MSD March 8, 2006
Getting Results - 2 -
GETTING RESULTS:
People, Process, and Productivity
♦ Planning & Leading Effective Meetings ♦
♦ Improving Work Processes ♦
♦ Managing Projects ♦
OHRD Manager and Supervisor Development
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Presented by
Darin Harris & Ann Zanzig
Office of Quality Improvement
199 Bascom Hall, , 262-6843
University of Wisconsin-Madison
www.wisc.edu/improve
Table of Contents
Planning and Leading Effective Meetings 3
Sample Agenda Template 5
Meeting Logistics Checklist 6
Meeting Minutes Template 7
Responsibilities of the Meeting Chair 8
Decision Making Tools 9
Improving Work Processes 10
Process Improvement Launch Questions 12
Basic Flowcharting Symbols and Types 13
Sample Institutional Measures of Success 14
Implementation Plan 15
Project Management 16
Top 10 List - Effective Project Management 17
Project Charter (Template) 18
Project Dashboard Report 19
Project Closeout Report 20
Planning and Leading Effective Meetings
Meetings are a primary mechanism for getting work done in a university setting, but frequently there is not enough attention paid to making sure they are productive. Even small meetings with a handful of staff members can be costly: mentally calculate the hourly wages of those gathered around the table, add them up, and multiply them by the length of the meeting. It adds up fast! Now think about what isn’t getting done while people are in those meetings. Looking at it this way, the important of making meetings as effective and productive as possible is obvious.
How many times have you sat through a meeting where the discussion wanders, the participants are disinterested (or don’t even show up!), emotions rule, or there is no evidence of progress? These are all signs of an unproductive meeting. What can help improve meeting effectiveness? A simple, three-stage process will make all the difference:
1. Thorough preparation before the meeting
2. Laser-like focus during the meeting
3. Clear, persistent follow-up after the meeting
Preparation
First, make sure there is a good reason to meet face-to-face. Could the aim of the meeting be accomplished as well or better via email? For example, simply disseminating information is seldom a good use of meeting time. However, circulating important information in advance of a meeting (in time to be useful) can greatly enhance the kind of discussion that meetings are meant to foster.
A well-thought out agenda is your primary tool for designing and leading a productive meeting (See SAMPLE AGENDA TEMPLATE). Depending upon the size and complexity of the meeting, there will be many additional details to include in your preparations. (See Scheduling Meetings CHECKLIST.)
Focus
The meeting leader or facilitator can make a huge difference in a group's productivity by taking a few actions to maximize the group's time together, such as starting on time, reviewing the purpose of the meeting and the agenda, keeping the discussion focused on agenda items, helping the group come to decisions, and summarizing decisions at the end of the meeting. Sometimes, helping participants work together to set guidelines for how the group will function can minimize confusion, disruptions, and conflicts that take away from the real work of the meeting. A timekeeper and a recorder can also be important roles that can be filled by members of the group.
Even with the best preparation, a meeting can “stall” and become unproductive. In that case, one of the following techniques can get everyone back on track:
a Restate the question at hand or the goals of the meeting
a Ask for data to support various points of view – don’t rely on “common knowledge”
a Summarize what has already been accomplished or agreed to
a Ask participants to express in writing (without talking) what they feel is most important of the points being made
a Take a break for 5 minutes
a Try to separate causes from effects – ask what issues “drive” the others
a Ask for a new approach – let the participants be responsible for getting things moving
a Prioritize items with stickers or check marks and deal only with high-scoring items
Occasionally, one or two members of a group dominate the discussion. This form of unproductive participation requires special handling. Techniques for dealing with “meeting dominators” can encourage equal participation by all members:
a Structure the discussion rather than just asking “What do you think?”
o What do you see as a strength of this proposal?
o What causes you concern? What did we miss?”
a Creating a visual record discourages rehashing.
a Move across the room and ask for comments only from those who haven’t yet spoken.
a Incorporate small group work whenever possible to ensure that even quiet people have a chance to discuss their ideas in a smaller, less threatening situation.
a A “ticket to talk” can be effective if the group really wants even participation.
a Participants may agree to slide the “evil star” over to people who interrupt others or start evaluating during a brainstorming session.
a Ask participants to bring up only new topics that have not been covered yet in view of the time remaining.
