My usual behaviour after presenting or facilitating a training course (back then) had been to accuse myself of a poor performance.  I would then reinforce this severe self-judgement by mulling over the ‘happy sheets’ – the so-called evaluation forms that participants completed at the end of a course.  They were called ‘happy sheets’ because they could only record the level of happiness felt by each participant with the course itself, the room, the food and the trainer.  Participants would have had neither the time nor the opportunity to trial the use or effectiveness of the material or methods offered or developed at the course before completing this so-called evaluation.

As I grew in confidence, I replaced my focus on these happy sheets with a focus on the experience of each course, so that I could then capitalise on that experience in perfecting my further writing on the course topic.

The art and importance of adaptation

This change of focus led me to continue presenting my courses as I had initially designed, trialed and refined them – instead of trying to constantly change the content, format or style in response to the happy sheet evaluations.  I saw that the basic course didn’t need improving or changing: it just needed adapting to each separate audience.

It was the adaptation that became my challenge, not the course content or format.

Adaptation meant acknowledging and responding to the level of consciousness within the group, within the room.  It meant dealing with the sum of energy brought into the room by the individuals in each separate group.

I clearly saw that adaptation had nothing to do with the course: it had everything to do with where each person in the group was ‘at’ when they entered the room, and what they would chose to do with their thoughts and personal energy throughout the course.

Participant entry and exit maturity levels in training courses

This led me to understand and acknowledge what I’ve called ‘entry maturity’ – the level of maturity with the course topic or theme brought by each course participant as they entered the training room at commencement of the course.

‘Maturity’ is a combination of confidence, competence and comfort with the course topic or theme.

Participants whose entry maturity was low would drain the group energy; participants whose entry maturity was high would contribute to the group energy; and participants whose entry maturity was uncertain would challenge the group energy.

Together, these three levels of entry maturity would create the group’s collective consciousness.  And I could rely on the collective consciousness being an amalgam of the entry maturity level of all participants – at least for the first hour of each course.

Most importantly, I recognised that each separate group‘s collective consciousness needed to be monitored throughout the course.  It was capable of encompassing a wide range of entry maturity levels – speaking with one voice, with authority, with compassion and with direction.

One of my early lessons as a Trainer

My tools and methods for adaptation needed to respond to the group’s collective consciousness in each training course.  (Trainers often refer to their own connection with a group’s collective consciousness as ‘having their antennae tuned into the group’ or ‘using their intuition’ to check the response level of a group throughout a course.)

The course topic or theme would have brought the participants to the room and given them the context, the purpose, the framework for attendance.  My responsibility was to ensure that my notes and the course format were adequate to satisfy their immediate need for confidence or competency or comfort – or all three – in relation to the topic or theme.  The collective consciousness in the room was an energy that I had firstly to acknowledge, and then confidently respond.   My tools and methods included:

• identifying with individual participants by acknowledging each as a valuable and valued contributor to the course,
• using terms, concepts and language that were familiar,
• balancing anecdotes with factual details, encouraging small group discussions, and validating participant experiences or concerns as they surfaced, and
• closely monitoring and responding to the three major components of effective communication throughout the course – the words used by participants, their tone of voice, and, most importantly, their body language.

At the end of a course, individual participants would have achieved or acquired an ‘exit maturity’ – desirably a higher level of maturity (ie competence, confidence and/or comfort) with the course topic or theme that they would take back to their workplace or private life for use, application or reference.  And always offering my availability by phone or email for any queries or requests for follow-up information.

‘Flow-on’ choices for me

With this enlightenment, I made the following ‘flow-on’ choices:

• to strengthen the course content and notes with examples, anecdotes or scenarios appropriate to each separate group of participants,
• to allow each participant to be responsible for his/her own actions and behaviours during the course,
• to allow our collective consciousness to work with and through the group, and with and through the individuals in the group, and
• to draw my own energy from the collective consciousness, and thus to deflect any energy in the group that was not contributing positively to the collective consciousness.

Further ‘flow-on’ choices for me were to relax; accept the differences in ‘entry maturity’; work toward an achievable ‘exit maturity’, and understand that each participant would take their particular aspect of the collective consciousness with them from the training room into their workplace or private lives.

This article is an extract from my e-book, My Spiritual Journey as an Independent Consultant

Effective communication is passing the right message or information to the right person with the right effect, impact and outcome.

Face-to-face (ie person to person) communication is the most effective form of communication, and carries the following percentages of impact in terms of effectiveness:

• words:                   7% of impact
• tone of voice:        38% of impact
• body language:     55% of impact

Therefore listening, questioning, explaining, clarifying, encouraging, facilitating, challenging, convincing, verifying, comforting and supporting must include the right words, the right tone of voice, and the right body language. Otherwise, chances of effectively communicating with another person or group of people are slim.

For instance, a task or request can be expertly analysed and prepared.  However, if the task is not effectively communicated to the person or group responsible for carrying it out, then the desired result will not – and cannot – be achieved.

How and why technology is a major problem

1. how many emails have you received:
• that you’ve had trouble reading – let alone understanding?
• with ‘text language’ inserted – obviously to save time on the part of the sender?
• meant for someone else?
2. how often have you read text (in any form or document) that obviously has not been edited for accuracy, flow and consistency?
3. how often have you received a written response to a request for information in which the sender of the response has misread or misunderstood your request – but hasn’t bothered to check back with you?
4. how often have you been requested to complete a ‘(client, customer, staff, etc) satisfaction survey’ by linking to an electronic survey instrument – relying entirely on words… which means no tone of voice or body language, therefore 7% of impact: and how often have you found that such a survey is seen to be an effective quality assurance tool!!!

So let’s look further into the basic tools for effective communication – ie effective knowledge and information transfer.

The four basic tools are:

• questioning
• listening,
• expressing, and
• observing.

You must think through what you want to communicate, be prepared to question or be questioned, listen to what is being said or implied (and what is not being said), note the tone of voice, observe the body language… and use the appropriate method or means to express or transfer your knowledge or information.

Where you need to transfer specific knowledge, information, instruction or detail, or where a record of the content is required, it is wise to use written communication – and note that almost all written communication involved technology.  And in doing so, always check that you’ve written what you need to say in a manner that readers will read what you want them to read, know what you want them to know and be able to do what you are asking them to do.

It is easy to assume a level of knowledge and understanding in a reader or listener that is simply not there. Easy, too, to assume a commitment to your ideas, knowledge or instructions for action or change when it would be better to provide greater detail in order to earn or ensure the required commitment.  Misplaced assumptions can be at worst dangerous, at best unproductive.

