6 Steps-Seminar to Strategic Ownership Engaging Screenagers

DrWarren Engaging Screenagers problem solving discussion

6 Steps-Seminar to Strategic Ownership Engaging Screenagers

The other day on LinkedIn I read an article about how the best leaders go to the front line to watch and listen to the actions and feelings of their people who are facing the customers and doing the front line tasks.
The front line are often Engaging Screenagers (Aren’t we all nowadays?) who have done repetitive tasks or helped customers 100’s or even 1000’s of times and after while, they have some pretty good ideas on how to improve the process.
Actually Zig Ziglar talks a lot about how listening to front line staff is a strong leadership principle.
In on-site (or in house) training, if the leader was there (generally the best leaders were there with their staff,) they would tell the staff the great value it to have everyone engaging together, and focusing on customer service, time management, etc.
Although having everyone together engaging in the same topic, and other than top management making new plans and goals, most of the value was lost to the front line staff.(junk engagement)


Can you imagine we change the model from just teaching to learning about the content by asking and recording:
  • What works?
  • What doesn’t work?
  • What is happing to get in the way?
  • What limiting beliefs are stopping us?
  • What new distinctions have we recognized?
  • How can we move forward?
  • Where can we go from here?
What if the staff were all writing these ideas down in their mobile devices Google Forms eWorkbooks knowing everyone would be sharing their information (like Blockchain systems) to generate more ideas and keep everyone else accountable?
Also, the front line staff would be able to get the credit for ideas they had suggested.
In the past (and this has happened to me too,) management could quite easily just take credit for good ideas.
Let’s look at a time management seminar I was fortunate to lead recently.
In that on-site program, what started as a simple time management seminar, would transform into a room full of strategic innovation time execution strategists using eWorkbooks.
By giving them voice and ownership by submitting responses with mobile devices into Google Forms eWorkbooks, participants turned into strategic time and execution effectiveness subject matter experts of engagement innovation.
They became, not only involved in, but also, responsible owners of clarifying, evaluating, curating ideas, and solving the time effectiveness problems.
Step 1: Explore content
In our time effectiveness seminar (some call it time management) we talk about goals, planning, success, execution, interruptions, etc., and they submit their responses in their mobile devices in eWorkbooks.
Step 2: Apply content in context
When we were talking about goals one participant who worked on the front line wrote:
“I have always set S.M.A.R.T. goals, but here (meaning this workplace) I seem to fall short of accomplishing them.
Later when we were discussing interruptions the same participant wrote:
It seems we have so many interruptions, and although I’ve tried many of the techniques we have discussed today, the interruptions still plague me.”(junk engagement)
While reviewing their responses with participants during the next section, we found interruptions were common to several participants.
Step 3: Explore and share solution processes
After break, we were able use, record, and share ideas into their mobile devices on eWorkbooks as we focused the strategy segment of the workshop on problem solving using John Dewey’s Method of Reflective Thinking.
  • Define the problem.
  • List causes of the problem.
  • Clarify needed solution criteria.
  • List possible solutions.
  • Select best solutions.
  • Create action plans to implement solutions.
As the participants were working through this process, they searched the internet for examples and ideas for innovating improved solutions for these problems.(optimal engagement)
Step 5: Listen to (see) everyone’s ideas
Because all participants curated and submitted ideas and suggestions were submitted on mobile devices into eWorkbooks throughout the process, everyone could see ideas and suggestions submitted by everyone else after they submitted their own ideas.(optimal engagement)
In the past we would talk about these ideas individually, but now everyone working together and shared ideas with everyone else.
Step 6: Work together to solve the problem(s)
The front line were driving their solutions to upper management.(optimal engagement)
To follow-up, after just 9 weeks 80% of the solutions had been implemented and management as a whole told me they were shockingly surprised how well it worked to listen to the people who did the job.
DrWarren Engaging Screenagers problem solving discussion
DrWarren Engaging Screenagers problem solving discussion








Do you think management had a newfound respect for the front line employees?
If management doesn’t show you respect, why are you still working there?
Management was doing as Stephen Covey says, “Seek first to understand and then be understood.”
This exercises is an example of the whole room is smarter than any one of us can be when we are thinking by ourselves.
As I shared this example in a teacher PD (staff development) day and of the teachers said, “This is business so this process woan’t work with students.”
Actually, this process was developed and refined in a school classroom setting with students using their mobile devices to curate ideas.



Students were asked to research ideas that were introduced in the learning content, and then the students took ownership of developing solutions. (More on this in previous blogs.)
Wouldn’t it be great if management would listen to those who do the customer facing/front line work?
Isn’t it true that management wants workers to take ownership and be more responsible, but most often management makes all the decisions?
If management used systems like this wouldn’t they have more productive and dedicated organizations cultures that would be more competitive in the end?

Give ownership and responsibility to solve problems better.

You can see examples of screen innovations for Optimal Experiences at JOIN THE CURATION: Google+.
Remember to engage tomorrow.
Following with you.
Keep it simple.
All the Best, Warren
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Dr Warren LINGER © 2017

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