2013

Facilitating a Killer Session!

Presented by:Laura Arber, Senior Consultant

Karen Foster, Senior ConsultantStefanie Savino, Senior ManagerKristin Selvaraj, Senior Consultant

Outline of the Lunch and Learn

2

Overview of Typical Project IssuesGoals of an Effective SessionSolutions for an Effective Session• Prepare the Room• Prepare Meeting Logistics• Do Pre-work• Initial Meeting/Kick-OffBe Considerate of Time

Overview of Typical Project Issues

3

Fixed end dateNot enough time to gather requirementsWay too much to doSMEs stretched too thin

Sound Familiar??“No Leader plus no Documentation plus no

Follow-Up = Waste of Time” – Steve Tobak, of INC

Goals of an Effective Session

4

Need to figure out how to make the working sessions/workshops Effective and EfficientNeed to make the most of the SMEs’timeNeed to make the SMEs as productive as possibleNeed to make the Project Team as productive as possible

Solutions for an Effective Session Prepare the Room

5

• Designate one room for meetings – 24x7 for the duration of the project (be sure to reserve the room)

• Set it up to comfortably accommodate all participantsHave enough chairs and table spaceGet to know the Facilities people (be their friend)Have extra power cords, mice, and mouse pads for those carrying their laptopsMake sure all connections are ‘Hot’, if there is no wireless connections

Have hubs readyHave network cables ready

Have snacks! Seriously• Have a high quality phone (e.g., spider phone)• Have a projector (be sure to reserve this, if needed)• Have white boards (smart boards would be wonderful)• Tape big block paper on the wall• Have large post-its

Useful for flowing• Have supplies - lots of markers – different colors, post-its, mouse pads• Have terms/definitions posted on the wall

Solutions for an Effective Session Prepare Meeting Logistics

6

Identify meeting participants• Project team members, SMEs, decision makers, developers/IT, testers,

trainers, change management, legal, compliance, etc.• Designate back-upsDesignate the same times/days every week (i.e., Tues, Wed, Thurs 1:00-4:30)Share meeting times with other resources so you use the SME’s time wiselyHave a dedicated call-in number (e.g., WebEx), if participates are dialing in• Have ability to share your computer screen• Test sharing computer screen with you and participants prior to meetingDesignate the facilitator, scribe and time keeper• The scribe should post minutes after every meeting

– Take attendance– Take pictures of items on the wall– Ensure Risks, Action Items, Issues, and Decisions are documented

Designate roles• Prepare decision makers• Prepare one person as “bad cop” to facilitate the roomCoordinate time with SMEs so they are not asked the same questions more than once

Solutions for an Effective Session Prepare! Do-Pre-Work

7

Send out agenda the day prior to make sure folks know what we will be covering so they can prepare in advance (or delegate sub)Email and have hard copies of items to be reviewed by all participantsHave systems up and running that need to be referencedConfirm with attendees that the correct people will be present (may need to reschedule if not)

Solutions for an Effective Session Initial Meeting/Kick-Off

8

Make it a Big Deal!Ensure all participants are present – SMEs, Stakeholders, etc.Food

Determine Success FactorsAssign a SME to be “in charge” of the success factor through-out the sessionsPlace these on the wall

Set expectations and ground rulesStakeholders have to understand responsibilities if they do not attend meetings

Be Considerate of Time

9

Start on time• If you don’t have a dedicated room

• Book room earlier to set up the room and prepare• Book room later to tear down

Finish on time – always!• If you will finish with a significant amount of time left, re-

schedule the meeting to be shorter so the participants can better plan their day

Make the MOST of the time• Double-up/triple-up on agenda items

Lessons Learned

10

Be Flexible – do what works and change course as needed• Example – initially used questionnaire assuming

business knew current state; quickly realized they didn’t know current state and therefore questionnaires were useless

• Changed course and ran business through As-Is modeling

Communicate with the Project Manager on expectations and responsibilities of the teamNeed to keep Stakeholders engaged – key to project success• Hold regular Steering Committee meetings (decision

makers), physically bring the Stakeholder to the room

6/12/201311

Questions/Comments

Thank You…