Your style of verbal communication is worth checking too, as to tone and emotion, language and emphasis, method of addressing, amount of information presented, and the skills of the listener to question and listen.

Great care should be taken to use acceptable and appropriate language and forms of communication, whether person-to-person, in meetings, and when distributing information within and from your organisation.  Relevant factors in determining appropriate language and forms of communication include:

• the culture and background of the people involved or affected,
• levels of confidence, competence and comfort,
• use of symbols where there is a language or literacy barrier,
• use of large-print, audio tapes or video where sight is impaired, and
• use of sign language or visuals where hearing is impaired.

Much research has been undertaken over many years into the concept, meaning, application and transfer of knowledge.

My dictionary states that ‘knowledge is (1) the facts or experiences known by a person or group of people, (2) the state of knowing (which is defined as being or feeling certain of the truth or accuracy of a fact, etc); (3) to have a familiarity or grasp of, and (4) to be intelligent, informed, or sensible enough to do something… and there are eight other definitions given!

Knowledge is power – but only if knowledge is transferred to another person or group in a form and manner that is (a) effective, and most inportlantly, (b) genuinely and speedily checked by the sender as to effectiveness.

My own experience with and understanding of information has been described in many of my publications, viz:

What is information?

Information is knowledge acquired through experience or study, knowledge of specific events, people, places or things or instruction, advice, opinion or judgement.  Information circulates through – and contributes to:

• action, research, trial and error,
• decisions and choices,
• discussions, debates and problem-solving,
• ensuring a healthy commitment to the purpose of the organisation,
• experiences, behaviour, attitudes and values,
• knowledge, fact and opinion, and
• perceptions, observations, analysis, views and opinions.

Information flows within any group, family, workplace or organisation from a variety of internal and external sources.  It is then processed, applied, altered, added to or discarded through a series of procedures and processes by different
people:

• if information circulates easily and well, knowledge and understanding will increase and all involved will benefit,
• if information is stifled, deliberately misinterpreted, misquoted or circulated in a way that displays negative use of power and authority, the effect can be traumatic for all involved,
• it takes courage to demand information that should be freely available,
• it takes courage to challenge people who are using information in a destructive or divisive way.

To manage information effectively and efficiently, each person must be able – or be assisted – to:

1. express themselves adequately,
2. convey exactly what they intend and need to convey,
3. assess and compare information,
4. trust the source and the content, and
5. appreciate and accept the results of the management of their information.

Management of information must ensure that:

1. a person or group is responsible for the content and quality of each piece of information moving through the organisation,
2. each piece of information is managed to and from each position and each level in the organisation, with the source and author/s clearly shown, and
3. every person is able to manage the relevant information to and from her/his position effectively and efficiently.

To manage information, it is necessary to:

1. treat information as a valuable and valued resource, product and service,
2. ensure clarification of expectations and requirements as to availability, which means establishing a number of categories to define the status of particular information, eg confidential, restricted, available on request, desired reading or required reading, and
3. determine appropriate audiences, frequency, format, status, timeliness give clear instructions as to storage, ie paper (hard-copy) filing systems, procedures and security; and computer access, back-up, filing, retrieval, disposal, security.

Effective and efficient information should, at the appropriate time, enable each person to:

1. inform, express and explain with accuracy,
2. predict, educate, persuade, empower, challenge,
3. convey emotion, logic, direction, choices, implications.

To be effective, information should be:

1. created and used sensitively,
2. captured in writing and in conversation,
3. portrayed in visual and graphic form,
4. assessed, queried, clarified, verified, tested, compared, acted upon,
5. owned,
6. located, stored, retrieved, disposed of,
7. built on, added to,
8. applied, adapted,
9. analysed, debated, criticised,
10. translated, explained,
11. offered, presented, defended, and
12. used economically.

Risks with information

Information can be mis-managed, which means it can:

1. cost or waste money and time,
2. cause frustration and despair,
3. generate hostility and lack of trust,
4. contribute to defensiveness and counter-productive attacks,
5. distance one community, organisation or group from another,
6. distance person from person,
7. further complicate any undesirable circumstances, and
8. contribute to the very problems that communities, organisations, groups or individuals are working so hard to redress.

There is such a thing as ‘un-managed’ information:

1. ad hoc in nature, interpretation and use,
2. has no clear or accepted policy and procedure for its use,
3. carries no obvious accountability,
4. creates mixed and misleading expectations,
5. can lead to confusion, embarrassment, distrust,
6. can lead to reduced job satisfaction, low morale, and lack of personal and professional credibility, or
7. can damage the professional reputation of a total organisation.

Mis-managed or un-managed information is open to abuse, to mis-interpretation, and to negative and disruptive use of power and control.

Organisations need formal information to function effectively and efficiently, and to achieve the objectives of the organisation.    Organisations need informal information for support, sharing, feedback, floating ideas and initiatives, inspiration or removing stress and distress.

Organisations need a system and process for the management of information which positively empowers its people to perform their responsibilities as effectively and efficiently as possible. 

If your system or process includes – or relies on – technology, be very sure that such technology is a tool for effective communication – as a means of transfering knowledge and information, and achieving organisational effectiveness.

Now – here’s the problem:

There will be people in any organisation who just don’t know, understand or recognize this Corporate Language and are therefore at a disadvantage.  They also have potential to unintentionally disadvantage others, as well as the organisation.

To summarize, Corporate Language:

1. is separate and different from linguistic differences
2. exists in any cultural, social, commercial, community, educational and political context,
3. has little to do with educational levels or qualifications,
4. is put to effective, ineffective, destructive or no use on a daily basis throughout the organisation,
5. has no origin or originator,
6. is rarely owned or managed by anyone in a position of authority,
7. is rarely identified as a major contributor to risk management and quality assurance, and
8. is rarely subjected to cost analysis.

Corporate language is created almost on a daily basis through informal conversation, meetings, minutes, reports, technology, documentation – and idle chatter.

What to do about it?

1. handle it seriously and with respect – as it has potential to be both a tool and a weapon,
2. arrange for a person with authority to be responsible it,
3. allocate a budget to design and develop an internal glossary of terms – you may wish to call it an internal dictionary,
4. invite anyone to submit entries – which must pass the entry test of clarity, alignment with corporate values, common use and frequency,
5. pay particular attention to the use of acronyms – which can too easily enter and even take over as ‘corporate lingo’ rather than ‘corporate language’,
6. clearly define key terms in common use – eg cost, price, value, margin, capacity, capability, effectiveness, efficiency, performance,
7. include this living document in the intranet, and
8. make this living document a feature in the orientation and induction of new people at any and every level of activity within the organisation.

