Navigating Business ConversationsALL-STAFF RETREAT 2010

What is a Bright Spot?A Bright Spot is a positive deviation; a successful effort worth emulating.

“These flashes of success—these bright spots—can illuminate the roadmap for action and spark the hope that change is possible.”

Dan and Chip Heath Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard

Overview of Navigating Business ConversationsChallengeIt is difficult for meeting participants to focus their mental energy in a conversation to achieve the results they need to further their work.

Tool• Desired Outcome Statements

• The Phases of a Business Conversation

ImpactParticipants become more focused in their work and share a common process for navigating the conversations that are necessary

Two or more people gathered to discuss a topic for which there needs to be some type of

agreement, decision or conclusion to further the work

“Conversation” Definition

By this definition, a meeting may consist of several conversations each with a different desired outcome

A conversation is defined as:

Learning Objectives

An understanding of the importance of planning for critical conversations so that you can give it the time that it requires

An ability to write clear, engaging and measureable desired outcomes

A framework for facilitating conversations that allows participants to move through a discussion cooperatively and produce the intended outcomes

A set of rudimentary tools that simplify the conversation process and make it easier for people to work together in discussion

By the end of this Section, you will have:

Meeting PurposeThe Meeting Purpose describes why you are having the meeting

Information Sharing – Sending: To ensure understanding of information; to clarify the intent behind decisions,

changes, etc.– Receiving: To gather feedback, ideas, questions, etc.; to hear multiple perspectives on an

issue

Problem Solving – To analyze; to understand root causes; to evaluate; to mediate

Idea Generation – To brainstorm new ideas or possibilities; to develop creative or innovative approaches

Decision-Making – To prioritize; to reach agreement; to delegate

Implementation – To plan; to monitor; to adjust / adapt

Relationship Building – To celebrate; to socialize; to reward

A Desired Outcome statement is essential to conversation process because it focuses participant’s energy and effort.

A Desired Outcome is what your conversation participants aim to achieve, the intended result of the conversation.

Desired Outcomes

Desired Outcome CriteriaA NounBrief, written statementsSpecific and measurableWritten from the perspective of the participant

Outcomes Should Be in the Form of a NounA decision on . . .An agreement on . . .A plan for . . . Information on . . .A list of next steps for . . .Understanding of . . .A prioritized list of recommendations for . . .

Desired OutcomesTwo kinds of outcomes

Product: Specific tangible objects, e.g., A list of . . .; A plan of . . .; A decision on . . .; An agreement for . . .

Knowledge: Many meetings are intended to share or impart information or knowledge– What is important with Knowledge Desired Outcomes is that there be a

“so that” line. Participants need to understand what and why it is important for them to have that information or knowledge. This helps participants to prepare their part of the information to be of use in the meeting

– Also, the “so that” line will allow participants to measure if they got it, e.g., An understanding of the new employee benefit plan so that you will know what is covered the next time a family member needs medical care

Desired OutcomesAgenda Topics Possible Outcomes

Review last year's budget Understanding of previous year’s budget numbers, so that we can decide on high leverage areas for change

A list of reasons for budget over-runs A prioritized list of the 10 least effective

programsDiscuss new programs for next year A list of possible new programs

A prioritized list of top 5 programs to consider

Agreement on who will direct new programs

How to decrease defects by 40% prior to year end

List of probable root causes for top defects

Agreement on task force members, resources and action plan

Proposed budget plan for next year

Exercise: Desired OutcomesIndividually

Think about a meeting you recently attended or one you have coming up. What was (or will be) one expected result or Desired Outcome for the meeting? How was it presented to the group?

Write this Desired Outcome in your own words belowIs the above Desired Outcome a product or knowledge Desired Outcome? Use one of

the options provided

ProductBy the end of this meeting, we will have (What kind of product?):

A plan for __________________________________________________ An agreement on ____________________________________________ A list of ____________________________________________________ A process for _______________________________________________ A . . .

Exercise: Desired OutcomesKnowledgeBy the end of this meeting, we will have: (What do participants need to know?)

