planning

#MONTHLYMYTH: LOW INFLUENCE = LOW RISK

#MONTHLYMYTH: LOW INFLUENCE = LOW RISK

This month’s myth addresses mistaken assumption that offering people less influence over a decision translates to the organisation having increased control over the process and outcomes. 

Some engagement processes lend themselves to a lower level of influence than others, However, if the intention is to reduce influence in an attempt to ‘manage’ the process, control outcomes, cut corners or minimise time and resources, organisations can find themselves in hot water. 

Read on for 6 key questions you can ask to determine the right level of influence and a list of helpful reading and resources. 

#MONTHLYMYTH: PREP THE PLAN FIRST

#MONTHLYMYTH: PREP THE PLAN FIRST

Want to get the best possible value out of the consultant or facilitator you engage?  Hoping to minimise wasted time, money and resources?  Seeking to deliver an engagement process that’s as effective as possible?  Our tip: don’t develop a detailed engagement methodology before you appoint your consultant. 

This month’s myth explores the potential consequences of this all too common error and provides 4 steps to achieving the best possible return on your consultant investment and delivering an effective process.

#MONTHLYMYTH: MORE IS MORE

#MONTHLYMYTH: MORE IS MORE

Often, the purpose of an engagement process (or one phase of an engagement process) is to cast the net wide, capturing as many views and voices as possible.   Often, this is a good approach, particularly at the beginning of a longer engagement process.  What you generally don’t want to aim for, however, is the highest possible volume of feedback and data, with no regard for how useful or informed that input is.

Today we’re highlighting why you might get an overload of responses – many of which aren’t relevant to the issue at hand, why this is a problem, and how you can avoid it for your next process.

#MonthlyMyth: Glossy, simple content = informed participants

#MonthlyMyth: Glossy, simple content = informed participants

When you’re preparing information inputs for a community engagement process, organisations can spend a lot of time producing glossy brochures and simplified, summarised content.  It’s easy to get lost in all the posters and paragraphs and lose sight of what’s important - what you’re really saying about the issue or decision at hand.

Getting the balance right can be challenging.  So, in this post we’ll not only address this months myth, we’ll also give you 6 simple tips for providing the right information at the right level of detail.

#MonthlyMyth: Warm up activities have no purpose

#MonthlyMyth:  Warm up activities have no purpose

Now and then we hear people say that what you might loosely categorise as ‘warm up’ or ‘introductory’ or ‘getting to know you’ activities are pointless exercises with no real purpose.   It is assumed (perhaps?) that they are something facilitators do just because that’s what facilitators do and they like to ‘play games, not because they have any bearing on the issue at hand or any tangible benefit to the group.

We can’t speak on behalf of all these types of activities (perhaps there are some out there that really are annoying, pointless and fluffy!); however, today, with the kind of activities that an effective, experienced facilitator might use in mind, we’re debunking this myth.