Measurable outcomes of this initiative should include:

1. Corporate Language is lifted from the obscure to the obvious,
2. an increase in person-to-person conversation as opposed to technological messages,
3. more effective communication and expression,
4. improvement in corporate documents,
5. contribution to risk management and quality assurance, and
6. contribution to the orientation and induction procedure.

In designing strategies to achieve organisational success, the organisation’s stated values – and those of individuals within the organisation - are a great starting point.

Organisational values can be a strong motivator for people at governance, management and operational levels of activity – but only if the people understand them:  for example, a common value should be ‘honesty in all dealings’:  however, if this value appears in documents without explanation or definition, people have no option other than to use their personal values to give these words meaning and intent.  Should any person’s interpretation miss the organisation’s hidden meaning and intent, it is likely that their words, attitudes or behaviour will be treated as out-of-place, irresponsible, disrespectful, inappropriate – or even dishonest.

Each organisational value needs to be clearly stated, clearly defined, and followed with examples of acceptable – and unacceptable – words, attitudes and behaviours.

My definition of Business Brainpower – as in my 1997 book, The Left and Right-Brain Business:

The ability to:

• accept that people can think and act differently to you,
• understand why they do, and
• apply this knowledge and understanding in managing problems, creating opportunities and accepting challenges.

My tried and tested Business Brainpower tool is left- and right-brain orientation, as it offers a means of increasing each person’s self-confidence and self-esteem – as well as team, unit and organisational effectiveness.

The ability to understand and predict human behaviours is an important factor in any organisation.    As explained and expanded in my book, there are 3 major components of a task:

1. the task component – the activity to be undertaken and the outcome to be achieved,
2. the people component – those who will be involved with or affected by the task, and
3. the environment component – the situation or circumstances within which the task is to be undertaken, accomplished or achieved; and the people are to be involved or affected.

A left-brain dominant person tends to give the task component priority over the person and environment components; a right-brain dominant person tends to give the person component priority over the task and environment components; and a centre person (who has equal value and importance for both the task and person components) tends to give the environment component priority over the task and person components.

An example of the effect of imposed organisational values

A group of regional managers were charged with the responsibility of achieving sales targets 100% above those of the equivalent period in the previous year.   On this occasion, they met to examine the performance of their respective sales teams.  Of particular interest – and concern – was the fact that some salespeople were better than others at achieving and even surpassing the imposed sales targets.

Because the organisational value and focus on the ‘task component’ was absolute, each regional manager adopted this focus in motivating, managing and monitoring individual sales targets.   They monitored individual sales figures daily, and ignored both the person and environment components.

As Business Brainpower was introduced and discussion moved to include the importance and relevance of the person and environment components, the regional managers quickly realised that some of their salespeople were experiencing difficulty in their marriages and personal relationships, others were over-committed financially and yet others were experiencing personality clashes with colleagues.   The best sales person (by sales figures of course: how else do you measure sales performance!) had an impressive and consistent record in achieving high-volume sales and doing exceptionally well for himself, his team and his regional manager.   However, he had just inherited a substantial sum of money which was sufficient to remove his need to earn a high income – and could well remove or lessen his  motivation to maintain the position of top salesperson.

This regional manager was experiencing severe stress. His best salesperson could now either ease back on his excellent sales performance or retire to lead a life of relative ease and luxury. Neither possibility thrilled this regional manager, as either action would put pressure on his own performance and the performance of the rest of his sales team.

Because of the imposed organisational value of the task component, the components of person and environment were not only devalued: they were not even considered as relevant.  All regional managers felt they had no option but to adopt or replicate this left-brain style of managing.  Regional managers whose natural priority was with the person or environment components had forced their personal values into the background in order to fit the company mould. This imposed organisational value created a stressful work environment for the regional manager every day.

By understanding and accepting Business Brainpower, the regional managers were able to objectively assess the organisational value and its effect on themselves, their team and their work environment.

Their stress levels were immediately reduced, even though the situation remained the same. They were now able to separate the task, person and environment components of each situation or problem, including the motivation of their salespeople. The regional manager who had feared losing his top salesperson was now able to introduce Business Brainpower to his sales team, which soon lifted the team’s overall performance by increasing each person’s sales figures.   The regional manager even motivated his top salesperson to choose to stay.

I might add that in the first instance the regional managers had to be convinced that expanding the focus to include the person and environment components would be useful.

Organisational effectiveness

The concept of organisational effectiveness is defined here as the effective and efficient use and application of available resources to achieve immediate and short-term objectives in line with defined quality  standards.

This definition applies to any context – including commercial, government, nonprofit and academia.

The ultimate test of organisational effectiveness includes repeat customers or clients; staff retention and satisfaction; growth in activity, impact and reach; financial viability and sustainability; ‘corporate’ citizenship; and assured value to the ‘owners’ who may be owner/managers, shareholders, association or company members, or the taxpayer.

1. Board performance
2. Why should a Board be concerned about quality in their own performance?
3. Tribute to the late Philip B Crosby – author of Quality is Free - the art of making quality certain, (Published by McGraw Hill, 1979).
4. Quality Maturity
5. Total Quality Management (TQM) is the recommended basis for Quality Maturity in Board Performance
6. How do we apply TQM to the governance role and function of the Board?
7. There are 5 levels of Quality Maturity in Board Performance – with a summary of the quality attributes in each level
8. Checklist for a Board to improve the level of Quality Maturity in Board Performance:
9. Action-research base for the 5-Levels of Quality Maturity in Nonprofit Board Performance

Board performance

‘Performance’ is the manner or quality of functioning’, the ‘mode of conduct or behaviour’.

Within any nonprofit organisation, it is vital that each group of people working as a team is able to perform to the best of its ability. This means achieving the purpose of the team, and contributing to the purpose for which the organisation exists.   The performance of a team improves as the confidence and competence of team members improve.

Board performance is a team performance.      There is an individual level of responsibility for each Board member to know and understand in order for each to be committed to the philosophy and purpose of the organisation – and to consistently demonstrate  loyalty to the organisation and all involved.   And there is a collective level of responsibility required from the Board to work as a cohesive group who understand and accept the role they have agreed to undertake, ie governance of the organisation.

The Board-as-a-whole should perform in such a way as to ensure wise governance, sound management and operational effectiveness in achieving the purpose of the organisation.

Why should a Board be concerned about quality in their own performance?

Board members may be elected, selected or appointed – and are unpaid, in that their services and time are voluntarily contributed to their organisation.   The Board is accountable and responsible for the endorsement and monitoring of the organisation’s strategic, policy and financial framework in order to achieve the purpose for which the organisation has been legally incorporated or registered, with nonprofit status.

