Strategies & Models for Strategies & Models for Effective ConsultationEffective Consultation

Veronika Tatarinoff

Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering

University of NSW

ConsultationConsultation

gathering information

seeking feedback

providing feedback

meaningful change

How informed are you and how

good are you at passing on

information?

enhancing technical staff networking,

supporting ongoing development, facilitating resource sharing, improving the profile of Technical

Staff within UNSW

email

TOHSS

TrainingWorkplace satisfaction

TechTrain 2003

Events

Bulletin Board

Website

Workplace satisfaction

E-tag

TechNet

Why consult?Why consult?

Legal requirement of OHS Act 2000

Gather good ideas

Understand the priorities

SOLUTIONS driven, directed and

designed by people implementing them

OwnershipOwnership NOT NOT

OwnershitOwnershit

Lindsay O’Keefee UNSW TechNet 2003Lindsay O’Keefee UNSW TechNet 2003

Issue

Outcomes

How to consult?How to consult?

No magic tricks

Processes or ToolsProcesses or Tools

Committee & Task force Electronic communicationSurveys & EventsPublic Forum Break out groupsBrainstorming focus groupsStructured Interview Focus group

Committees, Task forces & Committees, Task forces & Support groupsSupport groups

TechTrain 2003 TOHSS e-tag group

Electronic communicationElectronic communication

Email forum

Website

TOHSS website

TOHSS bulletin board

Surveys & EventsSurveys & Events

BigLittleSafety expo Site visit VideosTraining

Public Forum Public Forum

Focus GroupsBreakout groupsBrainstormingStructured

Breakout groupsBreakout groups

AA

AA

AA

AA

AA

AAAA

AA

forum

Break out groupsBreak out groups

Same topic - Premise that quantity breeds quality

No facilitator group sets scriber

wrap up at end to present findings

outcomes

Brainstorm focus groupsBrainstorm focus groups

AA

BB

CC

forum

BrainstormingBrainstorming

Brainstorming is an exercise in free-thinking

different/unrelated topicsfacilitator optionalwrap up & outcome

Structured/Interview Focus Structured/Interview Focus

DD

EEFF

Structured Interview Focus groupStructured Interview Focus group

Each topic has set time (20-30 min)

facilitator probing questionsinput sought from all participantscomment on each topicresults collated by facilitatorsrecommendations shared

What’s in it for us?What’s in it for us?

ParticipantParticipant willingness to contribute, opportunity to understand the process

OrganisersOrganisersprepared to listenno preconceived ideas

Listen, listen, listenListen, listen, listen

“Listening means taking a vigorous human interest in what is being told us” Alice Duer Miller 1874-1942 US author

“Most people don’t listen they just wait for their turn to talk”

Gathering good Gathering good informationinformation

Ask the right questionsListen to understand

conscious effort to hear, analyze, assign meaning to and respond to what another person is saying

Reflect before assessing

TechNet has used tools to:TechNet has used tools to:

Set directions/goals

Identify priorities

Processes in place

Confirm or clarify proposed

actions

Where to now?Where to now?

Issues forums

It’s not what you knowIt’s not what you know

or even or even

Who you know Who you know

butbut

Who knows what you Who knows what you

know.know.

Celebrate achievementsCelebrate achievements

Advertise success positive feedback feedback sandwich

(negative)awards

DVC launches TOHSSDVC launches TOHSS

TOHSS task force !TOHSS task force !

ConsultationConsultation

Consultation is all about

sharing information to effect

meaningful change

Consultation Consultation your chance to change your chance to change

the future the future

Modified from Tom Shales - Modified from Tom Shales - The Washington PostThe Washington Post re “ Angels in America”re “ Angels in America”

A disparate group of characters brought together with

a sense of dread. Sound like a million laughs?

Consultation can be filled with dark humour, often self

mocking, philosophical, cynical and wry.

The air becomes alive and electric with ideas and

imagination. You emerge from consultation battered,

shocked and frightened but maybe also rewarded,

moved and emboldened.

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

TechNet committeeTOHSS committee (task force)TechTrain 03 committeeUNSW Staff DevelopmentWorking party for OHS

communication

Consultation Consultation your chance to change your chance to change

the future the future

Veronika TatarinoffVeronika Tatarinoff