MM&A Project Plan for a Multinational Organization
This event was part of a three year change strategy, and one of approximately 15 similar events held during the three year engagement.
Background:
The (confidential) is appointing 10 country managers this week. Some of them will likely come from the region and be knowledgeable about their assigned country and current work program. Some, however, will likely be new to the region, or, if already in the region, new to the assigned countries. There is a separate program of orientation workshops that is being developed to brief managers in their first week on the job regarding the rationale for the change program, the overall regional business strategy, the streamlined processes, front office roles, contracting, etc.
In at least a few (confidential) countries, there are existing country teams which could be a useful source of information and knowledge for incoming managers. Their early involvement with the manager would also send an important signal regarding the prominence of country teams in the new (confidential.)
Purpose:
This workshop provides to new country managers a detailed and interactive orientation to the country, its work program, and the country team, and begins to clarify how the country team will operate.
Objectives:
To introduce the manager to the key staff who work on the country;
To introduce the manager to the country context, the country strategy, the current work program, and the proposed work program for the next fiscal year; and
To begin the process of forming this group into a country team, including developing goals, roles, communications, leadership, and decision methods.
Participants:
The newly appointed country manager
The existing country officer and country economist
One or perhaps two representatives from each of the major sectors
The outgoing country operations division chief, if feasible
A counterpart from sister organizations
A staff member newly recruited from this client country (possibility)
Design Parameters:
This is approximately 2 days of work. To create the environment desired for creative thinking, learning, and relationship building, it is best to conduct this workshop offsite at a residential conference center, such as Airlie House.
The design will definitely need to accommodate the straight, traditional presentation of information to the new manager, supported by slides, overheads, handouts, tables, charts, etc. However, it should also allow for a maximum of interaction among participants, and the group and team development ground that we cover should be as interactive and engaging as possible.
To stay within the 2 day boundary, and to still allow for 2 residential nights, I propose that we begin with lunch on the first day, work both evenings, and end with lunch on the 3rd day . . . totaling 2 days of work.
Proposed Design:
(On the day before departure, or the morning of departure, the country team would meet with the vice president or one of the transition directors for a short send-off meeting.)
12:00 Arrive and check in
12:30 Lunch
1:30 Overview of the purpose and agenda, setting norms, getting started
1:45 Introductions, ice breaker; each person reflects then illustrates on flip chart five sections of their own personal shield, representing 1) the gifts or personal attributes that they have to offer the team; 2) the accomplishments that they are most proud of; 3) one or two things about me that you would typically learn much later; 4) frustrations regarding the work on the country or in the country team; and 5) a personal motto. Impressions and summary from the country director.
2:45 Overview of the Team Performance Model (TPM -- Drexler Sibbet). Participants will have a different colored post-it note for each day, and invited to post them any time on the particular stage in the model that the group seems to be operating in whenever the participants believe something significant is happening in the team.
3:00 Highlights of the regional business strategy, values, and emphasis on teams. This is the contextual piece that makes the case for change, and describes how this country team fits in and supports the region's overall business strategy and values.
3:15 Portrait of the country: background and overview of the country, presented by country officer and country economist -- overall economic and social indicators; recent political history; and the recent history of the Bank's involvement up to but not including the current work program and country strategy
3:45 Dialogue about the development needs of the country -- all. This conversation is intended to wrap up and integrate the major points from the portrait of the country, and, as consensus begins to emerge toward the end, set the stage for the country strategy and work program dialogue, next.
4:30 Check norms around dialogue. This a process check, to revisit the TPM, and to allow the group to comment on its own behaviors and norms in the preceding dialogue.
4:45 Overview of the country strategy, the current fiscal year (FY) work program, and status of the portfolio, presented by a sectoral TM. This should outline the major country goals and evaluate the current FY work program's success at meeting the country goals.
5:15 Dialogue about the fit between the country goals, the current FY work program, and the development needs of the country. This conversation is intended to wrap up and integrate the major points from the preceding presentation, and, as consensus begins to emerge toward the end, set the stage for conversation about the next fiscal year work program scheduled for the next morning.
6:00 Dinner
7:30 Feedback from instrument -- FIRO-B. The instrument is self scoring and can be administered in advance or on the spot. Once participants have their results, they copy them into a workbook, which serves as the framework for the evening session. The first half of the workbook focuses on the FIRO-B model, and the individual's results and what they mean. The second half of the workbook focuses on teams, and the roles that individuals with different MBTI profiles play in teams, and how team can build on the strengths and differences of their members.
8:45 Review of the day, against the TPM and agreed norms
9:00 Done
8:30 Unfinished business from yesterday; review of emergent norms; adjust agenda as needed
9:00 Country team goals, commitment, and organization -- This conversation is focussed on TPM stage 3, goal and role clarification: making explicit the assumptions that participants make about this CT, agreement around the purpose of this country team, and agreement to roles that members, including the country director, country economist, country officer, program team leaders, and res rep would hold. (This could benefit from a short, focussed activity.)
10:30 Review of proposed next FY work program and initial clustering of tasks, presented by a sectoral TM. The initial work of preparing the next FY work program will already have been done by the existing country departments, and the initial clustering of tasks will already have occurred. This session is intended to present that work and the rationale behind the decisions that have been taken to date.
11:00 Dialogue about the fit between the country strategy goals, the next FY work program, and the development needs of the country review. This session is intended to review the original work on the work program and clustering and make changes as appropriate in light of the preceding day's conversation (not necessarily driving for closure)
12:30 Lunch
1:30 Commitment and organization of the CT: From TPM stage 4, commitment: resolving issues about the degree of interdependence required in this CT, how staff from the resident mission would be involved in the CT and in the work overall, how decisions will be made, how will money be allocated, spent, and monitored. Show the video from the field office training program. (This could benefit from a short, focussed activity.)
3:30 How contracting and work program agreements will actually work in this country team. Most of the participants will likely be involved as former task managers and potential future program team leaders. In addition, the CD, CO, and CE will also be involved and have a role in the contracting and developing of WPAs. This is a conversation both about the process by which work will occur, and some of the tradeoffs involved in the proposed work program for the next FY, and includes many of the issues related to TPM stage 5.
5:30 Break
6:00 Dinner
7:30 Partnership -- Survival Run video, and dialogue regarding the Bank's partnership with the borrower and other stakeholders, and the country team's interest in partnerships within the team. This is a session that would benefit from the attendance of someone from the IMF who is active in this country, or from recently recruited staff from this country.
8:45 Review of the day, against TPM and agreed norms
9:00Done
8:30 Unfinished business from yesterday; review of emergent norms; revisit TPM; adjust agenda as needed
9:00 Coming to closure on the next FY work program and priorities for the country. This session builds on yesterday's last two sessions, incorporating the view from the client's perspective, and bringing to closure the dialogue from yesterday afternoon regarding work program teams and work program agreements.
10:30 Review of country team goals, norms, leadership, roles, and communications. This session recaps the group's progress on these issues, and visits the TPM once last time, in which the team makes some observations about its own performance and how it might be improved.
11:30 Impressions and summary by the country director
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Back to the office