CSS Leaders Meeting RETHINK 12-09-2009

CSS Leaders Team – original definition from WIKI

The purposes of these meetings are threefold: to share information, have the opportunity to give input and participate in the decision making process, and leadership development.

Conversation starter:

Kick-off meeting was June 29, 2009
- we set meeting time for every 2 weeks > we are loosing energy? Should we make it a MONTHLY Meeting?
- should we still do every 2 weeks alternating core team/working group meeting + larger team?
- what about # of people in the group? Does it limit productivity? Should we be productive on these meetings or stick to information sharing / project updates / discussing smoldering issues?
-  Rotating every 2 weeks or monthly > no momentum for facilitator(s). May rotate in a semester basis?
-  Lunch time or find other possible time slot?

Meeting Comments:

- Monthly meeting was our decision at first, with initial sessions every 2 weeks just to start up
- Having a working group work meet in between the 1 month schedule may be a good idea
- We should wrap up what we started: core services -> it did go to senior staff, though they have not addressed it yet
- Working group structure:
  o Thematic working groups (everyone belongs to one) > bring to monthly meeting where each “theme” stands, provide update. This would allow us to work on parallel topics
  o Or should we do groups working on 1 topic at a time
- on monthly meetings it would be useful to get updates on where Senior Staff / Marilyn stands
- Defining core services would define some topics but we have gotten lost in the defining work, it took too long
- How to structure the meeting so we get the right amount of information, right timing etc.?
  o  e.g. yesterday's project review meeting, lot of us didn’t know about it so sharing that information here would be good

- In CSS there are a lot of smaller projects. Have this group be a sponsor for a few projects.
- Looking at the 3 goals (purpose of team):
  o Being prepared for updates is important so it goes faster.
  o Decision making
  o Structured leadership development (it should be a project?), having facilitate some meetings may not be the best way to do it
- In CSS we have various "activities": could benefit if we treat them as projects. It would bring in the sponsorship piece and would help with resolution > presentation to senior staff would be easier.
- Is it viable to come up with a decision on the meeting? If so that decision needs to be executed to make changes > rather than making decision the meeting should help with MAKING the decision (support information etc.)
- Where is this group in the vertical communication path Manager < - > TL < - > Staff? Does this group cuts out the vertical communication manager/TL/ staff?

- Group should set priorities where CSS stands > this may be too high level we should be more concrete
-This meeting is helpful to meet with other TLs. > Managers set up separate time (coffee) to do updates on each others area

- HQ team is one place who needs to know where are resources available in the organization. They were working on creating a way of doing it (setting up a calendar with concrete events) or doing a Resource planning meeting for TLs > would this be useful? Is it just another meeting?
  o Some areas don’t have TLs + if there are decisions need to be made about dedicating resources we would need to bring in managers as well.
- Having a useful meeting would make it not “just another meeting”
- Update from Barbara is important. She could be the moving force. Then information sharing, round table.
- Who owns the meeting > Barbara? -> she should be the Sponsor

- Who set the agenda, sends reminders etc? -> HQ team/Pat volunteered to take ownership but can delegate to people in the group. "Meeting manager": make sure we have agenda topics, reminders sent out, facilitate etc.

Identified framework to go forward:

 o  15 minutes lunch/socializing
 o  1st item: update from Barbara (10-15 minutes) - sponsor
 o  Others can be plug ins with agenda items (limit for 2-3 items/meeting)
 o  End of meeting > decide on at least 1-2 agenda items for next meeting
 o  E.g. ticketing, billing, KB management, software release, metrics etc. (these involve all CSS areas)

We are moving to monthly meeting: First Wednesday of every month > Pat will delete current meeting and reschedule starting 1/6/2010
Location: N42. Can we use the Demo Center? > Lunch time booking was in conflict with Quick Start. Mark will assist with booking.
Lunch: starting with brown bag

TOPICS for 1/6/2010:

- Software release – open discussion + Pat/Deb to facilitate
- Project initiation – open discussion + Steve Winig to facilitate
- Budget update - Anne