Category — Benefits

THE BENEFITS OF FOCUS GROUPS

Focus groups are about involving people’s stories; their purposes and possibilities, into your mission.

The command model is a one-way top-down effort that tries to inform, educate, persuade and reassure;

Focus groups use the communication model to engage people, listen, dialogue and synthesize to common cause.

It’s about understanding what makes a difference to people. It’s about understanding how your story meshes with their stories into one clear, coherent and compelling mission together. Relationship management involves getting “buy-in” through engaging the stories of your people - employees and customers - into one story - your story.

Focus groups help organize supports and shape demands for policy, programs, issues and strategies. Focus groups help you understand why people behave the way they do; and commit to what they do; they help you understand the meanings and motivations that shape the “buy-in” decision of the people you depend on for success.

You didn’t get to where you are without some considerable experience with people; you have a track record of good judgement. In these challenging times, focus groups help you continue to move ahead with the judgmental confidence you need.

Focus groups are what you do when you don’t know what to do; finding the meaning in the data, exploring in depth the attitudes, opinions, beliefs and values that inform the  “buy-in” to your mission.

You can manage complexity but you have to lead change; focus groups are about leadership of people toward a shared outcome, a common cause, a shared purpose.

Focus groups are intended to provide knowledgeable input to strategic approaches to any program requiring you to engage people to your mission.

Focus groups don’t give you answers; they give you confidence in your direction, that you are asking the right questions and engaging the right people in the right way. They also demonstrate to your people that you care about them and are listening to them, which is a motivation in itself.

Focus groups are a commercial activity intended to enhance …

Performance —- Productivity —- Profits