Call for expressions of interest PS Engage 2012
Do you care about making the Public Service better? Would you like to participate in the planning for PS Engage 2012? As you may recall PS Engage 2011 was our Public Service renewal conference last year with the theme of a Tapestry of People and Ideas. Based on the overwhelming positive feedback and interest, we’re now gearing up for the 2012 event!
We’re currently developing this year’s theme but I expect it will have something to do with frugality and working across boundaries. There are a number of ways you can take part, some of which are listed below. If you are interested and have a little time to dedicate to a worthy and fun event, we would love to hear from you, simply reply to this message with your preferred coordinates and good times to meet, and we will arrange a virtual get together.
PS Engage 2012 Planning Committee Roles
These are the roles that have been identified, they may be performed by a single person or a small group. You can volunteer to lead or participate in any of these activities.
Sponsorship
Develop sponsorship package with communications, develop pricing and marketing strategy. Manage target list and sales funnel. Prepare and sign contracts. Make presentations. Arrange for sponsor material for web site, and day of distribution.
Program & Speakers
Articulate the theme, plan the daily program, arrange for speakers, take part in developing promotional material. Coordinate with speakers. Create conference overview document and later versions as it evolves.
Communications
Develop promotional plan, create communications material, write and produce web site, design logo and promotional cards. Manage web cast and twitter feed. Develop and produce posters, manage distribution. Evaluate web analytics, prepare and conduct post event evaluation.
Prepare and distribute regular emails. Manage list on SalesForce.
Floor Manager
Plan sponsor physical presence, manage floor space on the day of, coordinate with venue and suppliers.
Stage Manager
Work with Program group on content and manage stage the day of.
Logistics
Coordinate with speakers, make travel and accommodation arrangements, manage all vendor contracts, act as single point of contact. Arrange for meetings and take notes.
Volunteer Coordination
Manage volunteer list and assignments. Manage volunteer meetings.
Delegate Promotion and Sales
Work with communications on web site and other promotional material. Manage registrations.
Other
Whatever we have forgotten.
The bigger picture
PS Engage is a conference, PS Leader is an emerging non-profit organization with the mission:
To facilitate and advance collaboration, learning & innovation across all levels of government and geographies in support of connected, efficient, and open government.
If you think PS Leader is a good idea and would like to be part of the development of the organization drop us a line and we will invite you to the formation meeting.
PS Leader will engage in a number of activities in addition to PS Engage such as #GovChat , PS Leader Blog, Training, and the Virtual Government Network. If you are interested in participating in any of these specific initiatives, please let us know.
Thanks, we look forward to your interest and participation as these initiatives proceed.
Thom
Music and motivation
Came across this on twitter and thought it was interesting.
I know that music affects my performance.
What about you?
Think of a strategic musical choice to give your brain and body a motivational boost http://j.mp/y8tpgA (via @aequals440) @globeandmail
Guest speakers wanted
As many of you know I sometimes teach part time. This winter I am doing a course entitled Professional Practice,which is part of the Advertising Creative program at Algonquin College. A program that I graduated from when typewriters were the norm and which I ran for a number of years until the internet lured me away. The course is for graduating students and is intended to help with the transition from school to work place, the blurb from the program outline reads:
“Attitude, communication, and human relations are the key to surviving in the ever-changing world of advertising. This course helps you prepare for workplace success by providing practical expectations and useful tools to make a successful transition from school to workplace. The course discusses self-management, workplace politics and etiquette, building relationships, and tools for the future.”
A key part of the course is the speakers program where professionals just like you come in for an hour to share their wisdom and insights into the real world. There are potentially 18 one hour speaking spots available on Friday mornings, January 6 to March 11 between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Lectures take place in the N building at the Woodroofe campus of Algonquin College in Ottawa. I am pretty sure that we should be able to accommodate a web conferencing if you are located out of town.
If you have experience or thoughts to share that might be useful to someone entering the marketing communications workforce, please let me know what you would like to speak about and we can work something out.
Thanks, hope 2012 is good to you.