The ideal working relationship between a Board and CEO is one of mutual respect, open communication and shared commitment to achieving the purpose of the organisation, and the Board-endorsed strategic, financial and operational targets.

Board members need to know the right questions to ask of their CEO in order to receive the information and advice they need to assist or challenge their performance.    CEOs similarly need to know the right questions to ask of their Board in order to receive the direction and authority they need to effectively and efficiently carry out the management function in regard to the day-to-day affairs and activities of the organisation.

This article offers a proven and practical tool to guide a Board in the process of increasing the confidence and competence of individual Board members, and to increase the quality of performance of the Board as a whole.

The Board is legally required to govern the affairs and activities of the legal entity on behalf, and in the interest, of the association, company or co-operative members.    (The CEO is included in all references to the Board in this article in the role of Executive Officer to the Board)

Tribute to the late Philip Crosby

During the late 1990s, I contacted Philip Crosby in USA after reading his Quality is free – the art of making quality certain, (Philip B Crosby: Publisher, McGraw Hill, 1979).   With my earlier experience as a partner in a the family precision engineering company, I understood and appreciated his Quality Maturity Model, featuring five levels – Level 1 representing ‘uncertainty’, and level 5 representing ‘certainty’.  I easily recognised the application of this model to nonprofit organisations, and approached Crosby for permission to adapt his work: he readily agreed, not long before his death.   The objective of this adaptation is to enable a Board to identify the current level of Quality Maturity – and commence a planned progression to or toward Level 5.

Qualty Maturity

As the confidence and competence of individual Board members increase, the performance of the Board as a team improves.   This improvement is referred to as the ‘quality maturity’ of the Board.

• ‘Quality’ is the totality of the attributes of a service or product which meets the requirements of the user of the service or owner of the product: the degree or standard of excellence, especially a high standard.
• ‘Quality Maturity in Board Performance’ is the degree or standard of excellence the Board achieves and maintains as it develops confidence and competence in undertaking the governance role, and effectively fulfilling the governance function.

Total quality management (TQM) is the recommended basis for Quality Maturity in Board Performance

TQM is defined as the extent to which a Board consistently meets or exceeds the expectations and requirements of the governance role and function:

1. the extent to which the Board is able to make wise decisions, ie quality of research
2. the extent to which the design of the Board’s structure, process and values enables the Board to consistently meet or exceed the expectations and requirement of the Board, ie quality of design
3. the extent to which the Board functions and continues to function as intended, ie quality of conformance.

TQM provides a sound basis for Quality Maturity in Board Performance.  The ongoing challenge then is continuous quality improvement, and again, there are 3 stages:

1. to increase the Board’s knowledge and understanding of the expectations and requirements of the governance role and function,
2. to improve the design, so that the mix of Board structure, process and values more closely meets or exceeds the expectations and requirements of their role and function, and
3. to improve the Board’s ability to operate in a manner and to an extent that consistently conforms more closely to the design.

How do we apply TQM to the governance role and function of the Board?

If there is a positive attitude to quality and quality improvement at the governance and management levels of the organisation, there will be an active, positive and healthy attitude to quality and quality improvement in Board performance.

Positive attitudes manifest as behaviour, and this will be displayed throughout the organisation in the manner and extent to which:

1. problems or risks are identified and anticipated – and therefore either (1) avoided or (2) managed if and when they do occur
2. cost effectiveness and cost efficiencies are in place throughout the whole organisation
3. planned and resourced activity toward quality improvement is evident throughout the organisation, and
4. an active commitment is evident throughout the organisation to the relevance and importance of quality

There are 5 levels of Quality Maturity in Board Performance

The quality attributes listed below within each Level enable a Board to determine their present level of quality maturity.

Entry point to the 5 levels of Quality Maturity in Board Performance is Level 1

The starting point for a Board is to discuss and agree that the listed attributes in Level 1 demonstrate a sound understanding of and confidence in the governance role, responsibilities and relationships.    Without confidence and competence in all Level 1 attributes, it is extremely difficult for a Board to plan and achieve improvement in the quality of its own performance.   Each Level through to Level 5 indicates an increasing maturity and consistency in:

1. levels of Board member confidence and competence, and
2. quality of Board performance

Level 1 is the basis for Board performance, with each Board member having confidence and competence in the role, responsibilities and relationships of the Board as the governing body.  The Level 1 quality attributes are:

1. Board structure and process, including Board member recruitment and orientation
2. Formal relationship and demarcation between governance, management and the point/s of service delivery - including delegation of authority, lines of accountability and service standards
3. Introducing policies, procedures and practices to strengthen the function of the Board as a whole, Board office-bearers, Board members who are not office-bearers, sub-committees/Board committees, and the CEO or senior paid staff position
4. Legal and organisational structure
5. Legal role, duties, responsibilities and obligations of Board members, including the endorsement of the strategic and policy framework

Level 2 requires the Board as a whole to be able and willing to measure and improve their own performance.  Level 2 quality attributes are:

1. Current Board member skills audit
2. Designing the desirable Board membership and representation
3. Ensuring a high level of job satisfaction for each Board member
4. Identifying performance indicators to measure and improve Board performance
5. Recruitment, orientation and retention of confident and competent Board members

Level 3 ensures a sound Board performance in supporting organisational responsibilities and effectiveness, and leading the organisation in risk management and risk avoidance procedures.  Level 3 quality attributes are:

1. Code of conduct
2. Conflict of interest
3. Financial methods
4. Financial monitoring
5. Governance and management styles
6. Grievance procedures
7. Identifying risk potential and designing risk management/avoidance procedures
8. Internal and external audit procedures
9. Legislative requirements
10. Meeting procedures
11. Reporting procedures
12. Separation of risk, crisis and damage

Level 4 ensures continuous quality improvement in organisational effectiveness through quality definitions, methods and procedures.  Level 4 quality attributes are:

1. Auditing functions
2. Continuous improvement
3. Critical success factors
4. Quality factors
5. Self assessment

Level 5 ensures that the Board is capable to initiate and maintain organisational growth in breadth and/or depth of activity and effectiveness leading the organisation through entrepreneurial activity:

1. Business principles and practices
2. Financial factors
3. Operational factors
4. Quality factors
5. Regulatory requirements
6. Reporting and monitoring procedures
7. Risk assessment
8. Separating core from non-core business activity
9. Structural options
10. Succession planning

The challenge for a Board at Level 5 is to ensure continuous improvement in the planning and delivery of services that are consistent with Level 5 quality attributes.

