MINDTOOLS
ON LINE EVALUATION SURVEY RESULTS – PHASE 1 & 2
February 2012
Introduction
Mindtools is Warwickshire County Council’s On Line Management Development Tool. This report
follows the 2nd in a series of evaluation surveys conducted in January 2012, designed to measure
the impact of Mindtools within WCC.
Background
Mindtools was introduced to supplement the existing management development provision within
WCC. Having an on line tool, is also valuable for a number of reasons:
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It is a quality resource that can be accessed at any time to suit a Manager’s needs
It is value for money for the organisation, as it is cost and time effective
The resource can also be used to develop teams as well as managers
It is another way in which we can help identify management development needs by gaining
an understanding of the type of resource managers are accessing on the tool
Launch
Phase 1
The 1st phase took place during the period June – September 2011 and was offered to 5 Managers
from each business unit across the Council and to the HR & L & OD community, to act as
“Champions”. These managers were identified by their Head of Service. However, subsequent to
that other Managers who expressed an interest in the tool and who had approval from their
Manager have also been given access.
Phase 2
The 2nd phase commenced in October 2011, as part of a wider refocus on Managing for
Warwickshire. It opened up Mindtools to other managers who it has been determined will benefit
from the resource. These managers were able to request a licence for Mindtools through HR &
OD and managers can find out more via the ‘Gateway to Learning’ page on the intranet;Gateway to Learning
Specific groups have also been targeted for example to support those undertaking development
programmes such as Catalyst. Any manager who wanted access to the tool had to complete a
licence request form which clearly sets out the terms and conditions for usage.
The number of licences issued to date (1 February 2012) is 206. Of these, 195 have been
activated, with 11 not yet activated. 5 people who have activated their licence, have not then used
any resources. These situations are followed up by the L & D team in line with the Licence
Request Form terms. The breakdown per Group of users is:
Communities
People
Resources
Fire & Rescue
34
50
92
14
Mindtools Evaluation Report 2 – February 2012
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Evaluation surveys
As with all development tools/activities it is important that an understanding is gained of the impact
it has had or is having, both on the individual and the organisation. To this end a short evaluation
survey was developed using Survey Monkey (WCC’s on line survey tool).
There have been 2 stages to the evaluation so far
1.
September 2011
Phase 1 users were contacted to gain initial feedback (having had tool
less than 3 months)
2.
January 2012
- Phase 1 users were contacted to measure impact of Mindtools on
performance having had the tool for 3-6 months
- Phase 2 users were contacted to gain initial feedback (having had
tool less than 3 months)
The results of the evaluation conducted in September 2011 have been communicated and are
available on the intranet.
This report details the results of the 2 surveys from January 2012.
Phase 1 users (had licences for 3-6 months)
The focus of the survey to these users was on the impact on their development including:
-
Use with their teams
Using forums within Mindtools
Managing for Warwickshire links
How it supported their appraisal
It was also an opportunity to measure the effectiveness of the supporting activity including:
-
WCC customised newsletters
Managers’ Club (face to face events)
Communication via the intranet, emails etc
The survey was sent to 131 users and 21 surveys were returned which equates to a response rate
of 16%. Some of the key results from the survey are detailed below.
Results
1. Overall rating
Respondents were asked “Overall, do you think Mindtools is a useful tool for WCC Managers?”
100% answered “Yes”.
Comments included:
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It is great to have such an informative tool to refer to.
If Managers have time, very useful guidance and information held on 'one stop shop'
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I think Mindtools would be especially useful for new appointed managers looking for an
avenue for information.
It is an easy-to-access development tool which is available when you need it.
Has helped me feel more confident in decisions and actions I have taken as a supervisor
It is an available resource that fits into flexible working patterns and also is cost effective way
of meeting L&D needs in the current climate
I have Mindtools available at work and as an app on my Iphone and refer to it frequently to
look for advice and guidance on management and leadership issues or just for my own
development
2. Impact on development
76% of respondents rated Mindtools as having some impact on their development so far (ratings of
3-5).
What impact has Mindtools had on your development
so far? (1 = no impact, 5 = very positive impact)
Response
Answer Options
Percent
4.8%
1
19.0%
2
33.3%
3
33.3%
4
9.5%
5
W ha t imp a c t ha s Mind to o ls ha d o n y o ur d e v e lo p me nt s o fa r? (1 =
no imp a c t, 5 = v e ry p o s itiv e imp a c t)
1
2
3
4
5
Some of the comments received included:
 Use it as reference tool when about to engage in an area that is unfamiliar to me or I want to
advise another.