Thom
Business Taxonomy Method
I am taking an Organization of Information course as part of my Studies at Dalhousie and recently learned this. As I am helping a client develop a taxonomy at the moment it was particularly relevant and I thought I would share it. My notes below are from a series of three videos that were part of the assigned reading, links are below. The gentleman featured in the video is Zach Wahl from PPC whatever that is…. anyway here are the steps that I took away from the video:
1. Create a working group of information creators and brokers into a room 12-18 people that are largely business users. The goal is come up with a starter “Business” taxonomy. A business taxonomy differs from others in that it is focused on being practical and usable rather than complete and rigorous.
2. Identify users and audiences – white board
3. Identify verbs – everyone write down 7-8 things we do, or want to do in the information space
collect all verbs. This is the path to the nouns – topics
4. Then you move to nouns. Draw blank after each verb. Fill in the blanks to get to nouns which are the topics, include duplicates.
5. Remove the non starters; document types, locations, organizational names., audience types. Now you have a list of potential topics.
6. Look for themes, facilitate group to collect terms and reduce to tight list. Some of which will be clean and some will be dirty. This gets you a starter list.
7. Return to list of non-starters and look for themes that could become secondary metadata.
There are other activities not detailed that support the workshop but are mentioned in the video like card sorting.
One of the big benefits of the workshop approach is that it creates a group within the organization that is educated and engaged with the resulting taxonomy. They form a team capable of selling it to other employees and evolving across time. The downside of the approach is the time it takes; 12-18 people in a room for three days is significant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onYheWjiWoE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdkQr950lSE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_M5_yJj4O4&feature=related
Report from #PSE2011 – Five things you can do today
At the recent PS Engage Conference I had the honour of channelling ideas from participants into 5 things you can do tomorrow. With the flip chart paper spread out in my office, here is my report:
1. Read the Social Media guidelinesannounced by the Minister and take advantage of whatever authority they give you. Hold your department accountable for applying the guidelines in an effective way.
2. Reach out to a colleague, it may be someone you know but have not spoken to lately, or it might be someone you know by reputation. Ask them what they are up to, tell them what you are doing. Just a quick 15 minute status check. You never know…
3. When you find a solution to a problem, SHARE IT! Take the time to quickly document the problem and solution and put it in a place where others that might have that problem can find it. A good default location for Federal Public Servants is GCPedia, but any place where those that need it will find it is good.
4. High Five!
When you see something good, even just a little good thing – celebrate it! Let the individuals involved know you noticed, and let others know who the good guys are.
5. Connect – access Federal Youth Network, govloop, linkedin, gcconnex, yammer, or whatever network is appropriate for you to extend your connections and learn new stuff.
6. Rewrite your job description. Hell, re-write your team’s job descriptions. Make learning and adaptability an important part of it.
7. Narrate your work. By keeping a log of your work as you do it, you are creating a recorded history that can be invaluable for those that come after you. If you do it publicly though status reports to your network you are also contributing to 2, 3 and 5 above.
8. Add conferences like PS Engage to your learning plan. Make sure they are in your team’s learning plan. Make learning to learn a priority.
So there are eight ideas not five, what can I say? You are a productive bunch.
See you again soon.
Thom
Post PS Engage Activities
A huge thank you to the delegates, sponsors and volunteers that make #PSE2011 such a success. We are getting asked when 2012 is going to happen, and hearing stories of enthusiastic teams returning to work full of the spirit of renewal, so I guess it was a success.The big question now is do we do it again? And if we do, what do we do differently?
To answer those questions we are going to need your help. Look for an invitation to join a PS Engage collective intelligence site hosted by Chaordix , Intersol and Rowanwood, Assuming we can get it together in our spare time, we will be looking to get your opinion on the 2011 event as well as ideas for a 2012 event. Who knows? We might even extend the conversation around the Learning Circle Issues or the Tapestries of ideas that Jennifer created for us. Or perhaps we can work on the Virtual Government Network concept if there is enough interest. Maybe Delta Partners will get involved with a little of their awesome thought leadership. Whatever it is, it will be your opportunity to influence the future of PS Engage.
In the coming weeks and months we will be releasing material generated by the conference on the PS Leader Site. It is our intention to make the video, presentations, photographs and tapestries available. There is work to make that happen and everyone at the moment there are clients to satisfy, so it may take a while.
PS Engage never would have happened without the fabulous cadre of volunteers that materialized. You know you are appreciated.
