Hello and welcome. This tutorial supports the US Department of Labor’s Expanding Business Engagement Initiative, or EBE. It serves as an introduction to a set of tools designed to help you advance your EBE project and sponsor a peer- learning event in your own state, or in partnership with a neighboring EBE state or a state that your team is mentoring during year two of the initiative. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
The EBE Initiative provided small grant to 13 states to improve the way they engage their business community. The idea was that more effective engagement would lead to better business intelligence that could inform the design and delivery of improved business services. In turn, states would create opportunities to partner on shared workforce, economic, and education challenges throughout the nation. ETA and SPR convened participating state teams over the course of a year for a series of web-meetings, peer-learning events, and skill-building sessions with the expectation that these first 13 states would mentor neighboring states in the following year. During these convenings, SPR used a number of planning and facilitation tools intended to help state teams clarify their goals, develop plans, and generally accelerate progress in many different areas. We have assembled a collection of tools including this tutorial to help state teams continue to make progress themselves, and to support their mentoring efforts with other states. The tools can be used in a number of different contexts (online or offline) and in different ways and can be accessed on workforce3one.org at the url you see on your screen. http://businessengagement.workforce3one.org/ebe-grantee-ta . In this document we demonstrate how the tools can be used to structure and support an in-person convening – such as an Institute, bootcamp, or similar intensive planning and peer learning event that takes place over the course of two or three days. Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
As we proceed through this tutorial, there may be parts you’d like to replay or cover in a different order – or, you might need a break. Use the menu bar on the bottom of this screen to play, pause, advance or return to slides. Use the menu bar on the right of this screen to access particular sections of the tutorial. And remember, there’s a volume control in this application (menu bar below) and on your computer – if you are having trouble hearing, make sure you check both controls. Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
Let’s get started. We’ll cover seven tools. All of them, together with instructions and examples, are available in this document: the “Expanding Business Engagement Planning Tools and User Manual,” which is part of an overall support package available on http://businessengagement.workforce3one.org/ebe-grantee-ta . Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
Any multiple day learning event will likely involve many different kind of activities. Typically, teams will listen to expert panels, engage in cross-team lesson sharing, meet with subject matter experts, participate in problem-solving sessions, and more. But a good portion of a peer learning event – typically 30-40% is team-based work time. That is the time these tools are meant to support. People around table: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thayerschool/6886431889/sizes/z/in/photostream/ Panel: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thayerschool/6886428867/sizes/z/in/photostream/ Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
There are five key elements you will want to consider ahead of your event so you can design your process and select your tools in ways that meet your specific needs: 1. The nature of the “teams” you engage in the event. A critical objective of peer-learning events – in addition to learning – is team strategy-development and implementation. In many states, teams will be organized by geography, but some states may engage industry-specific teams or particular cross-agency teams. Organizers should consider the needs of these teams in planning their event. Will all teams be advancing a single strategy but in different ways, for example? Or will they each be developing local or regional strategies of their own? Team considerations may shape which tools among those covered in this tutorial you may want to include in your state event and how much you emphasize them 2. Any pre-work you may ask teams to engage in ahead of the event. If convening teams have been working together for some time, they might prepare for the event by identifying what’s been learned to date. But if teams are at different levels of familiarity (or even team formation), the focus of pre-work might be determining where the teams are and what issues they are interested in so that appropriate connections might be made during the event. The Virtual Support Package of which this tutorial is a part contains both a pre-event checklist and assessment, either or both may be useful in this regard. 3. The need for facilitation and or note-taking support during the event. It is often useful to engage external facilitators (volunteers) in team activities during the event. Facilitators can help keep things moving along and note takers can take responsibility for documenting progress – both in a neutral way. However, this kind of external support is not absolutely necessary, especially for smaller scale events. Team members can share these responsibilities among themselves. 4. Consider which tools should be printed as large wall charts, which exercises require additional tools and resources (e.g., markers, sticky notes, etc.), and insure all materials are facilitation-ready before the event convenes. 5. The nature of any post-event work that might be desired or expected. Organizers should also think ahead about their own willingness to continue to provide support for teams working toward shared goals, or whether/how to engage attendees in sharing this responsibility after the event concludes. After all, a great event like the one you are planning to run will generate momentum for continued connectivity! Again, we will cover the seven tools in sequence as they might be used on a 2-3 day peer learning event convened in your state. Soccer: http://www.flickr.com/photos/faceme/2459391558/sizes/z/in/photostream/ http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6769719703_4268212df4_z.jpg Writing: http://www.flickr.com/photos/newzgirl/6769719703/sizes/z/in/set-72157629051149541/ Facilitation: Panel: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thayerschool/6886428867/sizes/z/in/photostream/ Tools: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22261399@N03/2144971881/sizes/z/in/photostream/ Holding hands: Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/quatrosinko/278013125/ Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
