|
Participating: See What The Students Think - Streaming Video For further information on the Mindshop Excellence or to discuss running a program in your region please contact: Julir Mason (jemason@mindshop.com)
Testimonials From Facilitators Facilitator 1 The simplicity of the answer The students had costed out the current waste, which they had never done before. (The company intend to present the PowerPoint presentation to the factory team.)” Michael Burke – Mindshop Facilitator Facilitator 2 Facilitator 3 For me it was a great learning experience and I recommend excellence to those who have yet to take the step. Facilitator 4 It is difficult to say how much difference this made to her life, but it is sufficient to say that she is still alive, four years later and has a baby daughter aged two. What appeals to me, as a youth and/or community worker is the ability to use the Mindshop Excellence tools outside the workplace setting and transfer them into 'life skills'. Since that early exposure, I have worked with nearly 150 young people on Mindshop Excellence programs, all have benefited, all have discovered new levels of achievement and with it improvements in confidence and self esteem. Parents, teachers and members of host companies have all spoken highly of the program; the only consistent criticism is that there should be more of them. I highly recommend the Mindshop Excellence program and encourage people to “give it a try”. Stuart Myers - Youth Services Coordinator Facilitator 5 I thought I would outline what I did during the week and how the students conducted themselves to achieve their goal and tackle the challenge. HOW THE WEEK WENT I found I didn’t have to instruct them too much during the week and the report and presentation was VERY professional and relevant to the bank's issue. The point I would make here is the "process" works well and the students when armed with the appropriate tools can work through any issue to the desired conclusion. It is very important to get the project brief and outcomes very clear and explain it in simple, easy to understand terms. No different to when we are coaching business owners. THE BANK'S ISSUE They established the NOW situation in regard to the issue, defined the WHERE and from the information collected, proposed recommendations (HOW). They did surveys of existing clients, non- clients in the Mall(outside the bank's premises) and interviewed 10 RM's and sales staff. Lots of relevant issues came up and the manager said he was very impressed with how "professional" the report and the students were. The report uncovered and confirmed a lot of internal issues with staff morale, communication and customers perception of "reduced service" after the banks restructuring being the main issues that the bank need to act on. A copy of the report will be sent to head office in Sydney. He liked the program as the students virtually looked after themselves and therefore not calling on bank's resources to supervise them. He said this was a very effective work experience program and would participate in the future. I got a lot out of it and really enjoyed guiding the kids. At the end of the week they really weren't kids anymore - they were adults! The school (Careers advisor) was very impressed and his attitude and enthusiasm changed noticeably. I can highly recommend doing a MSE program for those who haven’t done one yet. It really is rewarding for all parties involved and demonstrates the power of the Mindshop Process. David Cole – Mindshop Facilitator NSW Facilitator 6 The Presentation was in front of the Mayor, the CEO, the Economic Development Manager [and staff] the Principal of the school, parents/grand-parents etc, etc. [18 people total]. The Student Presentation "blew everyone away" and the students have been invited by the CEO & Economic Development Manager to present again at a public meeting, which we are holding as part of the overall development of the Marketing Strategy. The local paper [Northcote Leader] was also there and interviewed the students after the presentation. The issue for us has been getting co-operation and involvement by these businesses in the development process of the Marketing Strategy. I knew that if we could get a "bunch of kids" with no hang-ups and a desire to succeed into the process we would get what we needed. They got 80 responses from along the shopping-strip and thereby produced meaningful data and results for us to consider as we go forward. The Council has also asked if I could get another "bunch of kids" to do a CUSTOMER SURVEY for them in another shopping area within the municipality - and added that it seems to produce more useful information than "professional consultants" - ooh/ooh! Here's a VISION - a "panel" of Excellence Graduates that we as "professional consultants" can build into our activity to add the power that they always bring out when they do Excellence Projects. Testimonials From Host organizations "Air BP has been pleased to be a part of the Mindshop Excellence Program over the last three years. It represents a genuine win-win for industry and education. The young people involved have received some specific analytical skills and I believe have gained an excellent appreciation of how business works and the expectation it places on its employees. On the other side, Air BP has had the benefit of some enquiring, innovative and objective minds working on business issues." "At Bendix Mintex we have found hosting a Mindshop is a great learning experience for everybody involved. The students learn valuable skills which will assist them in all aspects of their life as well as boosting their confidence in preparing and presenting Information. We enjoy having the students as the problem we give them ensures a cross functional team is involved from all levels and encourages communication and involvement, including attending the final problem solving presentation session on the Friday. We have always found the students involved to be extremely keen and eager to investigate several solutions to their problem. Personally, I enjoy meeting and assisting the Mindshop programs and would recommend to any company, if you have not hosted a Mindshop, DO it! You will not regret it and you might find you have one of those annoying problems no-one can fix solved." "Traditional approaches to Work Experience for Year 10 students tend to vary considerably in terms of the benefits for industry and students alike. That’s why Ballarat schools and industry organizations have so readily embraced the opportunity to participate in Mindshop Excellence Programs, which offer tangible, positive benefits to both students and organizations alike. The structured approach to the program ensures that students develop, in a very short time, the skills required to research significant issues for the host company and to make meaningful recommendations at