VIPP_Unicef

process will be taken over by vested interested which are not necessarily
working with management's vision of the organization's future.
However, if properly handled by an outside, skilled facilitator, VIPP
methods prevent such a "takeover" and ensure that the end result of
the process is a positive outcome for the future of the organization,
with maximum ownership and team spirit by the employees.
The one situation where it may be difficult to employ VIPP is when
significant staff cuts are necessary. If certain departments or positions
are to be declared redundant because of factors outside of the control
of management, it may be better to make the cuts and to go through a
VIPP process with the remaining employees, unless significant attrition
is envisaged.
Even when organizational restructing is not planned, VIPP techniques
can be used to revitalize an organization, strengthening and opening
up lines of communication amongst employees and between employees
and management. Such teach building is essential for achieving goals.
After icebreaking exercises, most often the process will involve a
problem analysis of the impediments to progress. In such processes it
is important to derive an overall goal or mission statement for the
organization, department, or group and to make sure it is not
completely contradictory to the existing structures it must work in.
Mission statements, even if tentative, help to focus group discussion.
They can be revised as the process continues. The process may lead to
discussion of overall objectives or the role of the organization or group.
It may deal with operational parameters or specific activities the group
can do to the build a team approach into day-to-day activities.
Teamwork cannot be achieved in a day, especially if there are difficult
personalities and multiple perceptions of reality to deal with. Therefore,
it is quite likely that more than one planning retreat will be required to
turn an organization around. There are many benefits to doing it in
stages, allowing the group to absorb the ideas and experience changes
that may occur between sessions.
Business meetings
Although it is not necessary to use VIPP in well-chaired business meeting
which have a focussed agenda and strict time frame, we all have the
experience of the opposite -- boring meetings where the chairperson
wastes valuable time by not chairing properly. Long speeches by
dominant people, including the chairperson, repetition, circularity, sidetracking
and sidxe line discussions -- these are all time wasters which
can be overcome by using VIPP. The agenda of each meeting can be
very quickly visualized and prioritized, using a quick card collection
to gather all issues that participants feel are important to discuss. Issues
of less priority are visually captured for the next meeting or for other
action.
THE USES OF VIPP
Group
events
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VIPP
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