FAQ Organization and Department Meeting Dialogs

1. How long should an Organization or Department Dialog take?
   • 45-60 mins for Department Dialogs and 90-120 mins for Organization Dialogs
2. What is the outcome of a Department Dialog? (Why do them?)
   • It helps you maintain alignment with your priorities
   • Facilitates communication – within the organization or department
   • It helps encourage information to flow up
   • Keeps the focus on the big picture.
   • Will keep the department members Accountable and let them celebrate succeses.
3. Is the intent of Organization or Department Dialogs to take the place of day-to-day interactions between department team members?
   • No, they should be used to enhance interactions, not replace them.
4. Where do we just talk or discuss things that are not on the Organization or Department Dialog Agenda?
   • Some topics need to be discussed with sub-department groups
   • You can add a discussion item to the dialog agenda
5. How many Organization or Department Dialogs should we have each month?
   • One, however this will depend on the organization or department to determine how many they need.
   • For discussions between dialogs you should use working meetings.
   • Any follow-ups from working meetings should be put into the organization or department connection.
6. Where should we hold our Organization or Department Dialogs?  (Does it matter?)
   • Wherever you can find space and get away from distractions
   • When holding the dialog if you do not have internet access you can print the dialog and any relevent documents before hand.
7. What do people need to bring to an Organization or Department Dialog?
   • Metric information and project updates
   • Calendar
   • Success stories
   • Department Connection reports
   • Any thoughts or concerns on issues that affect the department performance
8. How do you create a “dialog environment” where everyone participates?
   • Set the expectation that they need to participate.
   • Ask them in advance to prepare an update on their status.
   • Trust that they will particpate whenever needed.
   • Pay attention between dialogs and bring up discussion items that come up.
   • Don’t enable non-participation, prevent this by making dialogs as interactive as possible.
   • Build team pride, this will help each person feel invested in the dialog.
   • Use facilitation skills to keep the dialogs interactive.

Organization or Department Dialog Agenda

1. Does every Organization or Department Dialog have to touch each of the agenda items on the Organization or Department Dialog Agenda?
   • Yes
2. How do you handle special agenda items (important, extraordinary, non-reoccurring items?
   • Either put those items in a big picture topic or add the item to a special topic section.

Big Picture Agenda

1. Do Organizations or departments need to have a Big Picture Discussion each month?
   • Yes
2. Do organization issues come up in a Department Dialog (or is it just focused on our department?)
   • Yes
3. Is it appropriate to talk about other departments in our Organization or Department Dialog?
   • Yes

Core Values Agenda

1. Does everyone in the organization or department need to bring a Core Value Story to the Organization or Department Dialog?
   • Yes
2. Should the organization or department pick the best Core Value stories at each Organization or Department Dialog? (How do you do this?)
   • The top organization or department executive will pick the best story(s) to bring to the Organizational Dialog

Organization or Department Metrics

1. Do organization or department metrics need Related Links?
   • Yes
2. Do organization or departments need to identify Metric Owners?
   • Yes
3. Should we make our Organization or Department Metrics visible within our department?
   • Yes

Organization or Department Projects

1. Do departments need to take the time to do Team Celebrations (close-outs) when department projects are completed?
   • Yes, this gives the team a chance to reflect on the high & low points of the project.
2. Who manages what is on the department’s “Current” Project List?
   • The Department leader should be in charge of the department's project list.
3. Do other departments have to make time to help us out on our department’s projects?
   • Yes, if the project is an approved current priority on the department’s project list.
4. Can a department project be done by just one person?
   • Yes
5. Do department project teams need to meet for Department Project Dialogs?
   • No, this can be done as a working meeting
6. How long should a Department Project List be?
   • Depends on department and the department's capacity. However, keep it as simple as possible and 80/20
   • Most departments should try to keep this list to only a couple at a time.
   • Project driven departments will have more than other types of departments.
7. Do departments need to do a Business Case for every project? (If so, where should it be kept?)
   • Yes – short version
   • The Business Case should be kept in a network drive or in related links.
8. Do department projects need a full-blown project plan with milestones and tasks?
   • Yes

Coaching and Support

1. Is there a way to get feedback on how the Department Dialogs are working?
   • Ask at meetings or by management walking around
   • Use department dialog assessment
2. What support should a department expect from the Internal Connections Consulting Team?
   • Clarification of roles and expectations
   • Administratively adding people
   • Sit in occasionally at department dialogs
   • Provide some post meeting feedback

Accountability

1. Is it the Department Leader’s job to get the work of the department done?
   • No
2. Does the CEO have any impact on department focus and performance outcomes?
   • Yes
3. If our department leader is gone (or unavailable), should we skip our Department Dialog?
   • No
4. Is it ever appropriate for the boss of our Department Leader to sit in on our Dialog?
   • Yes

Communication

1. Should departments identify Talking Points at the end of their Department Dialog?
   • No
2. Should someone take notes at the Department Dialog? (Who)
   • Yes - rotate around