Strategies & Models for Effective Consultation Veronika Tatarinoff Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering University of NSW

Consultation 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

TOHSS Training Workplace satisfaction TechTrain 2003 Events Bulletin Board Website Workplace satisfaction E-tag TechNet

Why consult? Legal requirement of OHS Act 2000 Gather good ideas Understand the priorities SOLUTIONS driven, directed and designed by people implementing them

Ownership NOT Ownershit Lindsay O’Keefee UNSW TechNet 2003

Issue Outcomes

How to consult? No magic tricks

Processes or Tools Committee & Task force Electronic communication Surveys & Events Public Forum Break out groups Brainstorming focus groups Structured Interview Focus group

Committees, Task forces & Support groups TechTrain 2003 TOHSS e-tag group

Electronic communication forum Website TOHSS website TOHSS bulletin board

Surveys & Events Big Little Safety expo Site visit Videos Training

Public Forum Focus Groups Breakout groups Brainstorming Structured

Breakout groups A A A A A A A A forum

Break out groups Break out groups Same topic - Premise that quantity breeds quality No facilitator group sets scriber wrap up at end to present findings outcomes

Brainstorm focus groups A B C forum

Brainstorming Brainstorming is an exercise in free-thinking different/unrelated topics facilitator optional wrap up & outcome

Structured/Interview Focus D E F

Structured Interview Focus group Each topic has set time (20-30 min) facilitator probing questions input sought from all participants comment on each topic results collated by facilitators recommendations shared

What’s in it for us? Participant Participant willingness to contribute, opportunity to understand the process Organisers Organisers prepared to listen no preconceived ideas

Listen, listen, listen “Listening means taking a vigorous human interest in what is being told us” Alice Duer Miller US author “Most people don’t listen they just wait for their turn to talk”

Gathering good information Ask the right questions Listen 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: Set directions/goals Identify priorities Processes in place Confirm or clarify proposed actions

Where to now? Issues forums

It’s not what you know or even or even Who you know but Who knows what you know. Who knows what you know.

Celebrate achievements Advertise success positive feedback feedback sandwich (negative) awards

DVC launches TOHSS

TOHSS task force !

Consultation Consultation is all about sharing information to effect meaningful change

Consultation your chance to change the future

Modified from Tom Shales - The Washington Post 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.

Acknowledgements TechNet committee TOHSS committee (task force) TechTrain 03 committee UNSW Staff Development Working party for OHS communication

Consultation your chance to change the future Veronika Tatarinoff