
school chemistry class, combining simple chemicals can produce dramatic results. The effect of
combining two mundane chemicals under the right conditions can be surprising. In essence, the whole
becomes greater than the sum of its parts. That is what you can expect by applying the methodology of
Cramer's Cube. As individuals you have your limits. As a team your potential is unlimited. The pyramids
that you have created will be similar to the elements of the periodic table. Each of them is a formidable
structure whose attributes you have affirmed and defended. The next phase of the process is to combine
these six pyramids in clusters and observe the reactions. As with chemicals, we may find that a pyramid
we view as formidable weakens in the proximity of others. It also has the potential to become an even
more powerful structure. Two or three pyramids considered weak might be quite strong when they are
allowed to interact. It will be the responsibility of the entire team to collaborate and investigate these
combinations to determine which might produce the most powerful overall solution. Physically
possessing the pyramids is very powerful when performing these exercises. They can be mixed and
matched in myriad combinations, at which time team members can speculate on the dynamics that could
result. There is no mandated orientation for the position of the pyramids in Cramer's Cube because it is
symmetrical by construction. The three criteria that defined the personality of the six cubes comprise the
only structural law which cannot be violated. The two pyramids that represent both sides of the criterion
must always remain opposite each other. Aside from that minor constraint, move the pyramids around
even more freely than you would mix chemicals in the laboratory. Be secure in the fact that nothing can
explode.
Examples of combinations of the pyramids will be provided, but the power of analysis belongs to you.
Only you and your teammates can fully appreciate all the phases that have taken us to this point. You
have the depth of knowledge and insight as to the
goal of your project,
understanding of the criteria,
relative importance of the criteria,
importance of the polar limits,
attributes and personality of the pyramids, and
potential effects and byproducts of the combined pyramids.
Only you and this team have the power and responsibility for making this effort a success. Cramer's Cube
provides the operational framework from which you will solve problems, propose solutions, and innovate
entrenched practices. You can expect to operate in an environment that is challenging and dynamic as
well as civilized and considerate. With the operational ground rules understood and agreed to by all, you
can draw on your individuality, experience, and talents. The methodology will not condone freewheeling
ideas and propositions. Following the methodology will yield powerful plans and proposals. They will
have been generated in a true team fashion and will be supported by the entire team. Utilizing Cramer's
Cube, Diversity + Decision Making = Destiny. The destiny is yours and that of your company. Having
deployed the diversity and uniqueness of the team members, the organization and the corporation will
have achieved Kinetic Diversity™.