Checklist for a Board to improve their level of Quality Maturity in Board Performance

1. find out what the Board must do, and why
2. find out whether the Board is doing this at the best possible level of quality and performance
3. decide the most important attributes for immediate or early improvement
4. fix up the obvious, so that the Board performs as it should
5. start work on processes to improve performance – setting measurable targets for time-specific improvements, and
6. continuously improve performance

Each Board member is responsible for the quality of their own performance – and for continued improvement of the quality of their performance.  If each Board member is to be responsible for the quality of their own performance, each needs to know:

1. the purpose for which the organisation exists, the rules by which the Board is required to govern, and requirements and standards of the governance role and function
2. the quality of the governance role and function that will ensure the best possible business practices to achieve the best possible experience for service-users, and the best possible job satisfaction for staff and Board members
3. how to consistently perform as a Board to the desired level of quality
4. how to measure the quality of their own – and the Board’s – performance
5. how to make improvements in the quality of their own – and the organisation’s – performance

Similarly, Board members need to know and understand the value that their voluntary effort as the governing body brings to the organisation: this is basically the effectiveness, efficiency and humane-ness of their efforts and achievements in fulfilling the role, duties and obligations of their position in the organisation.

Action-research base for the 5-Levels of Quality Maturity in Nonprofit Board Performance

My action-research to assess the training and support needs of voluntarily managed organisations in Victoria (Australia) was undertaken from 1989 to 1992 – with focus on small and medium organisations providing services for people with an intellectual disability.  Through 1989-1991, I worked directly with 78 voluntary committees of management and their senior paid staff in identifying and addressing the issues of immediate interest or concern to them.  During this  work, I designed and developed a variety of analytical tools, checklists, strategies and templates to improve decision-making and resource-allocation, and to more effectively and efficiently deal with a variety of issues at governance, management and operational levels of activity.

In 1992, I designed and wrote a 300-page training manual, with 6 modules, 38 units and 24 group activities for in-house training at governance and management levels: the first task in this work was to create a nonrofit governance framework. This manual was launched at a state-wide conference in 1992 by the Victorian Government, the major funding source for this project – and circulated by (then) Community Services Victoria throughout the disability sector in Victoria.

From 1992 to 2004, I continually worked as an independent consultant with nonprofit organisations providing a wide variety of services in Australia – extending, refining and building on the contents of the 1992 training manual.

In 2004, I published my book/CD ROM Managing Governance in Nonprofit Organisations in Australia – featuring 29 Building Blocks and 44 Units.    Together, these 29 Building Blocks provide evidence that:

• people using or accessing the services provided receive a high quality of service in a consistent manner
• staff, volunteers and Board members experience a high level of job satisfaction
• Association/Company members or Cooperative shareholders are confident that the organisation is using its available resources effectively and efficiently to achieve or address the purpose for which the organization exists
• funding bodies are confident that the organisation is able to meet and maintain the terms and conditions of funding and service agreements, and quality/service standards
• communities experience a positive and practical impact and benefit from the activities of the organisation in building a strong and supportive geographic community or community of interest

Together with the 29 Building Blocks, there are 44 Units – each fitting within one or more of the Building Blocks.  The Units present the basis for Quality Maturity.

This work follows the traditional ‘3-level hierarchy’ model, in which a quality factor has a number of components, and each component has a number of elements.  The Building Blocks are the quality factors: the Units are the components: and the tools, strategies, checklists, templates, etc., are the elements.

History is defined as the study of past events: the past considered as a whole.  Living history means that the past is used to inform the present; and the present is used as a basis for planning the future.  The present and future are history in the making, and people in organisations should be making sure that the people who come along after them will have a historical record to ‘dig into’.

In April of 2004, I visited the Greek Island of Santorini, classically known as Thera, and quickly became enthralled with the landscape, seascape and history.  My treasured book Fire in the Sea (by Walter L Friedrich) states that “the Island erupted dramatically in the seventeenth century BC, producing one of the largest explosions ever witnessed by humankind.  The event covered Bronze Age settlements on the island with volcanic ash and altered the course of civilization in the region”.  We travelled by bus to the thrilling and extensive excavations at Akrotiri, and were able to walk through, marvel at and appreciate a re-discovered Bronze Age settlement!

This experience started me thinking about organisations that ‘do things differently’ or ‘do different things’ compared with ‘how’ or ‘what’ new committee members, staff or service-users expected.    My vivid memory of Akrotiri is that the excavations revealed an age, customs and lifestyle for me to wonder about and marvel at.   I could imagine people moving about in their daily activities and relationships.  And I have to admit that I was amazed at the level of sophistication that was obvious among the excavations.

But I still needed to buy the books and read about their wider world – the things going on ‘out there’ that affected these people in ways and to an extent they couldn’t appreciate.

I thought of the saying about the benefit of hindsight – being able to review or recall past events and relationships with the benefit of current knowledge, understanding and wisdom.

Looking at the history of an organisation provides a basis for both subjective and objective analysis – with the benefit of hindsight.  People of today can explore events, incidents and experiences with the benefit of their current knowledge, understanding and wisdom.  They will learn more about the passions, commitment and energy that gave birth to their own organisation, contributed to its establishment and growth and enabled it to continue – sometimes in the face of considerable or overwhelming odds against survival.

Valuing history is an exercise in suspending judgment.    Hindsight can give us a sense of being in a position to approve or disapprove.  However, if we suspend judgment, we also suspend the right to approve or disapprove.  We simply acknowledge and appreciate the effort, passion and experiences of the past that have given us the present.

The responsibility of the present is to plan the future – and the benefit of examining the past should ensure a measure of wisdom in planning, choosing and deciding the future.

The means of examining your organisation’s history are many and varied, and include:

• oral and anecdotal history – listening to and recording the stories of people who have been involved with or have observed the organisation in the recent to distant past
• written history – reading through documents, letters, newspaper articles, etc., about the organisation through its lifetime
• graphic history – gathering photographs, images, drawings, diagrams, illustrations of any nature and kind that capture an aspect of the organisation’s people, places and activities
• legal and factual history – searching through Committee or Board minutes, correspondence (from paper-based through to electronic), annual reports, financial records, newsletters, etc., that reveal the official history

An Archaeological Dig project for your organisation?

If your organisation hasn’t already commenced the process, encourage your colleagues to consider initiating an ‘archaeological dig’.

The process will require interest and commitment from a small group of people, access to historical documents and records, introduction to people who can fill in gaps from and about the past – and access to a budget allocation to fund the process and the outcome.

Of course, there will be an outcome… a booklet, an exhibition, a celebration, a capsule that will be deposited somewhere safe for a far-future ‘dig’,  a theatrical presentation – perhaps even a musical!