Follow-Up
What you do after the meeting can be just as important to a successful meeting as your preparations ahead of time and what you do during the meeting. First, ensure that minutes of the meeting are produced and promptly distributed via email to all members of the group, including guests who attended the meeting. (See MEETING MINUTES Template.)
All documentation of the group’s work (agendas, minutes, supporting data, etc.) should be kept in a single, easy to find, location to facilitate future reference. These records can be checked when questions arise about past decisions or actions. It is discouraging to committee or group members to rehash prior discussions or decisions because of poor record keeping.
Often people need a gentle nudge to remind them about completing action items. This can be accomplished by an e-mail or phone call to check whether action is taking place as agreed. Not checking may send a message that not much action is really expected, yet the group’s progress will be limited if tasks are not completed between meetings.
MSD March 8, 2006
Getting Results - 2 -
Sample Agenda Template
/ Staff MeetingDate: ______
Start/End Time: ______
Location: ______
Purpose of Meeting: / Explains why the meeting is being held and what will be accomplished.
Note Taker: / Documents the key points raised and decisions made and circulates written minutes to participants immediately following the meeting.
Time Keeper: / Informs the group when an agenda item is taking longer than planned so that the group can determine whether to adjust the agenda or move to the next item.
Attendees: / Actively participate in the meeting, perform assigned tasks outside of meetings in the time frame assigned, read background materials, and otherwise prepare in advance to contribute to a productive meeting.
Unable to Attend: / Send input on discussion items to the group leader in advance of the meeting, perform assigned tasks outside of meetings in the time frame assigned, and get updated on the meeting’s outcomes.
----- AGENDA ---
AGENDA ITEM / WHO / AMOUNT OF TIME
Describe agenda items in action terms (e.g., Review plans for XYZ) that focus the group's work toward achieving desired outcomes. Assign a time limit and someone to lead discussion of each item.
ACTION ITEMS: / PERSON RESPONSBILE /
DEADLINE
Record who is responsible for what follow-up action and by when.
NEXT MEETING WILL BE:
Set the next meeting while everyone is in the room and can check their calendars, rather than relying on someone making multiple contacts to firm up a date.
a Key attendees
a Length of meeting
a Location of meeting
a By when; time frame
a Type of meeting (faculty; Ad Hoc, staff)
a Aim of meeting/Topic
a Consider Time Zones
------
a Room Set Up
a A/V Equipment
a Agenda
a Handouts (send beforehand)
a Flip chart
a Post-its
a Tape
a Markers
a Food
a Parking
a Mailing Labels
a Name Tags
a Table Tents
a Roster
------
a E-mail reminder (week/few days before)
a Handouts for day of meeting
a Day of: Preview room set-up
a Attend all/beginning of meeting
Other ______
______
______
MSD March 8, 2006
Getting Results - 2 -
Meeting Minutes Template
Meeting Title
Minutes /ng Date]
/ng Time]
/ocation]
Meeting called byType of meeting
Facilitator
Note taker
Timekeeper
Attendees
Agenda Topics
tted]
/topic]
/[Presenter]
Discussion[Key points, decisions, motions & voting results, actions & due dates]
ConclusionsAction items / Person responsible / Deadline
tted]
/topic]
/[Presenter]
DiscussionConclusions
Action items / Person responsible / Deadline
Observers
Resource persons
Special notes
MSD March 8, 2006
Getting Results - 2 -
Responsibilities of the Meeting Chair
a BEFORE THE MEETING
§ Be clear on purpose and aims
§ Create the agenda
§ Schedule the meeting
§ Ensure that agenda is posted and sent out
§ Ensure that appropriate supporting information is circulated in time to be useful
§ Ensure that room arrangements (including refreshments) are made
§ Arrange for recorder and supplies (such as flip chart, markers, etc.)