The first tool is the Agenda tool. It’s designed to help your team get organized at the beginning of a the peer learning even, and focus your collective efforts on the issues and tasks that will help you most during the event. Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
The Agenda tool looks like this. It has offers space for: Outcomes – to get everyone on the same page about what you seek to gain by participating in the event Roles the various member of your team are expected to play during the event Any Ground Rules your team may want to establish for the event And the team-level Agenda you develop to guide participating in the event. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
We suggest the following process to facilitators and teams: First, offer introductions & invite expectations. Spend 10-15 minutes doing a round of introductions to find out who is present. Ask each person to share their expectations and hopes for the activity or experience, recording these on a flip chart pad. Next, briefly review the high-level purpose and goals of the planned event, activity, or process, recording important contributions on the same flipchart. This should only take about ten minutes. The focus the team’s attention on a common set of tasks and prepares them to engage productively together. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
At this point, you’ll want to shift the team’s attention from the flipchart to the Agenda wall chart. Ideally, these resources will be located in close proximity so that you can reference them if you need to. As a first step to planning how the team will spend their time during the event, activity, or process, ask participants to identify anticipated outcomes of the event and planned activities. Pre-event surveys, checklists, or assessments (if any) can aid in this process. Facilitators can either ask team members to write on sticky notes and post them on the chart where they can be clustered by topic, or ask team members to verbally share their anticipated outcomes, capturing them directly on the chart – in the sunburst on the right side of the chart. This exercise should take about 15-20 minutes. Finally, spend some time brainstorming how team members can best use their time to achieve intended outcomes and build the agenda. You can use large sticky notes to capture the dates or times and agenda items and then post them in the “Agenda” window on left side of the chart. You can capture additional agneda items or work through additional days by using a flip chart pad. Again, this exercise should take about 20 minutes. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
The last two sections of the chart – Roles and Ground Rules – can be completed quickly. We anticipate teams will spend no more than 5-10 minutes on each section. For the “Roles” section, discuss any role issues the team would like to address. Facilitators and team leaders may want to talk about how they will interact with team members and what their respective roles are or how they will be shared, for example. Share points of consensus on the chart as indicated. For the “ Ground Rules ” section, team will want to identify any ground rules or agreements for working together – anything from the use of mobile phones to timeliness to expectations re: evening hours – and record them in the space provided. We a nticipate the full Agenda, Roles & Rules process will take 45 - 60 minutes, depending upon the size of the teams. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
This is a an example of a completed chart from the first planning session of a 2.5 day convening. This team recorded the time and focus of each agenda element. If helpful, you can color code agenda elements to reflect different kinds of activities. The chart and agenda can continue to shift as new ideas and opportunities emerge. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
The second exercise is a brief review of your team’s goals using the Expending Business Engagement Framework as a reference tool. Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
You’ll remember the Framework looks like this. This technical assistance team used it to structure support provided to EBE grantees during the first year of the initiative. Because it is process-focused, the Framework can be used to assess ongoing progress on current project goals and those that emerge over time. This can be particularly useful for continuing to build cohesion and a shared understanding among team members, or integrate any new members or partners into project teams. Team members participating in this exercise should be familiar with project goals and will likely have completed both a pre-conference exercise and the Agenda, Roles & Rules exercise. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
