framing

One of the most important tasks for the team facilitator is “framing.” It’s a way for the facilitator to tell the team what is coming next, why it is important, and what should be the nature of the outcome. A team meeting should be a sequence of frames beginning with the check-in, the main part of the meeting, and then the postmortem or team reflection. Here are some examples:

The check-in frame (of course using your own words):
It’s good to see everyone again. Let’s take a couple minutes at the beginning to share what’s happening in our lives and then we’ll check-in and get down to work. In this frame, the facilitator has set a goal, a limit, and then once that is out of the way, the team can focus, indicating their focus by checking-in.

The goals frame:
Today we have two hours for our meeting, ending at noon today. Here are the goals for our meeting: [list 2-3 goals on the white board] If we can accomplish these, I truly believe we will move our project forward in an important way.
Notice that the facilitator is telling the team why it would be good to accomplish these goals. Of course, this should be followed by a team vote: I propose these goals. One, two, three… [thumb voting]. If there’s a “thumbs down,” the facilitator should ask, What would it take to get you in?

The postmortem frame (10 minutes before the end of the meeting):
We’ve reached the end of our time together. Let’s reflect on our meeting today. Let’s discuss what went well and what didn’t. From this we’ll have a better meeting next time.
Again, the facilitator is framing the next ten minutes by saying what will happen next, how the conversation should proceed, and why it’s important to have this conversation.

Framing can make a huge positive difference in team meetings. It’s one of the most important tools available to the facilitator.

What other team techniques have you found to be useful?

the thousand mile journey

The “thousand mile journey” has begun; it’s been two weeks since we took our first step. And yet, already, we’ve come so far. One could point to actual skill development: persona creation, usability testing procedures, prototype design, rationale support, presentation skills, and so on. Yet, what I find more interesting are the less explicit conditions that are emerging within the class: the freedom to ask questions, the freedom to make mistakes, the freedom to experiment. I sense a collaborative bond forming in the class — less about competition and more about sharing what we know with each other. As I was leaving the Telecom Building at 5:45 PM, I was very pleased to observe a group of students heading over to Yogi’s to celebrate the completion of Project #1. At the same time, a group of mentors and I were headed in a different direction to discuss how we were to evaluate the submissions.

I do worry about the few students who appear to be observers looking in; it’s important that they throw themselves into the mix. Ask youself: Are you reading the five team blogs? Are you writing too? Are you contributing to the conversation? This course and this program works in proportion to what you give it.

Some months ago at CHI (in San Jose, California), I articulated a set of goals for teaching interaction design: http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/hcid/CHI2007/workshop-papers.htm

• I want students to think like designers.
• I want students to learn to ask questions and not to be afraid of doing so.
• I want students to have “big strategies” in their head, not little disconnected rules of design.
• I want students to know a lot about the design craft.
• I want students to view their fellow students as a source of ideas and stimulation.
• I want students to learn from each other.
• I want students to learn that design is not a linear path.
• I want students to learn that for any craft process there is a context for when to apply it; it doesn’t work in all settings; knowing when to use a process is important.
• I want students to look inside of themselves for their greatest inspiration.
• I want students to reflect on everything they do and to learn from their reflective practice.

It’s happening, and if you allow the course to “work on you” as much as you “work on it,” then it will happen more quickly and in a deeper way.

 One of the companies that I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know through WisdomTools is DDB (see: http://www.ddb.com/DDBWeb/index.html). It’s a global advertising, marketing, and communications company. Their web site says: “DDB builds and delivers unique, enduring, and powerful brand experiences. Along the way we aim to be the world’s most influential communications company.” Look at the guiding principles of DDB (see: Who We Are : Roots):

• Creativity Is The Most Powerful Force In Business
  DDB’s approach is based on a more collaborative and productive relationship with our clients and partners to find the hidden potential of people, brands and business.
• Insight into Human Nature
  We believe that great ideas are generated by the ability to respond creatively to keen insights. One good idea can propel brand for years. At DDB we are looking for insights that incite.
• Respect for the Customer
  DDB was way ahead of the curve when we recognized that brands are in the hands of consumers, not brand managers. Nothing could be more important and relevant today, proving that great ideas endure.
• Respect for Our World
  As communicators DDB is in a position to use our creativity as a force for good. As Bill Bernbach so eloquently put it, “All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level.”
• Individual Freedom
  Creativity is freedom of expression. At DDB, we believe that to attract the best talent, we must offer an inspiring environment that encourages individual freedom and growth. This idea was critical at the inception of DDB and remains so today. Keith Reinhard took this a step further with the Four Freedoms. They are not just feel-good philosophy. They are good business practice.
  - Freedom from fear
  - Freedom to fail
  - Freedom from chaos
  - Freedom to be
  Download DDB’s Four Freedoms 

Sound familiar?