Client Facilitation Tip Sheet

FOCUS for PlanPlus

Top 5 Deeper Issues for Preparation

1. Know your audience.

Know your participants level of expertise with both technology in general and Outlook in particular, and teach to that level. If you know that there is a low level, you probably dont want your participants on computers. Also, if the level of expertise is low, youll need to change your timing in order to spend more time on questions and answers.
2. Decide whether to use computers/laptops.
This decision should be based on all or nothing. Either everyone uses a computer, or no one does and you just demonstrate the concepts. If you will be using computers/laptops, every participant must have PlanPlus installed either prior to or at the beginning of the program. Will you want to have an IT person to assist your participants at the beginning of your program? If your participants are on computers, they must be able to access their own Outlook (not just a web-based view) so that they can practice the concepts during the program. If you have a mix of both expert and novice Outlook users in your program, arrange your seating so that an expert sits next to a novice. The rule of thumb during the program is that, when you are not discussing technology, your participants put a lid on it, i.e. they do not work with their computers. Online connectivity is not recommended unless that is the only way your participants can connect to their Outlook. If your participants are online, ensure that they turn the sound off so that new emails dont distract.
Sydne Kalet FranklinCovey Consultant sydne.kalet@franklincovey.com
3. Prepare your own PlanPlus.
(If you are working from a training computer, some of these things wont apply.) Hide any personal e-mails youd like to keep private (in a sub-folder under Inbox?). Ensure that you have a value already made up for Marks example on page 15. Set up at least one personal value which you may choose to show in your program. Set up at least one personal goal and also Marks goal as listed on page 19. Include dates, or keep none as the date to explain what might go onto a Master Task List. Make up (part of) your weekly compass so that you can demo the rest in your program. Delete or transfer any personal task list for today so that you can demo making up the list on pages 34-35 in the guidebook. (Start with nothing on your task list.) At the lunch break, add Tom Greens information to your Daily Note for the day, duplicating what your participants are looking at on pages 36-37 in the guidebook.
4. Decide which videos to use.
Usually, a technology audience will not be interested in the more touchy-feely aspects of the FOCUS teach, so plan your videos accordingly. You will probably not want to utilize the Live, Love, Learn video, but will use the Top 3 Values video in its place. You will also not want to use the Value of Time video at the end. The regular Closing Video will generally work much better for this particular audience. Prepare your videos and tailor your presentation accordingly.
5. Know PlanPlus and Outlook backwards and forwards.
Practice, practice, practice each and every PlanPlus concept, and also know how to do each and every Outlook Essential. Your teach has to go smoothly. After all, you are the expert. Youll want to ensure that everything goes as planned, so do your due diligence accordingly.
Top 5 Issues and Challenges
1. Teach to your audience.
Ask about handheld/mobile device use. Even if your organization doesnt support a particular device, chances are that some of your participants will want to utilize PlanPlus with their handhelds, especially the Prioritized Daily Task List application. If this is the case, they will probably want to get FranklinCovey support (1-800-418-1492) as they install PlanPlus to their mobile devices. The installation can be fairly tricky, so youll want to ensure that the installation goes smoothly. If you use PlanPlus on your own mobile device, let those participants see how it works on your device at the afternoon break after youve taught the concepts on the computer. Ensure that your device is up to date (no overdue tasks!) and that youve prioritized accordingly. Youll also want to ask where your participants will want to take their notes. Will it be in PlanPlus or on paper? Most of your participants will likely continue to use paper. If so, ensure that they understand that all of their notes must be taken on one notepad or the (one) ringed-binder provided with the PlanPlus material. Also help them understand that theyll want to maximize productivity and minimize redundancy by utilizing the parentheses concept we teach in the paper version of FOCUS. In other words, rather than copying notes made on paper back into PlanPlus, they will just link back to that information by using the parentheses.

2. Use the QIII problems/QII solutions exercise in the Time Matrix teach instead of the Feelings/Long Term Impact exercise.
Consider creating a slide with this verbiage: Two questions: 1. What are some problematic QIIIs here at (your organization)? (Choose only those over which you have some influence.) 2. What are some Quadrant II solutions to these situations? This exercise has so much more impact than the Feelings/ Long-Term Impact exercise, as it is the first time that your participants are able to discuss real-world issues. I would suggest a five-minute meeting and no more than three groups for this exercise, as the debrief can be somewhat time-consuming.
3. Use your own PlanPlus.
Dont use screenshots. First, you want to be seen as a role-model, and your participants need to know that youre practicing what youre teaching. Second, if a question is asked, you can immediately get to the answer by going to that particular piece of PlanPlus.
4. Anticipate questions/comments/issues during the Outlook Essentials teach and plan your timing accordingly.
If the first part of the Outlook Essentials teach takes somewhat longer than expected, pick and choose the latter part of your Essentials teach based upon that timing. For example, you probably dont have to spend time explaining how to schedule a group meeting or putting Outlooks assistant to work. If there are participants in your program who would like to know these things, the guidebook (and the Outlook Essentials pages that they will be putting into their seven-ring binders) should suffice.
5. Ensure that your participants know how to close out their commitments.
If you are not on computers, you will just discuss what your participants would do to close out their Daily Notes for that day. However, if they are on computers, youll want to walk them through the close-out process for each of commitments made during the program.