 The immediacy of accessing information means I do actually access rather than add it to a
"to do" list!
 You can dip into in and find articles on things your finding particularly challenging
 Given me some useful handouts and content to support managers when working with them
 Very useful - have accessed it a lot to look at specific issues
There was recognition from some respondents that the issue for them in terms of impact was
having the time to use Mindtools.
Mindtools Evaluation Report 2 – February 2012
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3.
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Other key results from the survey included:
26% of respondents had used Mindtools with their team for their development
91% were “aware of the WCC customised page on Mindtools which maps its resources to the
Managing 4 Warwickshire competencies?” 42% had used these resources and of those,
100% found them useful
100% of those who attended the 1st Managers’ Club event in November, found it useful with
comments including “useful to share knowledge with colleagues, and understand further all
the tools available” and “good to meet with others to see how they are using Mindtools and to
share ideas”
These results suggest a number of areas where we can focus promotion in the future, including
through the Managers’ Clubs and customised newsletters.
Phase 2 users (had licences less than 3 months)
The survey asked the same questions that were used in September 2011 survey to phase 1
licencees, focusing on initial impressions. This will also allow the responses to be compared /
collated in future.
The survey was sent to 74 users and 20 surveys were returned which equates to a response rate
of 27 %.
Results
1. Overall rating
Respondents were asked “Overall, do you think Mindtools is a useful tool for WCC
Managers?” and 95% answered “Yes”. This compared to the September 2011 result for the
phase 1 “champions” of 98%.
Ov e ra ll, d o y o u think Mind to o ls is a us e ful to o l fo r Ma na g e rs ?
Yes
No
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Comments included:
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its very good as you can dip in and out to suit your needs/time available
There seems to be a wide range of help available
It gives the basic principles and rationale behind these and offers real scenarios to base a
decision on
It provides good advice and issues to reflect on.
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2. Initial Impressions
What were your initial impressions of the Mindtools site? (1 being poor,
5 being excellent)
Answer Options
Response Percent
0.0%
0.0%
15.0%
65.0%
20.0%
1
2
3
4
5
W ha t we re y o ur initia l imp re s s io ns o f the Mind to o ls s ite ? (1 b e ing
p o o r, 5 b e ing e xc e lle nt)
1
2
3
4
5
3.
Other key results included:
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100% answered “Yes” to “Have you found WCC's customised pages useful?”
Only 10% of respondents had “….used Mindtools in connection with the Managing
for Warwickshire framework?” Although 100% of those that had used this page,
found it useful.
55% had shared their learning with others;- their team, line manager and other
managers
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4.
What topic areas have you found most useful?
W ha t to p ic a re a s ha v e y o u fo und mo s t us e ful? (p le a s e tic k a ll
tha t a p p ly )
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
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5. How has Mindtools supported your development as a Manager? (free text box)
Some of the responses received are detailed below.
accessing Mindtools view the tool.
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These give an idea of how Managers
Increased my self awareness e.g. decision making styles, influencing styles
Useful info to support and inform decisions and action
Has enabled me to reflect on areas of my personal development.
It a great one stop resource to answer my queries
As a fairly new manager ……. the information available is really useful
I have enjoyed reading about management techniques, I have experienced significant
stresses since being a manager, and have used the forum
helps me explore areas that are of direct importance to me at that particular time and issues
that are relevant to the work of my team
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Conclusion
The results of both surveys conducted in January 2012, offer many positives and benefits
including:
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Initial impressions of Mindtools
Users sharing their learning with others
The impact on managers development
Accessibility of the resources
Experience of the Managers’ Club
Mindtools Evaluation Report 2 – February 2012
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The combined scores from the 3 surveys (1 x Sept, 2 x Jan) give an overall agreement of 98 %
that “Mindtools is a useful tool for Managers” which is a fantastic result for the organisation.
There are a number of opportunities to promote elements of Mindtools more effectively in the
future including:
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How Mindtools can support team development
The benefit of the Managing for Warwickshire mapped resources
How Mindtools can support your appraisal
Next Steps
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Mindtools Task & Finish group to review detailed findings of the January surveys and take
appropriate action including updating the FAQ’s
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Continue to monitor usage and activations – taking action when required in line with the
Licence Request Form
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Communicate results via intranet, Working for Warwickshire etc
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Continue to hold Mindtools Managers’ Clubs targeted at specific groups and/or priority
subject areas (next event 1 May)
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Focus content of WCC customised newsletters around results from surveys
Amy Fiddy
Learning & Development Consultant
Resources Group
March 2012
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