the end of the process. The Mindshop Excellence Program is bringing new meaning to Work Experience, and one which has real benefits for students, industry organizations and the wider community by broadening student’s experience of life beyond the classroom." "It is both our conscience and commitment to success that drives a company such as Berwick Travel Pty.Ltd. to host groups from Mindshop’s “Excellence” program. At any given time in the running of a business, challenges of varying magnitude confront us. Success can be judged by those that meet these "head" on, and through knowledge, preparation and diligence, rise above them. A unique feature of this program is that we are able to interact with a group of younger people (in our local area), who are eager to achieve in an ever increasingly competitive environment. At the same time, we are facilitating the skill development of my staff, whilst dealing with current issues relative to our business. The eventual outcome is that through the use of Mindshop’s tools of development, Berwick Travel Pty.Ltd. is able to make informed decisions with which we can act on. Although the concept of this program initially raised concerns about our physical resources to run such a program, with the assistance of Mindshop, we were able to work together in solving this, and established an environment with which our involvement could only be a win/win for all participants. Any parent would know that interaction with children is one of the most powerful experiences a person can have. For us as a business, it is now one of the most powerful experiences a business can have. I commend Mindshop Excellence for their initiative, and am delighted to be working with such a progressive Australian company that is committed to sharing success." Article for CEAV Journal ARTICLE from Ballarat “Manufacturing and Mindshop meet in Ballarat” When planning activities for Ballarat’s Manufacturing Week 2000, the Australian Industry Group was looking for a innovative way of introducing students to the range of career paths available in the manufacturing industry. At the same time, manufacturers were expressing concern that traditional work experience programs often failed to give young people an accurate impression of what was available in manufacturing. Following discussions with Georgene Bridgeman, General Manager of the Mindshop Educational Trust, and a presentation of the Mindshop Excellence Program to interested manufacturers, three companies were sufficiently impressed by the potential of the program, to highlight their industry in an innovative way, that they offered to host a group of students to solve a problem specific to their company. And so Mindshop Excellence came to Ballarat! Mindshop Excellence Programs differ significantly to traditional work experience programs, in that students go in teams of five or six to spend one week with their host company, which provides a problem for the team to solve. A Mindshop trained facilitator then gives students training in the basics of problem solving skills and continuous improvement strategies before resolving a given issue within the workplace. Students are less likely than their adult counterparts to suppress new ideas and so often look at issues through fresh eyes. It was not difficult for Ballarat Industry Education Network Executive Officer, Margaret Stewart, who was a member of the Manufacturing Week Planning Committee, to find three schools willing to offer a group of their Year 10 students the opportunity to participate in the program. Ballarat Grammar School had a team of students go to Bendix Mintex Pty Ltd, where they were asked to make recommendations about how existing resources could be better utilized. The students spent the week liaising with engineers, managers and training consultants, focusing on the operation of ovens used for curing disc pads. As in all Excellence Programs, on the final day in the program, the students made a very professional powerpoint presentation of their recommendations, and in addition provided the company of a bound copy of their report. Teachers, parents and management are often amazed, when they attend the presentations, at how quickly the students have grappled with concepts, about which they knew nothing prior to entering the enterprise five days previously. Ballarat canvas manufacturer C E Bartlett Pty Ltd also gave five Ballarat High School students a taste of real life problem solving within the workplace through the Mindshop Excellence Program. Students were responsible for tracking the progress of manufacturing goods through the factory and then reporting recommended revisions to the process. The management team was very pleased with the students’ recommendations and stated that the employees had been more forthcoming when being surveyed by the students, than may have been the case had management asked them directly. There are plans to implement some of the students’ recommendations, which in turn came from the employees of the company. A third program was hosted by Mars Confectionery and involved six students from St Patrick’s College. Mars identified wastepaper management in the office as an issue they wished the students to address. Since receiving the recommendations of the student team, they are seriously looking at implementing changes which could significantly reduce their paper costs. In each Mindshop program, the students worked together, with some having to learn more about team work through the process than others. Every one of the students in the three programs learned many valuable lessons about being responsible, solving a problem as a team, managing their time to meet a deadline and learning that working hard towards a common goal can be both rewarding and fun! Many of the lessons learned are lessons for life and already one student has commented that he views homework completely differently as a result of their Mindshop Excellence experience. Homework is no longer seen as something being done to him! And the manufacturers were delighted with the whole process and all feel it is far more valuable to both their enterprise and the students than traditional work experience programs. Students not only investigated and made recommendations on an issue of concern for the company, but also learned far more about the range of career paths in the manufacturing industry than they could through either a traditional work experience or industry visit program. During Manufacturing Week in Ballarat in late March, in front of an audience of industry and school representatives and parents, all the students who participated in the Mindshop Excellence Programs, and their host companies were presented with a certificate by Ballarat MLA Karen Overington. The students were justifiably proud of their achievements and the benefits of participation in the program will remain with them for a long time.