a DURING THE MEETING
§ Start meeting on time
§ Ensure quorum (if required)
§ Review agenda
§ Keep discussion focused on agenda items
§ Encourage full participation
§ Help group come to decisions
§ Summarize decisions
§ Agree on action plan: point person and what needs to be done by whom by when
§ Draft agenda for next meeting(s)
§ Evaluate meeting
a AFTER THE MEETING
§ Ensure that minutes are produced and promptly distributed, including to guests.
§ Ensure that agenda, minutes and meeting and supporting documents are kept together and archived as required.
§ Check to ensure that action is taking place as agreed.
MSD March 8, 2006
Getting Results - 10 -
Decision Making Tools
a FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS: A graphical representation of the factors supporting a decision versus those blocking the decision, this tool was developed by Kurt Lewin, a social psychologist working at MIT in the 1940’s, to identify positive aspects of a solution that can be reinforced and/or barriers between one’s current status and the desired change that must be lowered or eliminated in order to effect change. This tool can also be used to assess whether there is enough support for a decision to move forward with implementation.
After brainstorming the factors that are driving you towards the change and those that are restraining movement toward the desired state, prioritize both lists to determine where you can leverage positives and where it might be more helpful to remove barriers.
a PARETO CHART: This tool is based on the Pareto principle, which states that in a given situation, a small number of causes (usually 20% of the total) account for most of the problems (usually 80% of the total). Often called the "80/20 Rule," the Pareto concept suggests that you can get the greatest results for the least amount of effort by identifying and focusing on a few key issues. It requires collecting and organizing data into root causes or categories of causes. The data is then displayed in a bar chart to give a visual representation of the relative importance of the root causes. A cumulative percentage line shows the contribution of each category to the total problem.
a IMPACT - EFFORT MATRIX: This tool can be used to help a group decide where to focus efforts when there are many possible actions that can be taken. Create a numbered list of all the actions. Then, taking one action at a time, ask the group to quickly indicate how much effort they think it will take to accomplish that action and how much impact it will have on the overall goal. Write the action number in the location on the matrix that represents the intersection of the effort and the impact for that item. Clusters of items that end up in the “A” quadrant are those that will make the most difference for the least amount of effort.
Improving Work Processes
Realizing improvements within your organization works best with a structured approach that enables a team of 3 – 8 people involved in and knowledgeable about the process to focus on a problem and quickly generate solutions. Whatever approach is used, adhering to key principles such as obtaining leadership commitment beforehand, limiting the number and length of meetings by accomplishing detailed tasks outside of formal meeting time, and compressing the overall timeframe for the project by working on multiple tasks simultaneously, will help ensure the success of the team’s efforts.
A proven approach often referred to as “accelerated improvement” includes systematic advance planning plus three major steps:
1. Define the process and the problem(s)
2. Design solutions
3. Implement and follow up
The accelerated improvement process gets results because it includes sponsor commitment from the initial stages; includes facilitation/consultant expertise; includes expertise and knowledge of a variety of staff, customers, and suppliers; and places emphasis on developing and implementing actionable solutions within a short time period.
Planning
Project planning can be done by a subset of the project team. Usually the Team Leader and facilitator (where applicable) and the sponsor/decision-maker meet to make some initial decisions about the scope and structure of the project. (See PROCESS IMPROVEMENT LAUNCH QUESTIONS Template)
Define Process and Problems
Once the project goals and measures of success are determined, then a small group of those well-informed about the process being improved can meet to document how the current process works and draft how the improved process would ideally work. This subgroup could also determine what information needs to be collected to validate that the ideal process would generate the desired results.