[Ailist] Data Collection Question

[Jody Jacobson]

Dear Joan,

I worked on what sounds like a similar project at a multi-campus technical/community college system. They have 42 cross-functional work teams across two or three campuses and wanted all to engage in mini AI processes within their teams. How they approached the project as a whole, and especially how they collected data to support their subsequent strategic planning process, were fascinating. 

Their Affirmative Topic and Why They Chose an AI Approach--

Their strategic focus, or affirmative topic was 'being a collaborative workplace.' They'd gone through a survey-based campus climate review that placed them in the middle of a five-level scale in which "collaborative" is at the top. They were rated as being on the border between "coercive" and "cooperative." (A positive image...) The project sponsors--the HR Director and new System President--want to take a positive, strength-based approach. Rather than focusing inquiry on being less coercive, they chose to inquire into best experiences of collaboration within and across the 42 work teams. The school's leadership, who first went through a mini AI workshop, "nominated" (appointed) 15-20 staff members to be trained as AI facilitators to lead 42 cross-functional work teams through an AI-based teambuilding process. I can offer process details off-line.

How They Collected Data--

They formed a data/research subcommittee that created a database, including stories, themes, and interview podcasts. While the data collection structures and processes they created may be of interest to others (we'll be sharing them at a Best Practices session through a Quality and Innovation Network in the State, and may be able to post materials on the AI Commons or share them in other ways), the reasons and how they created the subcommittee are most instructive. I say this because they arose from the AI process itself, after an initial two-day facilitators training, as a way of (a) reconstructing the meaning of being an AI facilitator and (b) keeping people engaged who otherwise would have opted out. Among those who'd been selected to serve as facilitators were several people--primarily faculty, Media and IT specialists, researchers and statisticians--who pushed back strongly against the AI process, especially AI's conception of "data." 

Through continued dialog following an initial two-day training, the real issue behind the push-back was surfaced: they were very uncomfortable about facilitating, especially with groups of their peers. In a brilliant, collective effort to keep all involved and for each to contribute their best to the project, they reconstructed the meaning of "facilitator" and formed three or four subcommittee, each of which was responsible for supporting a part of the process. One of those subcommittees was Data and Research. I believe another was Media-A/V. Because all were part of the facilitators team, they collaborated within the team to create ways of collecting and entering stories (from summary sheets) and themes (data) into a database. The Media-A/V group provided video services to create podcasts of stories that individuals and/or their work teams wanted to share broadly, like the team member whose young daughter had cancer and to whom work team members
 contributed their vacation and sick leave time so she could be with her daughter 24/7.

Socially Constructing "Data"--

The case supports what Jane Watkins says (she's in my head...) about experience-based learning design in AI: "____(fill in your name), it's not about you; it's about they-em!" While most of the groups I work with do not create databases or podcasts, as this group did, most do want a record of some sort--whatever form is most meaningful to them and their organizational culture and forms of dialog--to spark conversation and both capture and inform ongoing organizational learning. I've found that the best "technologies" emerge from the Sponsor, Advisory Group, or Planning Group and/or during the AI process itself.

Cheers,
Jody

Jody Jacobson, President 
Aerial View Consulting, LLC 
Clear Thinking ... Breakthrough Results!
www.aerialviewconsulting.com 
Phone/ 608.347.9961 

Fax/      608.204.0039