The uses of feedback

Greetings.

It has been two weeks since I wrote my last entry and things have been moving along quite fast, as usual. Opposed to that, though, my placement will be prolonged by one week, due to a string of public holidays shortening my working weeks to three days. Two weeks to go!

The ‘Our Business Our Future’ (OBOF) staff engagement project is in full throttle with the Wave 2 Workshop session having been successfully implemented. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the session as I had to attend a double replacement seminar for my PR International unit.

I got to compile the feedback the next day, though. 56 handwritten forms of it. It was tedious to put it all into a spreadsheet and type the comments, but, at the same time, very effective in giving me an overlook on how the event was received by the staff. Overall the response was positive and many of the participants voiced out that they would have liked more time to present the fruits of their group discussions.

This week, I watched some of the collected feedback being implemented at the location recce for the three upcoming Wave 3 sessions with the general staff. The venue selected is nearer to the office and allows for a more efficient time use. The format of the session, which was well-received, will be held similar. Thus the program is adjusted for maximum impact.

I still have not seen the posters I designed for the internal promotion of the Wave 3 sessions. I hope they will be on display in the office lobby by next week and that I will be able to post one or two of them in my next post. For the time being, only a simple web banner announcing the OBOF campaign, which is also my design graces the internal website.

I also learned that spellchecking, as annoying as it is, really makes a difference in avoiding unnecessary embarrassments. Luckily, I noticed it before it got published anywhere.

So far, I have taken part in creating an internal website, banners and posters to promote the change communication program as well as analyzing feedback to improve its implementation. And that is just a small part of the whole effort, which highlights that theories on the importance of communicating organizational change clearly, consistently and engagingly is taken very serious at SMEP.

Today, I also got to attend the monthly meeting with the General Manager of Corporate Affairs, where progress on various agendas was discussed, including the structural change of the department. The meeting felt very open and the discussion taking place allowed even me as an outsider to understand most of the changes going on within. All in all, it was a very insightful meeting and I did not even have to take notes!

Martin Tengeler

14196744

Sarawak Campus