Testimonials From Teachers John Brick - Damascus College, Ballarat "The students of the Year 10 class have spoken with a sense of achievement about their involvement in the customer survey undertaken in Stawell on the 14th June. Personally I would like to thank you (Benton Hancock – Mindshop Facilitator) for providing an opportunity for a class group to include a real enterprise education activity within the curriculum. Students gained a chance to increase their personal and community awareness from the program. In terms of management, I appreciate the flexibility you provided, because within your busy schedule you were able to fit into the set school timetable. Thank you again for the insight provided by your presentations and the potential of the five-year 11 students through the elite Excellence program." Susan Freeland – Stawell Secondary College "… while the quality of work experience placements can vary, Mindshop offers young people an opportunity to make a practical contribution to an organization while developing skills in project and time management, presentations and teamwork." "Six Year 10 students last year attended Rockwell’s International in Croydon to participate in this program. The aim of the program was to give students experience in working within the company. Students learnt how to work as a team, how to develop Total Quality Management skills and how to present findings to an audience of parents, company employees and staff from the College. This they did very well and we were proud of their professional and carefully research presentation." Student 1 Our Mindshop group (Kathy Daly, Casey Wilson, Michael Flynn David Bradley and Damian Foster) was placed at Maxi Trans Manufacturing Pty. Ltd. in Ballarat and asked to help them discover why the permanent employees were taking extended sick leave or excess absences. We were to attempt to suggest possible solutions to help reduce this problem. In the process of investigating this issue we also uncovered many related problems which were related to the main topic. When we arrived on the first day we were all a bit overwhelmed and nervous about what we had got ourselves into. But as the week went on we all discovered that this would be a positive learning and growing experience. The first day we were at Maxi Trans we were taught many problem-solving skills and how to put them into practice. With the help of Stuart Myres, a youth worker who is apart of the Mindshop program, we started to plan out how we would approach the problem and to plan out our time for the entire week. Once we had planned what we were going to do we set out to gather the information we needed that would form the raw data for our investigation and the basis on which we would be able to compile a final report to be handed over to management. We set about this by creating a survey, finding out what management had been trying to do, and by going out onto the workshop floor (which by the end of the week was the most fun) and talking to workers. Once we had all of our raw data we used it to create a report and a Power Point presentation. With these we were able to fully inform the Maxi Trans management about what we had found out. After the major presentation at Maxi Trans, we moved to the Mars factory where one of our groups presented a summary of our project to the press and other groups involved in similar Mindshop projects around Ballarat with other companies. Student 2 I walked in to find the Training Centre stone cold. By chance, the heaters had decided to break down for our week of hard work and learning. It was then that I discovered one of the secrets to modern workplace happiness: Coffee. The Caffeine woke me up like never before. It was to be proven over the week that this would be my early-morning savior. Day One was spent training us in the area of Total Quality Management and we learned several different, useful ways of breaking down problems’ walls in order to solve them conclusively. Of course, we did have a problem dropped into our laps by the people at Ford. And after our three days of work on the problem, we produced our solution. Day two which was Day One of solving the problem, was spent organising what was to be done. After lunch in what I would have to say is the best Cafeteria I’ve ever been in, we got right into it. With several interviews set up, we were able to plan our days and work effectively. It took until the end of Day Three at Ford to almost wrap up our research, but with one more interview to go, we had to work hard on Thursday to finish it. And that we did. Thursday was spent planning every detail of the final product. We wrote our report on the solution to the problem, we planned our presentation of the report, and our presentation to Ford itself of course. With a color printer on our side, we were able to produce a very respectable report and thanks to color photocopying, we were able to share this color with the audience at our presentation. As 5.00 ticked by on Friday, I finally realized that we had done what I never thought possible; we had survived in the workforce. We had succeeded where we thought we never would. We had finally experienced work." - Philip Donaghey (Year 10 Student) Student 3 Since the program, I have been able to think back on the activities to solve things I have encountered in the last week already, and know that the skills will go on benefiting me for a long time yet. Thank you once again for your generous help. It was greatly