We suggest the following process: First, introduce the Framework to team members. This introduction can be a simple walk through each of the four elements. If there are new and more experienced members on the team, the facilitator may ask those more familiar with the tool to help by sharing examples of how the team has used it to date during the EBE project. Second, a sk team members to place project goals on the Framework (one at a time), indicating where they are in implementing each goal. This can be done by assigning goals to small groups or individuals and asking them to use sticky notes or by asking the group to discuss progress orally and come to consensus. If there are new teams that are just beginning to set project goals, they might consider completing the Goals and Strategies exercise prior to this one. Then , assess the level of understanding of the goals among all team members . Some team members will be quite familiar with goals, while others may not be. Discuss how those who may have less understanding can be supported to gain deeper understanding of what the team is trying to achieve. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
Finally, add new goals and activities as the project progresses or as team members learn about new strategies during the peer learning event. Like the other tools in this set, this one is meant to evolve and change along with the project. As teams learn from each other during your peer learning event, they will likely acquire new ideas or approaches that may shift project goals over time. We anticipate the Framework exercise will require 15 - 30 minutes – depending on the team’s experience and the level of depth explored. Understand determine role of self employment in local economy Experiment with alternative performance measures Deliver: Pilot CRM System Engage: Engage target employers in veterans hiring campaign Measure: – identify our primary value to target industries/ employers (Survey) Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
The third tool in we’ll cover is what we call the “Landing Pad.” The idea is that the team uses it to document questions team members are investigating during the peer learning event, to track new questions that emerge, and to help bridge ideas likely to be generated throughout the event with the steps required to turn them into strategies or actions. Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
“ Landing Pad” looks like, well, a landing pad. You can think of it as a sort of team-level to-do list for use during your in-person learning event. We suggest the following process to facilitators and teams. First, ask team members to share issues they would like to learn more about or questions they hold at the launch of a learning event, activity, or phase. Write them down on the chart in the upper right corner making sure that all team members understand the questions and any relevant context. The idea is to engage the whole team in answering the questions of individual members. Second, invite team members to identify specific people they could engage (such as Subject Matter Experts) or resources they could access (such as reports or data sets) during the learning event, recording their contributions in the appropriate sections of the tool in full view of members (this can also be done using sticky notes and clustering, depending upon time constraints and team member preferences). Team members can agree to “listen for” answers to the team’s questions, or commit to finding specific resources or engaging specific people. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
Subsequently, each time the team convenes between other activities, members can eliminate questions that have been answered and resources that have been tapped, and record critical learnings under “highlights.” New questions will also likely emerge, together with new follow-up steps. Teams can record these in the corresponding areas of the wall chart. We anticipate this exercise will require between 30 and 60 minutes. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
Here is an example of what a Landing Pad under development might look like. We often use this tool in combination with the next tool we’ll cover – Bright & Innovative Ideas. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
Bright and Innovative Ideas is one of our favorite tools. Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
The Bright & Innovative Ideas chart is well suited to brainstorming and debriefing. Typically at the conclusion of a learning activity – a web convening, a seminar, a panel, a conference, an exchange visit, and so on – when team members have many ideas and want to share them. In the context of an in-person peer learning event, this tool helps teams to quickly capture and cluster good ideas, in preparation for appropriate follow-up action. It is well-suited to both in-person and online environments and works well in combination with the other tools in this document, especially Tool 5: Goals & Strategies and Tool 6: Action Planning Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
We suggest the following process for facilitators and teams: First, engage team members in “quick whip” sharing. Ask them to share particularly interesting, innovative or relevant ideas they are excited about and would like the team consider for follow-up. You may use sticky notes that participants offer themselves or write directly on the chart but be sure to encourage everyone to share something by calling on all participants by name (or by going around the circle or table if using the chart in-person). Then reflect – are there common themes or clusters of ideas? Record them in the circles surrounding the center, and think about how they fit your project or would help advance your team’s goals. Are there new questions? Perhaps from team members who need more information to understand the idea or see how it relates to team goals? Consider transferring those questions to the Landing Pad so that they can be addressed by the team during the course of the learning event. We anticipate teams will need 20 minutes to complete this fast-paced activity. Here is an example of a 20-minute quick-whip and clustering exercise. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
