1. UTILIZING FOCUS GROUPS FOR STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE Bob Dorste, Performance Consultant, EiMF Mary Ann Tietjens, Assistant Superintendent, SSD of St. Louis County © 2012 Excellence in Missouri Foundation 2012 Conference November 14-16, 2012

2. Workshop Overview  What are Focus Groups?  Exercise – Who?/Why?  Focus Groups and the Baldrige Performance Excellence Criteria  Focus Group Process Elements  Real World Application – Special School District

3. What Are Focus Groups? A focus group is a form of qualitative research (quantitative questions may be included) in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. Questions are asked in an interactive group setting where participants are free to talk with other group members.qualitative research

4. Exercise – Who?/Why?  What sector do you represent?  Business, Health Care, Education, Non-Profit, Government  Who would you identify as Focus Groups?  Why would you identify this group as a Focus Group?

5. Focus Groups and the Baldrige Performance Excellence Criteria  Focus Groups address a multitude of requirements identified in the Baldrige criteria.  Although our emphasis addresses Categories 2, 3 and 5, Focus Groups are applicable to requirements in all Categories.

6. Baldrige Criteria Category 2 – Strategic Planning  2.1.b (2) – STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE Considerations: How do your STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES achieve the following?...consider and balance the needs of all KEY STAKEHOLDERS  Strategic Planning Note N3 – Your organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (2.1a[2]) should address all factors that are key to your organization’s future success…”your customer and market requirements”…”your workforce and other resource needs”…

7. I feel XYZ Company is consistent in its approaches with different stakeholder groups. 7 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree 0 of 5

8. Baldrige Criteria Category 2 – Strategic Planning  2.2.a (2) – ACTION PLAN Implementation: How do you DEPLOY ACTION PLANS throughout the organization to your WORKFORCE and to KEY suppliers and PARTNERS, as appropriate, to achieve your KEY STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES?  2.2.a (4) – What are your KEY human resources or WORKFORCE plans to accomplish your short- and longer-term STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES and ACTION PLANS?  2.2A (5) – How do you ensure that the measurement system covers all KEY DEPLOYMENT areas and STAKEHOLDERS?

9. I feel XYZ Company has the human resources to deliver on the key business functions. 9 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree 0 of 5

10. Baldrige Criteria Category 2 – Strategic Planning  Strategy Implementation Note N1 - …The following are examples of key linkages:  Category 3 for gathering customer and market knowledge as input to your strategy and action plans and for deploying action plans  Category 5 for meeting your workforce capability and capacity needs, for workforce development and learning system design and needs, and for implementing workforce-related changes resulting from action plans

11. Baldrige Criteria Category 3 – Customer Focus Voice of the Customer: CUSTOMER Listening  3.1.a (1) – Listening to Current CUSTOMERS  3.1.a (2) – Listening to Potential CUSTOMERS Voice of the Customer: Determination of CUSTOMER Satisfaction and ENGAGEMENT  3.1.b (1) – Satisfaction and ENGAGEMENT  3.1.b (2) – Satisfaction Relative to Competitors  3.1.b (3) - Dissatisfaction

12. I feel XYZ Company effectively utilizes technology to interact with its stakeholders. 12 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree 0 of 5

13. Baldrige Criteria Category 3 – Customer Focus Customer Engagement: Product Offerings and CUSTOMER Support  3.2.a (1) – Product Offerings  3.2.a (2) – CUSTOMER Support  3.2.a (3) – CUSTOMER Segmentation  3.2.a (4) – CUSTOMER Data Use Customer Engagement: Building CUSTOMER Relationships  3.2.b (1) – Relationship Management  3.2.b (2) – Complaint Management

14. Baldrige Criteria Category 5 – Workforce Focus Workforce Environment: WORKFORCE CAPABILITY and CAPACITY  5.1.a (1) – CAPABILITY and CAPACITY  5.1.a (2) – New WORKFORCE Members Workforce Environment: WORKFORCE Climate  5.1.b (1) – Workplace Environment  5.1.b (2) – WORKFORCE Policies and Benefits

15. Baldrige Criteria Category 5 – Workforce Focus Workforce Engagement: WORKFORCE PERFORMANCE  5.2.a (1) – Elements of ENGAGEMENT  5.2.a (2) – Organizational Culture  5.2.a (3) – PERFORMANCE Management Workforce Engagement: WORKFORCE and Leader Development  5.2.c (1) – LEARNING and Development System  5.2.c (2) – LEARNING and Development EFFECTIVENESS  5.2.c (3) – Career Progression

16. I feel XYZ Company effectively utilizes technology to interact with its workforce. 16 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree 0 of 5

17. Baldrige Criteria Other Categories  Category 1: Leadership  ETHICS  Communication  Category 4: Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management  PERFORMANCE MEASURES  Best-Practice Sharing  Knowledge Management

18. I feel XYZ Company is ethical in its approaches. 18 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree 0 of 5

19. Focus Groups – EiMF Process  Establish Client’s End-in-Mind/Use for Feedback  Roles & Responsibilities  Qualified  Facilitator/Moderator – Leads group process  Administrator – documentation, captures ideas/comments/themes  Ground Rules  Confidentiality  Permission to Record  Focus Group Size – optimal size 10 – 12 participants

20. Focus Groups – EiMF Process  Real time information capturing  Clickers  Workshop demonstration  Combination of Qualitative and Quantitative Questions  Discussion  Likert Scale  Standard/Common and Group-specific  Demographics  Feedback Report  Baldrige-type feedback report, including key themes, Strengths and opportunities for improvement

21. Focus Groups – Role of EiMF Analyst  Support Facilitator with Client Requirements  Prepare/Populate Content in Custom Application Files  Supplement Electronic Data with On-site Detailed Notes  Synthesize Data From All Focus Group Sessions  Significant Amount of Workload – Typically 40 to 60 Hours Generating Feedback Report

22. Focus Group – Real World Application Special School District of St. Louis County  Mary Ann Tietjens – Assistant Superintendent  Strategic Planning Process - Requirements  Focus Groups  Stakeholders  Other Uses of Feedback

23. Focus Groups