Should the Same People be Involved Throughout all the Work?

Sometimes everyone included is on board throughout. Sometimes some of the players change, as different knowledge, viewpoints, and skills are needed, while a core of people remains to provide continuity. In small jobs such as planning an awards banquet for the soccer team, you want the same crew involved throughout. In larger initiatives such as the Naperville Futures Project, some people change as the work changes.

Involving the right folks at the right time in the life of an initiative is crucial to its success. It infuses energy, stimulates creative solutions, and ensures that the right decisions are made. It also produces a set of champions who will act as advocates, marketers, and salespeople in the broader organization or community, ultimately involving many more people in the final implementation of your work.

By contrast, when the wrong people are involved, progress is likely to be slow. Because the necessary talents and knowledge are missing from around the table, flawed decisions are made and creative energy becomes dissipated. If you complete your planning efforts, support from the broader community may be lacking because key influencers are uninvolved or even actively hostile.

As you think about whom to involve at what stage of the job, keep in mind the following suggestions:

• In the early stages, you want people who are visionary and creative.

• When you want to review work done so far, you want people who are challenging, reflective, and honest.

• When you need to reach consensus, you want people who are collaborative, realistic, and unselfish.

• When you are doing detail work, you want people who are concrete, thorough, and meticulous.

Figure 2.4 presents a tool to use to prompt your thinking.

Stage	Tasks	Types of People	Names
Early Decide on the work and what kind of involvement is ineeded Whom to include How to invite them	Gather information Identify possibilities Sort options Discuss pros and cons Decide	Knowledgeable Open minded Visionary Creative
Middle How to keep people involved	Keep purpose front and center Let people know how we are doing Support people who are involved Regularly reassess the kind of involvement needed Stay open to those with differing points of view Appreciate what people can contribute	Challenging Reflective Collaborative Meticulous Honest
Late How to finish the job	Bring things to a close Identify key events Discuss experiences Capture lessons	Thorough Concrete Reflective Curious Honest

Figure 2.4: THE TYPES OF PEOPLE TO INCLUDE AT DIFFERENT STAGES TOOL