[Post by Chuck Krugh, September 20, 2024]
One of the things that I have demonstrated and written about is how much I enjoy talking with all of you. I get to learn so much about you and our company, and I really appreciate the frank and honest conversations that we have. That doesn’t mean that every conversation is easy, but I believe they are meaningful.
In October, we are going to start something new by conducting a Listening Café.
What is a Listening Café? A Listening Café is an event where we come together to have constructive dialogue about our company. It is a safe space for us to share ideas on how to improve BIW for all of us. The success of a Listening Café requires participants to be willing to do the following: listen with an open mind, share your thoughts, participate in the conversation, and be respectful of other’s opinions even if you don’t agree. It’s pretty straight forward. You don’t even have to bring anything to the meeting when it’s your turn to attend!
Let’s talk about the logistics of the event. We will begin by holding the first meeting in October and then continue the meetings starting in January on a monthly cadence. We wanted to get the first meeting in before the end of the year so we can learn from it and make adjustments for the next meeting. We will use the iterative process between meetings to try and make each one better without changing the content (in other words, we’ll use lessons learned to improve the next session).
Next, let’s answer the question, “Who is coming to the Listening Café?” In the first round, we will invite a diagonal slice of management and some independent contributors to attend. A diagonal slice means that it will be a “random” group of people from different levels within the organization – so not one team or area and not all directors or all front-line supervisors. We want a mix of people from different areas and levels. A mix of people from across the company will be seated at each of several tables in the room.
I would like to eventually include all of our employees in these sessions, but I am still grappling with the size of our organization and how to pull it off. But I want to get them started. So there will be more to come on the make-up of future sessions after we get a few completed. Stay tuned.
What happens at a Listening Café? Our Listening Café will take about 3 to 3.5 hours per session. To kick off the session, the senior leadership team (SLT) will present information to the group that will set the foundation for our conversation. This foundation will include some facts and information that will be useful in the rest of the session, which will be a series of small group conversations at several tables. Once we complete the presentation, we will start the first conversation by asking a question. In total, we will ask three – maybe four – questions that we believe will spark important discussions at each table.
Here’s a few more specifics about how we will run this event. When you come into your Listening Café, you will receive a table assignment. The table assignments are being generated randomly with only an adjustment to make sure there is a mix of departments and seniority at each table (in other words, we don’t want a table of only senior Engineering managers or front-line Operations supervisors). After the presentation, a member of the SLT or HR will join each table to act as a facilitator for the discussion; they are not there to direct or control the conversation. Their role is to provide information when asked and to help move the dialogue so it can be productive. They will be in listening mode and not trying to influence the conversation. The conversation at the table is for the attendees to talk amongst themselves and to formulate recommendations to present near the end of the Listening Café.
Once the time has passed for the first question’s discussion period, everyone will move to a new table and new group. We will ask a new question and follow the same routine as we did for the first question’s discussion. After the completion of the second question’s period, we will ask everyone to move one more time into their last group (if we do three questions). Rinse and repeat!
Although I’ve left out a few small details, this description gives you a high-level overview of the process. The most important part of the Listening Café is the part where we (all of us in the room) listen to the feedback from each question and each table. For my Organization Development person, it is also known as the “harvest.” This is where we will take your feedback, organize and understand it and begin the process of acting on the recommendations you have provided.
Although it is called a “Listening” Café, the ultimate purpose is not just to listen. The real purpose is, through the conversations, to spark ideas and to identify actions we need to take to improve our company. That’s right, I intend to take your inputs and the inputs of the other sessions to develop action plans to move our company in a better direction. Some actions might be very simple and easy to implement. Others may require a plan and some additional resources. It will take time to carry out, but it’s necessary in our journey.
This isn’t the first time I have been a part of the Listening Café process. I have used this technique at two other companies where I have worked. In both cases, I would say that the team found it valuable. I believe you will find it helpful and fun. I’m looking forward to the first event!
See you on the deckplates!
Safely Execute High-Quality Work
Chuck
President, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
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