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Resources

Though MAD provides a wide range of consulting services, we also provide our clients with tools that allow them to continue the work established by our consultants. Though the tools are usually tailored to the specific needs of our clients, we have developed some tools that can be used in a variety of organizations. Below are these resources. Please note, these tools are meant to be introductory pieces to the topic or refreshers for past clients. For more information about working with our consultants, please visit the Our Services page.

Basic Discussion Method

Use the Basic Discussion Method to prepare for small group and interpersonal communication, reports, presentations, and leading meetings. 

Facilitation Skills Tips

Management Analysis and Development's experienced facilitators have developed a two-day course that teaches basic facilitator skills to, and builds confidence in, people who facilitate meetings and focus groups. The following tips are excerpted from the Facilitation Skills Course manual.

Choosing a Consultant

A consultant is a person who gives expert or professional advice. Choosing the best consultant for a project starts with thinking about your organization and determining the desired relationship.

Position Descriptions

A good position description should answer "exactly what work is this individual performing on a day-to-day or month-to-month basis?" This guide gives you tips on how to write a good position description. 

Surveys

Surveys are a popular instrument for collecting information in many Management Analysis and Development projects. This guide lays out the basics of a survey. 

Guide to Writing Survey Questions

Writing survey questions is easier if certain things are considered before actual question construction. In general, you should first clearly outline the information you need to collect.

Interagency Groups

In recent years more and more state agencies have formed interagency work groups to accomplish something that they could not do alone. This guide offers tips on how to make these groups successful.

Conflict

Conflict in the workplace is all too predictable, but that doesn’t make it any less difficult to deal with. Engaging conflict with both skill and heart is critically important; how we do so can literally make or break our careers. Management literature suggests that conflict, properly addressed, can lead to innovation and creativity.

Interviews and Focus Groups

Collecting qualitative data is helpful for diving more deeply into a topic or question. Qualitative data can answer “why” and “how” questions that quantitative data often cannot and can be useful when exploring more personal or sensitive subjects.

Restructuring

Changing an organization’s structure can seem like a straightforward way to address challenges, but it is not a decision organizations should make lightly. Reorganizations can be successful if they are done for the right reasons, if employees and stakeholders understand those reasons, and if leaders plan and invest in the change.

Task Force Facilitation

Task forces, commissions, committees, and councils are composed of a select group of people charged with reviewing, discussing, and providing input and/or recommendations on a select topic.

Supporting Good Board Governance

Many entities established by the State of Minnesota are overseen by governing bodies composed of citizens and/or legislators. These entities are often focused on licensing or specific interests and are uniquely different from appointed committees or advisory groups in that they are granted authority to oversee their organization. This means the head of the organization in question reports to the board, rather than somewhere within state government.

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