I forget where this idea came from – it surely isn’t original – but I created laminated 11×17 Placemats for my ISPI Board April 2003 –  April 2004.

In my update here in January 2013 – I now believe it was Barry Booth – from back in the early days of NSPI for me – the late 70’s/ early 1980’s – when I saw him speak about Job Aids, which for him were mostly hand drawn and laminated for his Caterpillar Inc. factory environment.

In April 2003 I began my term as President of the International Society for Performance Improvement – I created and offered this to the Board. We tweaked it once or twice.  Later Roger Addison asked me to create one (a prototype) for his ISPI Institutes.

Gary DePaul’s new article in ISPI’s PerformanceXpress (PX) brought this all to mind – as I had just seen them – my versions – recently during a search for other materials. So I dug them back out and placed them in their correct placement in my Resource Archives – also known as The WELL – and thought I’d do a Post about them.

Side 1 – click-on to enlarge/copy

Note the Discussion Process.

The Placemats went through a few versions as Board Members had suggestions for tweaks – word-smithing – etc. – and even though the first one was laminated so I could demo it as a real item – I was careful to put the word “DRAFT” in an off-color and at an off angle in several places. I wanted the group of Directors to own the finalversion so that we would hopefully then actually use it. And we did.

My intent was to bring a sub-process routine to every discussion – so that some couldn’t as easily dominate any conversation – and others would more or less be forced to voice at least something in their turn in the quick 30 seconds rounds – as you can see by that model being included on both sides.

Side 2

Note the Discussion Process.

Another Version

Note the Discussion Process.

The Discussion Process

Note the 3-part core of this…

“30 Second – Discussion – 30 Second” – that conducted two “round robins” – as bookends – to ensure that everyone got their chance to say their piece – while also allowing for a more free form period where the moderator (appointed formally or not) takes a more “hands off approach” unless certain boundaries are crossed: time, appropriateness, etc. Lots of “appropriateness” issues typically lurk.

1. Give any topic everyone has 30 seconds or less, certainly no more, to say what they think, expressing any comments or concerns and/or asking  their questions of the topic leader/group.
2. Then there is a discussion bounded by the topic and any time limits you have – if you have a strict agenda or are freewheeling the meeting – and any behavior norms you have, or wish to have. See the examples in both “first pages” above.
3. Then everyone gets to state their final questions, comments and concerns.

And then you do whatever – come to a decision/or take a decision – vote – show of hands – assume the close (it might be a case of “it is what is is”), etc. Close out the topic – which always depends on the purpose of it being on the agenda, as an FYI, to make a Decision, make a Plan, allocate Resources, etc., etc.

Please adapt to your situation’s specifics – for your team’s efforts in meetings.

How would you adapt this to create a DRAFT for your team’s reviews and adaptations?

… following my rule of “Adopt what you can; Adapt the rest.”

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