The RD as an Information Conduit World Service Conference April 2010

The RD as an Information Conduit2 Importance of the Information Conduit Role Responsibilities of the Information Conduit  Bring information forward from other service bodies  Bring information back to other service bodies  Provide informed input and guidance to other service bodies  Support productive dialog within your service body The Impact of the Effective Information Conduit  A COMMON VISION AND PURPOSE GroupArea Region World Services

The RD as an Information Conduit3 Information That Should Be Shared Service BodiesTypes of Information That Should Be Shared Group Area Area Group Area Region Region Area Region World Srvc World Srvc Region A Leader Sees the “Connections” The Whole: how our actions as a service body impact the entire fellowship and all other service bodies The Vision: how our actions combine with the actions of other service bodies to achieve our collective Vision – the common reason we do what we do The Future: how we can best meet the needs of our fellowship today, while anticipating and preparing for the needs of our fellowship tomorrow; how we can make our group, area or region more effective and efficient today so that it can provide service to the growing fellowship of tomorrow

The RD as an Information Conduit4 Delivering Information To be an effective conduit of information, leaders... must have a clear understanding of the roles and functions of the service bodies they are communicating with must know what information is most important to deliver to these service bodies must know what information is most important to take back from these service bodies, and must know how to deliver the information in the most efficient and compelling manner possible so that others can not only understand, but also use and act upon the information. Questions to guide leaders in preparing an effective report:  Who is my audience?  What are their roles and responsibilities? What do they care about?  What is the purpose of my report? What outcomes do I hope to achieve?  How could the information in my report be of value to this audience in playing their roles?  What is their current level of understanding and experience with the subject matter of my report?  How much time do I have for my report?  What action, if any, do I want the audience to take as a result of my report?  Do I need any input or feedback on the information in my report to pass on to others?

The RD as an Information Conduit5 Delivering Information: A Case Study Situation: You are back from the World Service Conference and are reporting on the results of the Conference week. You are speaking at a Regional Assembly and have been given 60 minutes to report. Use the questions below to prepare an effective report.  Who is my audience?  What are their roles and responsibilities? What do they care about?  What is the purpose of my report? What outcomes do I hope to achieve?  What is the most important information I could share with this audience and why?  What action, if any, do I want the audience to take as a result of my report?  What input or feedback could I get from this audience that would be of value to others? To whom should I pass on this input or feedback?

The RD as an Information Conduit6 The Role of the Alternate Delegate Brainstorm ways the Alternate Delegate can support the Regional Delegate in being an effective information conduit.  The Alternate Regional Delegate: “The Regional Delegate works closely with the region’s Alternate Delegate. Like the Regional Delegate, the Alternate is a full participant in the regional service committee. The Delegate often consults with the Alternate, asking for different perspectives on world service affairs and seeking to involve the Alternate in helping carry the workload. Alternate Delegates... will be recognized as full participants in the meeting of the World Service Conference in the event of the primary Delegate’s absence.” -- A Guide to World Services

The RD as an Information Conduit7 Sharing Our Experience Some Tips for Communicating Information Orally... Stress the benefit of the information to the audience early on in the report to encourage active listening Provide a handout with greater detail so you can focus more on the key points in your presentation Pause at the end of each segment to field questions before changing topics Prioritize the information based on what the audience most needs to hear in case you run out of time or want to take more questions Written... Clearly state the purpose of the report at the top Organize the information, using subtitles, etc., so that the reader can get the main points by scanning the report Highlight items where discussion or feedback is desired Be sensitive to how the reader will use the information in their role Use bullet points and plenty of white space so that the report is easy to read Electronically... Be brief, focusing only on the most important facts Make it easy to respond, provide feedback Consider sending the information in installments the reader can easily digest and respond to Information Conduit: Peer Experience Successes – What Has Worked?  Challenges -- What Hasn’t Worked? 