[Ailist] RE: Capturing impact and raising visibility of 'unseen' work

[Katia]

An interesting thing just happened, which connects to this subject. I would
like to share the story with you. I am closing my first full AI-cycle in a
large bank in Belgium. This is now four months after we had the summit.

Last week we had an 'evaluation meeting' with the management team. They
chose for a classical approach, evaluating each phase (topic choice,
discovery, etc...). The result after a two hour session, was a feeling of
unhappiness. They agreed that the AI-cycle had brought about good change,
although specific results are hard to measure. But they also felt low on
energy, and unsure of how to continue.

Together we decided to have another meeting, this time including the
interviewers and the projectleaders. This meeting was called 'kick-out', and
we held it today. This time we used the 4D-cycle as a frame, and focussed
the inquiry on 'next steps'. We started by asking for moments when they felt
(knew) that "this wasn't going to stop", that something was put in motion
which will last. Then we explored what they needed to keep this pace, what
helped them to build these lasting changes. And finally we had them write
contracts, defining the structures needed to keep the AI-spirit alive. 

Five contracts were created. Examples? A bi-monthly meeting of the
projectleaders to monitor progress and pick up new needs and ideas for new
projects (working groups as they call them). A coordinator who will
coordinate communication around the AI-projects, and establish a dashboard
report so everyone can read the results of every group whenever they wish.
And the creation of an AI-board-of-wise-men (I would call it a revised
design team), which will evaluate what is needed next and how to keep the
AI-spirit alive.

I am very happy, because I can now let go of the project, knowing that it is
in good hands: the necessary structures have been defined, management keeps
supporting AI. And at the end of this meeting, everyone testified that they
are once again energised and ready to go back and work on their projects.

Just shows again, I suppose, how much energy is released by the AI-concepts.
And how much more powerfull this inquiry-method is than 'classical' ways of
measuring effects...

Katia 

Katia Van Belle
aiwerkt, Belgium