Page 200 - In Pursuit of the Sunbeam.indd

Expose the Design Team to Diverse Users
Ask representatives of user groups for their perspective at critical points in the planning and design process. Look for people highly regarded by their peers or constituents, and not necessarily for those with position titles. Involve service providers who have expertise that comes from daily use of specific areas you are designing. Gain the customers’ perspective by including residents and family members. Consider all stakeholder groups as part of the design-team and respect all input as equally important.
Given that the organization serves residents 24 hours a day, it is difficult to have high involvement from everyone on everything. So, we suggest using the following high involvement techniques during the design phase. Consider these techniques in addition to ones you already know fit your organization.
Open Meetings
Have open meetings before any significant decisions are made. Invite all groups affected by the proposed changes and repeat the information during differently scheduled meetings so everyone has a chance to hear it. The goal is to gain feedback from users. Initial meetings should present ideas, not solutions. Participants know when they are being told what will happen versus being asked for input on how to make it happen. After presentations of new or significant amounts of information, people need time to digest it, so allow for reflection. Sometimes, informed discussion starts a chain reaction of creative thinking that fuels new perspectives and enthusiasm for change.
Learning Circles With All Stakeholders
One of the most effective ways to develop consensus and build a strong team while designing households is to gather people into a learning circle. Sometimes you may want only folks from a specific service area in the circle. Other times you may wish to gather employees from various service areas, or perhaps stakeholders from different vantage points, like family, residents and staff. When people from different service areas hear about each other’s ideas, they are better able to place their own priorities in perspective. The big picture becomes clear.
Bring stakeholders together to develop a list of changes you are considering. Discuss the ideas on the list so everyone gains a sense of the implications presented by each proposed change. Then, assemble representatives from the various service areas into a learning circle to talk
“Consider all stakeholder groups as part of the design-team and respect all input as equally important.”
“When people from different service areas hear about each other’s ideas, they are better able to place their own priorities in perspective. The big picture becomes clear.”
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