Privacy and confidentiality will be an issue, so be sure to treat these very seriously.

Accuracy may be a factor – it should be found in the legal and factual aspects, but needn’t be a factor in the other components of the project.   Perception is truth – how people perceived the organisation at different times in its history will be their understanding of fact.

At Akrotiri, we walked through several of the winding streets in this Bronze Age settlement, and there were surprises at each turn.  We saw features within the settlement that spoke of individual differences and styles.  And I could imagine the differences in age, personalities, behaviours, habits, expectations, and contribution to the Settlement’s peace, security and prosperity among the people who made up the Settlement.

In my reading that followed my visit, there wasn’t any attempt to judge: simply to unravel and acknowledge the passion, commitment and energy available to the Settlement from and among the people who lived there for however long they
stayed.   Some stayed for a lifetime (however brief), and others stayed on their way to or from somewhere else.

Factual history

No matter how many years your organisation has been in existence, there have been requirements for records of information, activity, transactions, negotiations, statistics, decisions, etc., to be introduced, updated, maintained and protected.  Such requirements may have been externally imposed, or internally established.

With the introduction of incorporation legislation for nonprofit organisations, specific ‘tools’ were developed for recording the organisation’s legal and factual history.   Examples
of such tools (in alphabetical order include:

1. annual budgets
2. annual meeting minutes and papers
3. annual or triennial funding and service agreements
4. annual reports
5. audited annual financial statements
6. Committee/Board minutes and meeting papers
7. contracts, newsletters and programs
8. official minute book
9. pamphlets, brochures, flyers, policy and procedure manuals
10. quality improvement manuals
11. register of members
12. sequential constitutions and amendments
13. special general meeting minutes and papers
14. staff records
15. strategic, business, corporate, annual plans
16. tenders and submissions
17. volunteer effort
18. and more

This might be the starting point.  When these are gathered, dusted off, and handed out to the people who have volunteered to undertake this Archaeological Dig Project, the task could be to sort things into bundles appropriate for:

• oral and anecdotal history
• written history
• graphic history
• legal and factual history

An Archaeological Dig wider than your organisation?

It is highly likely that your organisation has played a key role in the history and development of your neighbourhood, town, city or suburb.  If this is so, perhaps your Committee or Board could suggest a wider Archaeological Dig that will include but not be confined to your organisation.

Keep the image and example of a Bronze Age Settlement uppermost in your mind.  At some time in the future, the 20^th and 21^st centuries may well be regarded as equivalent to our Bronze Age!  Do your best to leave a range of information that will inform the future – or far-future – of the passions, commitment and energy that is driving your organisation, neighbourhood, town, city or suburb today.

Good digging!

Training and development is a ‘person’ component of business and needs to be regarded as an investment in business terms.  And it will be, as long as a defined training/development/learning program is based on identified and assessed training needs.   Each training and development program should lead to a measurable improvement in work-place practices, which in turn should lead to measurable improvements in both business performance and job satisfaction.

This article is an extract from Jean’s book, The Left and Right Brain Business.  In this book, Jean introduces Business Brainpower as a practical tool in determining whether a person has a clear preference for left-brain or right-brain thinking, feeling and observing – the three essentials in teaching/training/encouraging, etc., and in learning/knowing/understanding.

Trainers are always looking for some way to improve not only their planning but their presentation and ability to ‘read’, understand and anticipate the learning styles and behaviours of trainees.    It is useful therefore to explain the application of left and right-brain orientation to training and development activities.

Let me present a scenario which may be familiar:

• Trainees enter a training room at 9am with a variety of expectations.  At the end of the day, some leave disappointed that they didn’t get what they expected; some leave better equipped to be or to do; and a few leave in a state of enchantment, confident that their expectations have not only been met but surpassed.     Trainees can also leave feeling confident that the meeting of their diverse expectations was solely the responsibility of the trainer:  if they are disappointed or have been bored all day, then it must be the fault of the trainer.  After all, they turned up, didn’t they?
• The trainer leaves the same room with similarly diverse feelings and thoughts and a bundle of evaluation forms hastily completed by trainees at the end of the day.  They peruse the rankings and comments.  Some trainers will dismiss both good and not-so-good rankings and comments, satisfied that their usual content and presentation will suffice next time.   Others will dismiss the good and anguish over the not-so-good: they will wonder if the powerpoints/overheads were too  wordy, if too much time was spent on introductions, if the material was not clear enough, if the briefing had been inadequate or if it was just that the sandwiches were  too soggy.

What is the ideal situation?

A well-known truth about training, learning, teaching – whatever language you like to use for the transfer or sharing of knowledge and understanding – is this:

“Training is concerned with helping people acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to do the work for which they are employed, or to prepare them for future activities.   It must create changed behaviour.”

The absolute objective of training and development is to create changed behaviour: however, I will add two further important objectives to create three:

1. to change behaviour,
2. to create or facilitate immediate practical benefits and improved work-place practices, and
3. to increase and enhance the level of job satisfaction

Early planning and negotiations for training and development programs should identify:   

1. desired outcome of a particular program with defined participants,
2. desired practical benefit or outcome for the participants, and
3. nature, extent and quality of improvement to be achieved.

However confusion can occur in such negotiations and in the training programs themselves, which is some­times the fault of the trainer and sometimes of the trainees.  It may not be intentional, it may just happen.  An understanding of Business Brainpower can greatly assist in avoiding or clarifying confusion.

For example:  in a discussion to set the training objectives, a literal thinker (ie a left-brain dominant person) may be negotiating with a lateral thinker (ie a right-brain dominant person).  The left-brain dominant person will be focusing on the training task and practical outcomes, while the right-brain dominant person will be focusing on the participants and their ability to relate to one another.  The left-brain dominant person may be asking for a definition of the problem and receive a reply that ranges across at least of six issues (none of which may be the problem) with some personal observations thrown in – but nothing which allows the problem to be readily identified.

This same confusion can take place in the training sessions between left-brain and right-brain styles of presentation, communication, teaching and learning.

Take a group of trainees who are all left-brain dominant entering a training  session with a right-brain trainer – or all right-brain dominant trainees working with a left-brain trainer.  The clash between the two styles in either case carries a high risk of rendering the training program unproductive.

An open group discussion is not well suited to a group of left-brain dominant trainees unless the discussion is totally task-specific: it can also allow a group of right-brain dominant trainees to run away with the topic in any direction they want, much to the annoyance of left-brain trainees.    Lecture style presentations are not well suited to right-brain dominant trainees unless the lecture is tempered with anecdotes, illustrations and a cartoon or two.   Personal experiences or observations are not well suited to left-brain dominant trainees unless they are tempered with statistics, research data, checklists and proven examples.