Speaking of volunteers, right now, web-savy volunteers are welcome to apply for positions helping out with the current activities. This includes things like posting material to the PS Leader blog and perhaps editing photos and preparing presentations for publication, creating descriptive posts to go with each item, text and image.
Q&A with Ina Parvanova
This is the third installment in our series of highlighting PSEngage Speakers.
Ina Parvanova Public Affairs Director, at Mayo Clinic has extensive experience working in a fast paced environment.
Ina started her career as a reporter, working for Reuters and Canadian Press. In 1998, Ina joined the Public Service and spent a number of years at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada before joining the Privy Council Office where she was responsible for the international communications files.
In 2008, Mayo Clinic recruited Ina to establish its Research Communications function to support $540 million in research operations at Mayo Clinic. Ina is currently part of two leadership teams. One is a reflection of Mayo’s new strategy to make a global impact in healthcare called Global Bridges – a Healthcare Alliance for Tobacco Dependence Treatment. The other is statewide effort called Decade of Discovery: A Minnesota Partnership to Defeat Diabetes.
At this year’s event, Ina will be speaking on innovation at the Mayo Clinic and how Mayo is adapting to current challenges while staying true to its nearly 150-year old mission and values.
We asked Ina about innovation, adaptation and managing when you aren’t a subject matter expert. Here are Ina’s very thoughtful replies.
1. You’ve had a varied career that has covered a wide area of subject matter. What do you do to be confident about the decisions you make, even though you may not be the subject-matter expert?
In Communications, you’re as good as your knowledge and understanding of the audience. If you know your audience, you know what questions to ask the subject matter experts (because you know what questions your audience would ask) and you know how to deliver the message to your audience so it has the desired effect.
I think that’s where my varied career and diverse background come in – as a journalist, I’ve been fortunate to talk to people from all walks of life, to understand how they think. Having lived on two continents/three countries broadened that experience and allowed me to relate to allophones, to immigrants, to single parents – a multitude of audiences. I’ve always been a student of human nature and that’s what gives me confidence as a communicator – along with the belief that with an open mind and empathy one can identify with any audience and then build a bridge between them and the subject matter experts.
2. How much of the innovative process is creative and how much is about defining the business case and making the concept tangible?
You are right that you cannot have one without the other. But in what proportion? I think that depends on the stage you’re in. In the beginning, an idea is just that – an idea, a spark, and the process of implementation seems to take a backseat. But as you go forward, the ratio changes, and no matter how brilliant the idea, it needs a solid rationale and institutional buy-in in order to get implemented. And the more innovative the idea, the more creative you need to be in defining the business case and making the concept tangible.
3. What are the qualities you look for in people to work on innovative files?
Natural curiosity, open mind and tenacity.
4. Resilience is often identified as a key element in one’s ability to accept change. How does one develop resiliency?
Interesting question!
You know, to the extent that experience can teach us, the more changes you’ve lived through, the more resilient you should be. Think of someone who has lived their entire life in their hometown, worked at the same workplace for over 30 years (yes, there are still people like that) – if they are forced to go through a significant change, it can be a traumatizing experience.
On the other hand, if change has been a regular part of your life, you know what to expect and you know you will survive and will be fine.
But experience is only part of the answer, because many would argue that there is a limit to how many changes one can go through without burning out. So can we develop resiliency to prevent that? Is it like a muscle, that as long as you exercise it, it will serve you?
I think so. Especially because it is already in us. We are born with it, it’s a basic survival skill. Kids are resilient. The question is how to maintain it and not lose it after life has dealt us a few blows.
As we go through various experiences – especially hardship – some of us lose that resiliency and start dreading change. Perhaps the key to accepting change in stride is having a healthy self-esteem. As children, we all start with a healthy self-esteem. Along the way, some of us become more fragile, more insecure, and end up finding solace in the past – the old way of doing things, the previous workplace or the last relationship. But if you have a healthy self-esteem, you know who you are, and the past – while it may have enriched you – does not define you. Even when you mourn something that is no longer there, you know that you will survive and the new circumstances are simply a new opportunity. In that sense, to me, self-esteem is the source of our resiliency, the magic ingredient to accepting change.
See Ina live and in person at PS Engage, November 22, 2011 in Ottawa.