appreciated." - Andrew Powell (Year 10 student) Student 4 We went about this problem by gaining a list of mobile numbers for a percentage of the field force and surveyed them about their use of the system. We found out that the main reasons they were not using them was because they simply didn’t know how – a lack of training. Other problems included the fact that they took too long to boot up – we suggested putting the computers into a “suspend mode” which would allow the users to bypass the booting up sequence – and also the fact that the program was not user friendly. So we suggested they change over to a Windows based system. Our week was very successful and also a lot of fun for everyone in our team." - Bryce Thompson (Year 10 Student) Student 5 Student 6 Student 7 Student 8 Student 9 Our day of training began with all members of our team being unsure of what the coming week would bring. However, after an introduction to the Excellence Program and an explanation of what it was hoped we would achieve from participating in it was given all initial doubts were eliminated and replaced by a strong feeling of enthusiasm that filled the room. It was explained that the Excellence program focuses on the development of four key objectives; life skills, team building, self confidence and continuous improvement. The development of such valuable abilities would come from the hands on activities that would fill our training day and following days of investigation. Unanimously, it was agreed that all of the identified objectives of the Excellence Program would assist in enabling our future lives to be as prosperous and successful as possible. The introduction of the NOW, WHERE, HOW concept is one that can be applied to any aspect of life, whether for a school assignment, business management or one of life’s little problems which we all have to deal with. When confronted with a problem, rather then immediately seeking a solution, time should be taken to strategically plan where you want to be, before deciding on how to get there. This ingenious method of problem solving will provide a more satisfying, comprehensive result without the often messy, time consuming means of fire fighting. We all want so much in life, although most of us can only wish that it will happen. However, if you were given a magic wand and allowed to have anything in the future and not have to worry about how or the cost involved, what would it be? We were individually asked this question and it wasn’t until we put pen to paper that realized just how much we wanted. We were then instructed to select a wish and after much thought and confusion all opted for non materialistic desires. We were then told that no matter how big or distant our wishes may seem, we can achieve them through continuous improvement. Continuous improvement is reached through the desire to change and hence the old saying of “a person who believes that their education is finished, is finished” is of great relevance. In order to undergo change, firstly you need to know how to create dissatisfaction with current performance in order to create positive energy to use. Similarly, you need to know how to create a clear vision in order to provide a picture of what will be achieved. Finally, you have to develop a plan to which you have to be strongly committed, involved and most importantly believe in. The better you develop the above requirements for change, the greater your change potential and continuous improvement. Always look to better yourself. In order to find our change potential we followed the formula D x V x P, rating our dissatisfaction, vision and plan levels on a scale from one to ten, concerning the wish that we singled out from the magic wand exercise. Personally, I was most surprised to discover that all scores were relatively low, however as we now know this can be greatly enhanced by the continuous improvement of dissatisfaction levels, clarity of a vision and the development a stronger plan. Before the completion of change, you will encounter several barriers which will try to oppose you. However, if you wish to reach your pot of gold you will need to climb over, around or burst through the barriers, enduring pain along the way. Barriers of which may confront you will undergoing change may include family, politics, structure, people, skills, fear and money. An incentive to endure these barriers and subsequent pain is the realization of becoming a better person, feeling happy, relieved and confident and being a success. I will certainly be looking to continuously improve upon myself, endlessly endeavoring to overcome any barriers that get in my way, as I now realize that anything is possible and only I hold my limitations to achievement and fulfillment. Aim high and believe you can get there. Following the completion of exercises involving change, we then focused on our belief systems. We were given time to list the things that we talk negatively about ourselves, before rewriting each statement in a positively. This helped make me feel good about myself as indeed it did the others. By turning what I consider to be the negative things about myself into positives I was given an increased feeling of self confidence and instantly felt more productive. This concept also relates to the business world as the changing of a company’s belief system could result in an increase in productivity, team building and efficiency of employees. We next uncovered the key to success. I personally found this