An understanding and appreciation of both left-brain and right-brain characteristics and styles enables both trainers and trainees to work toward or achieve the identified training objectives and immediate practical benefits from carefully planned training programs.

A trainer should work to these standards:

1. clear objectives for each training session set by the trainer and understood and accepted by the trainees in attendance
2. people must be interested and willing to learn before they will accept training
3. the training session’s content should be geared to the individual needs of the trainees in attendance
4. the pace of the training session should be equal to the rate at which trainees attending are able, willing and motivated to learn

However, trainees/learners will respond according to the behaviours and experiences they value.

Right-brain dominant trainees value and respond more positively to unstructured training methods, eg:

• small group or informal discussions where knowledge, experiences and skills are shared or exchanged
• humour, role-playing, brain-storming
• observation of another whose skill or knowledge is greater than their own
• mentoring, ie coaching and encouragement from another or others more experienced or skilled
• meeting deadlines for learning activities with a last-minute flurry of activity and rush of adrenalin, no matter how much time has been given for the task

Left-brain dominant trainees value and respond more positively to structured training methods, eg:

• lectures
• task-oriented and focused group discussions
• short problem-solving exercises which are task-oriented
• tests, research projects, guided challenges and take-home exercises
• meeting deadlines for learning activities by careful planning, breaking the task down into units and carrying them out in a sequential manner through the allotted time

Concentration

The two styles vary in concentration abilities and spans:

• if a left-brain dominant person is interested in the topic and task, their concentration ability and span will be considerable: if not, they will switch off and do something else or interrupt abruptly to get the trainer back to the topic or task.
• right-brain dominant persons  tend to have a shorter concentration span, and need a break in the topic and task to speak to another person, stand up, stretch, walk around or get yet another cup of coffee.  They will often interrupt the trainer’s presentation with a personal  experience or a comment which has just flashed into their lateral mind and may not have any connection with the topic or task for anyone else
• when the trainer tells stories or shares experiences, right-brain dominant people will hang on every word: left-brain dominant persons tend to tune out unless the story is in their own particular context, closely related to the task and shows an obvious (to them) benefit in analysing the topic or task.

Analysis and detail

If the trainer takes the group through a lengthy and detailed exercise such as drawing a budget out from a set of specific objectives:

• left-brain dominant trainees can thoroughly enjoy and apply themselves to the task until it is completed
• right-brain dominant people may not enjoy the task:  they may even just tune out and day-dream, draw pictures or cartoons on their writing pads or fill in their diaries.  If they do apply themselves to the task, they will create a number of diversions to make the task tolerable for themselves, but they almost certainly won’t enjoy it!

Filming

Try filming role play in a training session, and you will find some right-brain dominant people can’t get in front of the camera fast enough: while some left-brain dominant people experience an immediate headache or upset stomach at the very thought of doing so.  Put some left-brain dominant people in front of the camera without a script, and they can experience their worst moment.

I’ve had the experience of a strong right-brain person absolutely dominat­ing the role-play session, wanting to create everybody’s role and wanting badly to show others, on camera of course, how to play each role.  I’ve also had the experience of strong left-brain people absolutely refus­ing to enter into the filming range.

These behaviours don’t only apply to participants:  they also apply to trainers.  And that’s a real worry.

Change of pace

All participants will benefit from a change of pace in a training session:

• left-brain dominant persons will want to be assured that the change is in line with the day’s program and objectives, and that it won’t lead them down what they perceive to be a blind alley.
• right-brain dominant persons will enjoy any change, and only after they are into the change will they feel the need to make the connection with the day’s program and objectives.
• the timing of intensive work in a training session is more important for right-brain dominant than left-brain dominant trainees. Right-brain dominant trainees have to be lured or enticed into detailed and analytical, mathematical or financial work, eg with the promise of a coffee break and chocolate biscuits to follow!  Left-brain dominant trainees sometimes have to be lured or enticed from intensive analysis and detail into the coffee or lunch break.

If you are interested in a table of indicative behaviours in training or learning sessions by trainers and trainees in each dominance, please email jean@jeanroberts.com.au to receive this by return email.

This article is an extract from Jean’s book, The Left and Right Brain Business

1. to check that what they are doing is in line with what they think they are doing, and
2. to find out if anything of importance and relevance is not being done.

To do this easily and well, the Board needs a blueprint against which to measure its activities… and one that will easily show what is, and what is not being done.   The blueprint also needs to give sufficient information to guide the Board in maintaining or improving what is being done, and introducing what is not being done. 

Jean’s Nonprofit and Social Enterprise Organisational Health Check is a 16 page document, complete with worksheets - freely available by emailing Jean on jean@jeanroberts.com.au to request an immediate copy of Version 3 for your consideration, and adaptation as you wish.

‘Critical success factors’ provide such a blueprint. They include:

• procedures
• documents
• attitudes
• behaviours

that enable a Board to monitor and evaluate the degree of success the organisation or venture is experiencing in achieving the purpose or objects for which it has been established – and providing quality services for Association or Company members, or service-users.

A critical success factor is a factor which, if not functioning or operating satisfactorily, may place the organisation, venture or services at risk.    This checklist of critical success factors provides a reliable blue‑print for a
Board to:

1. monitor progress
2. carry out a simple yet thorough internal evaluation
3. identify critical success factors which are in place
4. identify critical success factors which are not in place
5. set some ‘short-term achievable goals’ to maintain or improve critical success factors which are in place, or
6. set some ‘short-term achievable goals’ to introduce critical success factors which the committee agrees should be in place

Each critical success factor is given:

1. a definition, and
2. a set of components by which it can be recognised and measured.

Each component has an identity in its own right, and contributes directly to the successful (ie effective, efficient and humane) governance, management and operation of the organisation or venture.

Remember… ‘success’ is achieving the purpose or objects for which the organisation or venture has been established.

The 23 Critical Success Factors are:

1. Structure
2. Philosophy
3. Policies
4. Planning
5. Objectives
6. Procedures
7. Funding and financial base
8. Board membership and representation
9. Personnel
10. Decision-making
11. Communication channels
12. Statistics
13. Outcomes
14. Programs, projects and services
15. Day-to-day operation
16. Association or Company member or service-user access, equity and participation
17. Association or Company member or service-user benefits
18. Resources
19. Assets
20. Liabilities
21. Quality
22. Input
23. Process

These Critical Success Factors cover governance, management and operation of the organisation or venture.

