Overcoming obstacles to helping others

PLAN

For IAF 2014 Connect Meeting #3

Saturday 12 July

Crossings Cafe 

55 Waterloo Street #01-01

Preamble

Most of us subscribe to the general concept of "Corporate Social Responsibility"

And many of us serve in company's who do have a CSR programme, effected both incountry and outcountry.

For this morning let us review what are the obstacles to helping others in rural communities

And see how we can overcome them.

Firstly

Can we brainstorm "examples of helping people overseas"

Anyone with experience with CRS?

Where did you go?

What did you do?

Some good points?

Some bad points

Secondly 

What are the obstacles to helping others in rural communities

Let us use a road to development analogy

We are here

We want to go over to there to help people in rural communities

What are some obstacles that might hinder us?

Select an object in the room that can represent that obstacle: 

Turn tell us about that obstacle and lay it on the road to development 

When all obstacles are laid down the group will determine if any can be grouped together

Clusters will be treated as single obstacles

Each person will be given three voting beans and vote for the top three most important obstacles

Thirdly

How can we overcome them

Problem/ obstacle tree

Results / fruit

Root causes

Overcome -fruit

Overcome-roots

=============================

In Reality

"Overcoming" was too big a bite so I changed it to "looking at"

A) Icebreaker: Getting to know you

Pick a postcard that you can use to introduce yourself...

I chose an image of a rusting car in a lake

Me at the end of my life

Looks like a rusting wreck

But there is still value

In the scrap metal value

And in the lake, fish can find safety snd shelter in the rusting wreck.

Moral or the story: Retyred, Rewired, Refired .

B) Design today's session

We paired of two by two and within each two discussed how we would like the session to run.

Then pairs joined and in groups of four we shared the same topic.

The facilitator then scribed the findings.

C) My 30 minutes....

Looking at obstacles to effective CSR (Corporate social responsibility)

I said "most of us think CSR is a good thing"

I asked for examples of CSR

Helping to build schools

Outreach to pre-release prisoners: life skills

Helping senior citizens learn basic computer skills.

Identifying obstacles: 

Participants chose one or two pictures from the postcard pack to represent obstacles to effective CSR

Participant queried to clarify:

"Are we talking about at corporate level or personal level?"

Answer: both

Participants describe the obstacle that is represented by the postcard, and lay the picture in line on floor.

       Photo credit Noel E K Tan

Obstacles:

Lack of support

Wrong timing

Budget constraints

Individuals want to do differently from company

Lack of corporate vision

Perception problems of why and what

Internal struggle of benificiary

Security issues and clinging to comfort zone

With three beans each, participants voted for top three importent obstacles.

Chief obstacles:

Individuals want to do differently from company (4)

Lack of corporate vision.                                    (4)

Perception problems of why and what.              (3)

Internal struggle of benificiary.                            (3)

FEEDBACK

What went well:

Unassuming

all can share

Participants allowed to explain, elaborate

There was engagement

Good range of media, methods, movement, beans, play.

No boundaries

Spontaneous

Creativity (use of Picture cards), some one else's props.

Think of group

zAP: NSG: not so good

Facilitator failed to define what is CSR

Final objective not clearly stated; where are we getting to?

There was only single  type of two way conversations facilitator to participant

Paired conversations would have provided more talk time

Support roles could be offered to participants

Lists of seven is maximum

Helpful to limit each item to one word or just a few words: and write them down

Can post some questions on the wall to signpost the conversation

Could have split group: half consider CSR from company view, other at personal level.

Last bit of session 

Discussion on feedback.

In summary

It was a great learning experience for me

I feel I am in the right track

Brining my rural community experiences into the classroom was a positive step

I have confidence and people skills

My graphic recording is an asset.

Need to remember

Focus on process

Do not add content

Define the topic

Clearly state the objectives.

Questions to signpost progress are helpful

A prepared  framework or chart is useful

Paired and quad discussions is a good way to enhance group dynamics.

Many thanks to the group for feedback!