The fifth tool is the heart of the toolset – the Goals and Strategies Tool. Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
It can be used to craft initial strategies, revise strategies, or generate consensus or clarity about the problems the team is trying to solve. It can be used in a live setting or online. General instructions for using this tool in an in-person peer-learning context follow, but we encourage teams and facilitators to amend the tool and process to meet their particular needs. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
We suggest the following process to facilitators and teams: First, review any other tools or information that would help inform strategy development and/or revision. This includes the work associated with the four tools already covered in this tutorial and any pre-work that was completed in advance of the convening, such as assessments or surveys. Ask team members to share information that resonates for them or, if teams are advanced in their implementation process, begin by reviewing the status and results of the existing strategy using the results of the Framework Exercise (Tool 2). Then engage team members in naming goals or suggesting revisions and working through the why and how of each contribution. Ask team members why they propose the goal, what they expect as a result, what assets they have to deploy in advancing proposed goal, and whether there are risks associated with it. Record this information in the corresponding areas of the wall chart. This process can be done by writing directly into the document, or by using a sticky note and clustering process in conjunction with the wall chart. Summarize and review progress often to see where there is consensus and where there is not to determine which goals or changes will move forward and which will be tabled or subject to further review. Finally, ask and answer any clarifying questions the team will need answered before moving to Tool 6: Action Planning . We anticipate teams will require 45-60 minutes for this activity. Here is an example of a Goals and Strategy Tool in-process. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
The sixth tool in the set is the Action Planning template. Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
No doubt you’ve used such a tool before – the Action Planning tool is a basic template for planning work – the implementation of agreed upon strategies. You likely have templates you already use for action planning, but we have included this one as an example of the kind of tool that can be used as a follow-up to a strategy session like the one associated with Tool 5: Goals and Strategies . Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
We suggest that teams dive in and do their best to complete the process – with out without a facilitator. The process is simple and largely self-explanatory: First , identify the overarching topic or issue the goals are intended to address in the blue header bar. Then d etermine goals, objectives, and priorities (or revisions to these elements) by r eviewing the results of any relevant preparatory work, in particular, the Goals and Strategies tool. Next, identify actions/tactics that will need to be taken to advance these goals, objectives and priorities, listing each on the chart and reading it aloud to team members to insure consensus. Then, determine who is responsible for each action and enter the name of that person, team, or organization in the “Lead” column. Establish timelines and milestones using the “Expected Outcomes” and “Due Date” columns. Finally, a ssess and mark the stage of development for each priority objective using the four process steps in Tool # 2: Framework: Understand, Engage, Deliver, or Measure. When your action plan is complete, transcribe the results into word document that can be shared with team members and used to track progress over time. Action planning always takes time. We typically allocate 60-120 minutes for this activity, Here is an example of an Action Plan under development. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
Thanks for hanging in there! We are on our last tool in the set – the Report Out tool. Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
The Report Out tool is designed for use at the conclusion of a retreat, conference, or activity in which it is a priority to share information across multiple teams so they can learn from each other. The tool could also be adapted for use in more intimate setting – to share the results of small group or committee work, for example. Again, the same process could be used during a live event or in an online environment. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
We suggest the following process to facilitators and teams. First, b rainstorm key “takeaways” , including lessons learned, changes made, major accomplishments and reflect on any important turning points, recording them on a flip chart or on sticky notes. The , narrow down the options, choosing one or two to report bac k to the larger group. Options can be narrowed by verbal voting, dot voting or other methods. Finally, identify a spokesperson or people and prepare to share your team’s observations with the larger group (orally). Typically, report-outs are 3-5 minutes, and people do tend to need a timekeeper! Obviously, the number of teams will significantly affect the time required by this activity, but organizers should allow at least 20-30 minutes. Expanding Business Engagement 2012 Facilitator Guide Page
You made it through the tutorial. Give yourselves a hand! Again, all of these tools are flexible. We shared them and suggested exercises that would support team-focused time in the context of a multiple-day peer learning event, but we encourage you to adapt them to your particular needs. Go ahead, experiment! Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012
And let us know how it went! Thanks so much for listening. And don’t forget about the other business engagement tools available on Workforce3one. Expanding Business Engagement Institute 2012