Jean first developed this Health Check in 1992.  Version 2 followed in 1996 and Version 3 in January 2011.  Companion documents include Jean’s Making Ethics Work series, freely available on this website.  (Click on Index for an alphabetical list of all free documents, with links to each)

‘Submission’ is used as a generic term, and includes tenders, quotes, proposals and any form of response document.   This article was written for The “Australian Project Manager” and published in 1987.  It’s very relevant today!

Let’s ask a few key questions about submissions in your Company:

1)      Who is preparing, writing and negotiating submissions?

2)       How many man/woman hours are spent in preparing, writing and negotiating submissions?

3)       What range of projects and clients has been canvassed by your submissions over the past twelve months?

4)       How many and which submissions have been accepted over the past twelve months?

5)       Are your projects managed and completed according to your original submissions, or are changes and amendments to schedules and details happening too often?

6)      How much repeat work are you getting, and how often are you invited to submit?

These questions will spark off even more in your own mind as you pick up the intent of the question ‘how seriously does your Company take the matter of submissions?’

A submission is a marketing document, marketing your Company’s ability, capacity, credibility, dependability, knowledge, expertise, experience and responsible management.

It promotes and portrays WHAT your Company is willing and able to do, HOW it will implement and manage the project, WHO will be involved, at what stage, and the level of and extent of expertise and experience they will individually and collectively bring to the project.

Most importantly, it will convince the reader WHY they should seriously consider YOUR offer.

A submission does not stand alone – your Company’s public image and reputation out in the market-place will be influencing the reader, so it is essential that you know how your Company is seen and perceived out there!

If your Company is seen to have particular strengths, you need to emphasise these in your Submission.

If your Company is seen to have particular weaknesses, you need to provide information and examples to show this is not the case.

But in order to do either, you need to know how your Company is seen out there.

How much energy do you put into ’market research’?

A Submission must have the commitment of your Company behind it.  Each claim and statement must be able to be verified, every figure must be able to be justified, and every offer must be able to be carried through and honoured.

Are your Submissions prepared and presented to this level of propriety?

Is your Company prepared to stand behind every Submission to this degree?

A Submission must be clear, concise, and confidently expressed.  Your intention and guiding principle must always be to make the assessment and comprehension of your Submission as easy as possible for the reader.  The skill of  writing is a technical one, selecting from the mass of information available to you only that which is the most appropriate, the most descriptive, and the most applicable to the reader and the project itself.

Some of the decisions your submission-writers will have to make will be:

1. How much detail to include,
2. What is the reader looking for, what is their measure of assessing and choosing the successful bid or offer,
3. How can we convince the reader without making our involvement unnecessary or under-valued, and
4. How do we make our document and presentation different and more persuasive than others.

Much of this will be decided by your submission-writing team’s knowledge and experience.

A submission depends on your Company’s negotiating skills.  This involves communicating your ideas and commitment, receiving and analysing the reactions and responses of the reader, and gathering knowledge of the needs,  wants, resources, strategies, finances, priorities and deadlines of the potential Client.

It requires respect for the image, reputation and purpose of both parties – especially for the idea or concept you are offering.

The extent and degree of commitment to your idea or concept, and intensive knowledge of the details involved, will fuel the level of support and enthusiasm you are seeking.  This does not infer an evangelistic enthusiasm, but rather an ability to make valid comment, challenge existing attitudes, respond to any and every criticism and query with facts, solutions, verifications, imagination and excitement.

Your Company’s negotiators must be familiar with the content and process of preparation of your Submission.  Ideally, they should be the submission-writers.

Submission-writing must be among your Company’s top priorities!  Submissions may well be the life-line to your Company’s prosperity.  Don’t ever under-value this life-line.  Make sure your best people are involved in their preparation, presentation and negotiation.

The market-place is extremely competitive – and your Submissions have to be similarly competitive, AND SUCCESSFUL!

Reading or writing a Brief requires and deserves intense concentration.    Therefore, allow adequate time for this early step in deciding whether to respond – or this early step in deciding whether to invite responses.

The tender/submission Brief – sometimes referred to as the bid document or specification – is a document (or set of documents) prepared by the outsourcer or funding source to detail the specifications against which a tender/submission will be assessed.  A Brief can be a number of separate booklets or documents available for a non-refundable fee, it can be a few pages – or it can be anything in between.  Reading or writing a tender/submission Brief is rarely light work!

When you are drafting a Brief, put yourself in the shoes of the respondees or applicants. 

Anticipate the range of queries they may have as they read and try their best to understand your requirements.  If you write your Brief in such a way that it addresses all anticipated queries, you will save yourself and the respondees or  applicants a lot of time and emotional uncertainty in their preparation - and improve the basis for your assessment procedure.   This seems to me to be an investment for all concerned.

Here’s a Checklist of what to look for when first reading a Brief, or what to make sure is included when you are writing a Brief:

1. background and role of the organisation – and reason for – inviting the response or application
2. aim or purpose, specifications and required outputs and outcomes of your requirements
3. eligibility to tender or submit
4. assessment or selection criteria and procedure
5. timeframe, logistics and milestones relating to your requirements
6. notional budget
7. value statement, including value-add
8. constraints, restrictions, limitations
9. standards and quality of component, product, service, procedure, process, capabilities, capacity, expertise, etc
10. legislative or statutory requirements to be met and maintained throughout the contract or agreement period – including performance, quality or service standards
11. mandatory requirements – as separate from non-mandatory requirements
12. contract or agreement terms and conditions, including payments, dispute resolution, variations, termination, etc
13. terminology, specifications, assessment criteria, conditions and timelines
14. project management details, including reporting requirements, throughout the contract or agreement period
15. requirements to ensure a conforming response document
16. deadline and procedure for lodging the response document or application
17. commencement date and procedure for implementation through the contract or agreement period

Difficulties in reading or writing a tender/submission brief

In many cases, different sections of the Brief are prepared by different persons, or culled from earlier Briefs prepared for completely different types of projects.  This makes for difficult reading, with potential respondees or applicants having to rely on guesswork or their own experience.

The reason for this is obvious – the Brief has not been edited!

The section in a Brief headed Selection or assessment can be very specific – yet when you turn over a few more pages into another section, you can find statements which obviously should have been included in the selection and assessment section.

When reading through a Brief – or editing the final draft of a Brief – highlight similar details as you read.  For example, any statements or requirements that directly or vaguely relate to standards, cost, delivery, timelines, selection/assessment, due date, method of lodging your response document, etc.  Use different coloured highlights for different categories of detail.

I have been closely involved with reading and writing tender/submission briefs for more than 30 years – take advantage of this experience, and check out my books and e-books available for on-line purchase.