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04/03/2020 by Sean Brady

Prism deploys virtual decision-making service

In response to requests from two school superintendents, Prism is deploying a virtual decision-making service to support

  • Critical decision-making, such as, deciding how to grade students in the 3rd and 4th marking period
  • Updating the district’s strategic plan

Why virtual decision support now?

virtual decision-making

Despite the significant constraints of shelter in place and social distancing, school superintendents will need to collaborate with their leadership teams to make very consequential decisions.

Some of these decisions may resolve easily in virtual meetings or conference calls. However, others may require more structured, deliberate decision processes and tools.

How does it work?

Prism can partner with you to design and execute a virtual decision process that mimics the face-to-face experience you are used to. The concept is simple:

  • Leverage the power of Google Meet for all necessary virtual meetings. (See note on Zoom below.) But keep those meetings as short as possible with tight, focused agendas limited to
    • Sharing information
    • Identifying options
    • Weighing trade-offs
    • Resolving issues
    • Making decisions
  • Complete the bulk of the work asynchronously in a series of timed, self-directed tasks using virtual collaboration tools and management best practices:
    • Google Docs/Slides for information sharing and idea generation
    • Google Forms for rating solutions and gathering feedback
    • Amazon’s simple, disciplined Press Release/FAQ methodology for proposing solutions to complex issues

What about the keypads?

Google Forms surveys replace the clickers we use in face-to-face meetings. See examples below:

  • Consensus vote
  • Importance vote
  • Effectiveness vote
  • Binary choice vote

Illustration: how to grade students in the 3rd & 4th quarters

Here’s how the five-step process can work.

Objective

Resolve the dilemma for how to grade students in the 3rd and 4th marking periods by engaging in a structured, deliberate decision-making process using virtual tools and management best practices.

Method

Participants work asynchronously on individual tasks and synchronously using Google Meet. The approximately two-week schedule of tasks below assumes that a leadership team of about six members will lead this effort with an opportunity to engage all staff by inviting them to provide feedback and rate options, as appropriate.

Thumbnail two-week process & schedule

StepParticipantsDuration & tools
#1 Define the problem or challengeLeadership team60 minute Google Meet
#2 Research, generate and present optionsLeadership teamAsynchronously over 3-4 days
90 minute Google Meet
#3 Assess options & provide feedbackDistrict staff, as appropriateGoogle Forms survey
Individuals over 3-4 days @ 20 to 30 minutes per person
#4: Refine & improve optionsLeadership teamAsynchronously over 2-3 days
#5 Review final options & make decisionLeadership team60 minute Google Meet

Please feel free to contact Prism for a more detailed process & schedule or if you would like to explore client-specific applications.

Note: Due to the array of widely documented security risks with Zoom, Prism will not initiate any meeting using Zoom. However, if the client prefers to use Zoom and agrees to initiate each meeting, Prism is happy to do so.

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Sean Brady
President
Prism Decision Systems, LLC
[email protected]

 

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