An awareness of ______________________________________________ An understanding of ___________________________________________ A __________________________________________________________

(Why do participants need to know this?) So that we can implement _______________________________________ So that we can explain __________________________________________ So that we ___________________________________________________ So that ______________________________________________________

Process Design

Content: Information, issue, topic to be discussed — the WHAT

Process: Method or approach used to address the content — the HOW

Content (What) Process(How)

Conversation Design

Content Process Desired Outcomes

Step 1 Step 3 Step 2

+

The following formula demonstrates the importance of distinguishing between content, process and having clarity about your expected outcomes for a conversation

Phases of a ConversationIn business meetings, participants are often asked to discuss a number of topics or issues, use some evaluative process to explore the merits of the ideas or issues, and reach some decisions about what to do at the close of the meeting regarding these topics. The following framework serves as a way of looking at the processes that transpire in that conversation

ConcludeDiscover Organize/ Evaluate

Agreement Building Process

Phases of a Conversation

Emerging from the Discover Phase of the conversation, the ideas, thoughts, and feelings are often numerous. A group now needs to organize all the data that has emerged

In addition to organization of the data, the group will be eager to begin evaluating the ideas. Which ideas seem better, more useful, more costly, etc. Therefore evaluation begins in this Phase

Phase Purpose In the opening of a conversation the intention is to uncover all the thoughts

or ideas of participants about the content subject. This is where participants bring their individual brain power and personal contribution to the discussion. What is most important is that participants feel comfortable in expressing their ideas, thoughts, etc., and that all participants devote some time to understanding the ideas, thoughts, and feelings that have been expressed by others

It is critical in this Phase to set aside judgments of the ideas, thoughts, and feelings and seek only to understand. There will be time for evaluation later

Discover

defines the intention of

Phase I of the conversation

Organize/Evaluate

defines the intention of

Phase II of the conversation

Phases of a Conversation

The following pages contain a small sample of process tools that can help

conversation participants move through each phase of the conversation

Phase Purpose

The intention of the Conclude phase of the conversation is to make decisions and / or agreements about how to advance the work or move forward on the ideas presented and the evaluations that have been conducted on those ideas

Conclude

defines the intention of Phase III of the conversation

Tools: Discover

Tools TipsOpening StatementsTo give the group something to react to or to help move the action forward. There are several kinds of opening statements:

Problem statements Solution ideas Presenting compiled lists

Before meeting, think strategically — Do I want to propose something to the group or have them work together in creating something? Brainstorming is more collaborative; Proposing a problem statement, solution, etc., is more expedient

Brainstorm To stimulate the team’s creative energy To produce as many ideas as possible without evaluating

them

All ideas are OK Defer evaluation Build on people’s ideas

Clarify To make sure people understand the meaning of each idea

before you ask the team to evaluate the ideas and / or make decisions

Defer evaluation Record clarifications

Discover

Tools: Organize/Evaluate

Tools TipsEliminate Duplicates

To eliminate duplication / redundancies To merge very similar data

Avoid editing Avoid creating new categories If debate begins about whether items are

duplicates, keep both items

Prioritize To get a “sense” for which choices the team thinks are most

important without actually making a final decision Use Multi-Voting Try N/3 — the number of items divided by 3 =

number of choices per participant

Advocate To allow team members to speak in favor of ideas by stating

the rationale or thinking that supports an opinion Accept the advocacy and move on without counter

arguments Look for where there is agreement / alignment

Organize Evaluate

Tools: Conclude

Tools TipsNegative Poll

To create a safe time for participants to express their dis-agreement where they might be reluctant to voice an opinionExample: “Is there anyone for whom this idea is not going to work?”

If early in the Conclude Phase and there is disagreement, move to other proposals

If one person holds out, ask if there is anything that could be done to the proposal that would allow them to support it

Both / And To avoid either / or decisions or win / lose solutions To avoid polarization over one choice

Example: “These two ideas are not really the same, but is there any reason why we can't try them both?”

When the team is down to 2–3 choices, ask whether there is some satisfactory way that these choices can be used together

Avoid unnecessary conflict by proposing a broader option

Build Up / Eliminate To encourage participants to expand on an idea or look for the

particular part of an idea that does not work for them and should be eliminated

To look beyond existing optionsExample: “What could we add to this idea that would make everyone support it? What part of this idea needs to be removed in order to get the groups’ support?”

Highlight agreement on pieces of an idea Merge complementary pieces from different ideas

Conclude

Tools: Conclude (Cont’d)

Tools TipsCheck for Agreement

To finish a discussion and provide closure on an idea, or to reveal that more work needs to be done before moving on

The 3 Stages of Building an Agreement should be used in each of the Conversation Phases when an agreement needs to be reached

Propose Next Steps To advance the action of the group upon leaving the meeting.

Example: “I propose that we take our decision to the sponsor for one last review.”

This tools is intended to further the action of the group not defer resolution or decision

Action Planning To clarify who will be responsible for doing what by what time. Create a visual chart with What, Who & By When

so all may see what they are committing to

Conclude

Phases of a Conversation

Golden Rules of Facilitating a Conversation: Keep everyone in the same phase at the same time Get an agreement from the group that it is finished with one phase before

moving to the next.

ConcludeDiscover Organize/ Evaluate

Agreement Building Process