Meetings that actually matter part six - integration with what is already working

Listen directly to the podcast version of this post here.

This is part six of 7.

Here's part one about value delivery.

Here's part two about Sparkenation Conversations (every day innovation).

Here's part three about learning and development.

Here's part four Sparkenators, 21st century managers and culture champions.

Here's part five after-action-reviews.

Our subject today is integration of new perceptions with what is already working well for you.

I’m staggered by the number of organisations who invest a lot of money in doing surveys and then do nothing with the results. Data without action is useless data.

I’m equally staggered by the number of organisations who learn new things yet fail to integrate the new with what is already working well.

I do a lot of integration work with my clients. I've learned that integration work must be done well with great care and skill so that no undue stress is placed on your systems and structures and so that people who didn’t participate in developing the new can feel a sense of belonging and have eventual ownership too.

I’ve developed two specific processes for integration work.

Firstly there’s working out who should be engaged in the work. Here's the one-page planner I use for this action and the second action described below.

Once you decided who should be engaged you then hold an execution planning meeting with these people. This meeting ends with the completion of action ready reckoner one-page which you then use for follow-through apprecation and accountability conversations.  

The Action Ready Reckoner's headings are:

Following project management principles are key to successful integration work.

There are accepted principles of project management. The seven areas of significance in my shared-view approach mirror such principles so they can be easily utilised.

The accepted principles are:

1: Vision and Mission. 

2: Personal and Business Objectives. 

3: Standards of Engagement. 

4: Strategy and Execution Plans. 

5: Organisational Alignment. 

6: Measurement and Accountability.

There are also accepted principles of business process improvement that are also key to successful integration work. My top 5 are:

1. It’s all about people and making it as simple as possible for them to bring the best version of themselves to their work

2. Must be performance driven.

3. Change decisions must align to value delivery of all stakeholders.

4. Initiatives must be repeatable and owned by the people doing the work. 

5. All change is in itself a process, not a program.

My recommended action is that you download the one-page planner and get started on your first piece of integration work. 

Of course you would need the details of your latest after-action-review to begin this work. After-action reviews were addressed in last weeks podcast and blog post.

Do Your Work.

Be remarkable.

Ian