Design Work

Design Work
A framework we use to apply the principles and design meetings follows a flow which takes us through the following stages:

Data
Whether designing a large or small group meeting this first step is about building an understanding of the context for the meeting. From the first contact with the organisation, establishing the relevant facts and background, beliefs and assumptions that will all help inform the design of the meeting. More often than not this will involve working with a Design Team, (pdf file) but can also include scoping interviews and discussions or questionnaires with leaders and other key stakeholders.

Outcomes
Once the context for the meeting has been established and people feel that they have had the opportunity to share all relevant information, we will spend some time establishing the outcomes needed from the meeting. This may require some consensus building and prioritisation, especially if there are numerous desired outcomes but essentially outcomes are what people see as important to leave the meeting with. These range from shared information, decisions, actions, relationships, how people will be feeling, what they will be committing to do and others. Our belief is that people will commit to something they help to create - if they have established what is important to them as outcomes there is a better chance that they will fully engage in making them happen.

Purpose
Purpose drives every aspect of the design of a meeting. When we don't ask the question, "Why is this group of people coming together?" meaningful work and dialogue is left to chance. It is this oversight that often leads to people's dissatisfaction with meetings - lack of focus, disjointed or hidden agendas, and activities taking precedence over outcomes. Whether the meeting is for two people or two hundred, investing time in creating a clear and compelling purpose around which key stakeholders are aligned and committed, represents one the greatest cost-benefits that can be had. The mental creation of the future we desire can often be difficult, but in relating the purpose to the issues we need to avoid a "reduction of pain" solution. Nailing a worthwhile, ennobling purpose and clearly stated outcomes linked to the issues and challenges, energises participants, providing clear discretion and focus. The work of clarifying purpose will also help clearly define the approach to be taken in the meeting and in respect of large groups what would be best fit (for example, would Open Space, Future Search, Real Time Strategic Change be appropriate?). See 12 methodologies.

Process
Once the outcomes and purpose are clearly defined, the detailed process design can be done. This is very often where people will start, for example lining speakers up or ordering technical equipment. Our belief is that this work must be purpose driven and focus on what people have identified as a worthwhile reason for coming together, not a series of disconnected activities which people have seen used elsewhere. In this phase of work we will offer process suggestions and test them out with the design team or other stakeholders we are working with. There are many options available for designing processes that will engage people and achieve the purpose and outcomes including specific large group methodologies, the use of graphics or other tools such as the Organisation Workshop, (pdf file) or Polarity Management. All of these options can be considered and new options created to fit with the purpose. Another important question to consider is one of flow - does the flow of the meeting design make sense, will people have enough information to make good decisions.

There are many ways in which adult learning principles are integrated into this work but at the heart of it all is a commitment to develop a participant focused mind-set. Nothing is done 'to' people for their own good, or 'for' them because they are incapable, everything is done 'with' people trusting that they are creative, trustworthy adults who will do the work that is needed. These tips are a guideline for large or small meeting design:

Ten tips for good adult learning in large groups

Plan for conversations in self-managing small groups that treat everyone in the group as an equal contributor.
Ensure that there are no negative learnings or tests with right and wrong answers other than those people in the room put themselves to.
Avoid methods which will evoke a passive response and turn the participants into an audience (NB OHP slides can do this).
Design information flows from individual to table to room and back so that people feel they are impacting and influencing the proceedings.
Explain conceptual models so that people can be wise about the work they are going to do and make decisions about how they progress it and no one is passively 'jumping through hoops'.
Tell good and bad news as it is, information is not avoided to protect people if it is relevant to the work.
Progress real work that is of value to people and avoid irrelevant games.
Manage the energy so that people move around, work in different teams, and use varied processes. Balance talking and listening and plan activities so that people have the information they need to inform their discretion and decide for themselves.
Make participants are responsible for their own group's facilitation, recording and report outs. Legitimise and rotate roles with instructions and guidelines.
Treat participants as whole people with complex needs, wants and issues they want to bring to the table.

Evaluation
Evaluation happens at each stage of a meeting and at the end:

Designing the meeting - is the design in support of the outcomes and purpose; is there any emerging or new data that requires modification of the outcomes/purpose/design?
During the meeting - are any course corrections or redesign needed?
End of the meeting - have the outcomes and purpose been achieved? How have working relationships gone? What next?