Effective Training and Development

A couple that were different from the norm.  The first was to help a metropolitan borough undertake a consultation exercise with hard to reach groups about its revenue and benefits services.  We discussed a range of options, and eventually came up with the main part of the session having the customers seated at a series of round tables, which then received ‘visitors’ - Council staff - would would ask questions in an informal, friendly way, about particular services. So the customers stayed in their seats, and the staff moved round.

Then, after a free lunch, the customers were encouraged to visit a range of ’stalls’, scattered round the room:

• remeniscence corner, where the customers could talk about the best or worst customer experience they had ever had

• the soapbox - where any customer could ‘take the stand’ and talk about any issue they felt strongly about - this was video recorded

• being MAD - Making A Difference.  At this stand, customers were asked “if you could offer a single suggestion to improve services, or a single thing you’d like to change, what would it be?”
• the IT hot spot - a stand where staff demonstrated and asked for views on the latest ways in which the service was using new technology to improve access

Another recent assignment was to help a local council’s youth service run a residential weekend for 11-18 year olds.  This is the group, and their helpers:

Often people at the younger end are shy and reluctant to speak out.  One technique we use to get people’s ideas and opinions is to use post its and dots…