Chapter 7: Where to Start

Overview

People are always asking us where to start. Here's how some effective involvers we know began their work.

Jan Mears, a human resources director, Global Supply Chain at Kraft, began by taking one of our tools and using it. Upon reading our manuscript Jan used the stakeholder map on page 27 to help her colleagues decide who should be included in a supply chain project.

Keith Smith, a product design manager, as part of a lean engineering process, was asked to figure out how to involve people in redesigning their work area. Keith took a straightforward approach to figuring out whom to include and what kind of involvement was needed. First, he asked the group's supervisor to walk him through the work area. As people explained what they did and how they did it, Keith listened with a different ear. He listened for the people who wanted to improve the way work was done. He then invited those people to join a group charged with the responsibility for redesigning the workflow. Once the group had figured out what needed to be changed, they posted their ideas on easel sheets in the work area and asked their fellow employees to comment. Every day their co-workers put more and more sticky notes on their diagram. The group then reviewed these ideas and incorporated them into the final plan. Within two weeks, the ideas for a more efficient operation were up and running!

Arnold Aprill, director of the Chicago Arts Partnership in Education, a group that incorporates art into the teaching of subjects such as history, math, and science for the Chicago Public Schools, used all the steps as he brought together parents, teachers, students, researchers, marketing experts, and funders to develop a strategic plan.