to be the most interesting concept of the day. We all want rewards and believe that the harder we work the more we receive. Although this may be true to an extent, there is a limit on the rewards received from working harder. True rewards come not from hard work but from adding value to others. Our team, like most others found this concept hard to understand when told for the first time. However, when fully explained it began to make real sense. The only way you can succeed is to double your current value to everyone you come in contact with. The only guaranteed reward is the warm feeling from knowing that you have done the right thing. The rewards take a long time to come back to you, sometimes many years. The reason for the delay is that when you do good things for others it builds up your personal emotion levels. You need to develop a high level of self worth before you feel worthy of receiving the rewards. No longer must you worry about putting in that extra work in order to achieve personal glorification but finding a way to do more for others. After lunch and an enlightening morning session, we returned to be introduced to problem solving concepts that would assist in our investigation for the remainder of the week. We were shown how to brainstorm and create mind maps, timelines and flow charts in order to present draft ideas of paper. This concept was found relatively easy to follow by all as we have all encountered previous use of such valuable aids. An overview of project management and in particular the seven C.I. tools followed, with them being identified by Mind Shop as key tools in continuous improvement. The seven C.I. tools included flow charting, force field, pareto analysis, histograms, five why’s, cause and effect and process capability. It is hard to analyze yourself but our next exercise involved exactly that. In what I and the rest of the team consider to be the most entertaining activity of the day, we were allocated a personal team style from the completion of a series of questions concerning individual behaviors and opinions. Using a formula and question arrangement system, we were given numerical figures to rank ourselves as either a leader, doer, thinker or carer. Results were not as we had originally expected, which lead to the amusement of some. This exercise helped establish the individual roles that we would play in the team throughout the week, with Arthur being elected our team’s leader. I am very appreciative of the skills I have acquired from attending the training day. These simple skills will be useful in all aspects of my future life and can be applied in almost any circumstance. The day was a success, full of fun and learning and our team really got a lot out of it. Hopefully I will now be able to lead a life of great success and fulfillment due to the Excellence Program." Student 10 In addition, probably the most rewarding part of all was the adult manner in which we (being students) were treated, and the realization that the suggestions that we put to the hotel management were genuinely considered, when upon a return visit a year later, I discovered that several of the changes we had recommended to help solve their business problem had actually been implemented. - Daniel Duke Altona Secondary College - Melbourne Able Crooke A Facilitator's Excellence Experience With thanks to Bill Lee Shepparton is in the Goulburn Valley, Central Victoria for those not sure. Here is how it went (I've been wanting to write that for 12 months) VTO - I wished I had watched the video much more as I watched the facial expressions from the team, thinking what the xxx is he on about - but a powerful moment when I asked for comments and the eventual team leader said. "Yes I know what you mean, my dad tells me all the time to give to others without expecting rewards and you will gain in the future". I found out that her dad (a twin) and I (a twin) went to school together. He had actually given me a software program on technical analysis some 15 years ago after I inquired about something from his computer company. I always wondered why he did that!! Hope I have given back some value in return. Tuesday - The team surveyed the staff via email for page names and links, and had some other info given to them. I didn't know what to do - so I taught them some more time management. Wednesday - A lot of noise from the room and the team leader seemed to be doing the work, but they had shared the load. They had also worked out how to use the Mindmapping software for the page design - Slightly more at ease but the web site seems to be an impossible task. Suggested they consider presenting the structure and not the site. Wednesday report was mingled in a maze of Mindmaps. Thursday - Morning called in and the links seemed to be working, the team seemed to be organized and focused. Maybe we could get something happening. They had all but prepared the PowerPoint presentation complete with graphs, Mindmaps, etc. Thursday afternoon they did a force field on how we could continuously improve the site after they left. We as hosts, and the school were amazed at the outcome. The school principal and deputy outwardly so, and are keen to continue the process. The teams were commenting that students were asking them about it all week as they traveled on the school bus. We are hopeful of some media coverage as the newspaper photographer was present. I as a facilitator found it a terrific learning experience and will do more - Bill.
|
|
