BLUEPRINT 22
Structural Research Project
Timeline Report
30 April 2015 - Final Report
Written for Blueprint 22
Written by Amanda Baker
“On the whole we all want
the same things for Blueprint 22”
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Contents:
• Introduction
• Background
• Methodology
• Research Methods
• Participants
• Interrupted Chronological Timeline
-
Session 1: September 2014
Session 2: October 2014
Session 3: November 2014
Session 4: January 2015
Session 5: February 2015
• Conclusion
• New Developments
• References
• Appendices
Introduction
In September 2014, we embarked on a 6 month Structural Research Project as part of the
Trustees monthly team meetings. The aim of the project was to build on our previous research
‘Root to Route’ and to examine both organisational structure and individual roles within Blueprint
22.
The research was lead by Amanda Baker, Founder of Blueprint 22 and supported by Veronica
Carver the Director of Delivery. 10 young people took part in the project which included both faceto-face and online discussion. Each young person engaged with the process willingly and had the
option to opt out at any stage.
Funding for the project was provided by The Tudor Trust. This gave us the freedom and flexibility to
undertake research in ways that specifically appealed to the Blueprint 22 young people.
This report is written chronologically and uses language and visuals that are inclusive to both
adults and young people.
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Background
During 2012/13 we conducted a year long research project called ‘Root to Route’. The aim was to
examine the working practices of Blueprint 22, discern from the perspective of young people why it
worked, what they the got from it as a group and as individuals and how the organisation could
develop in the future.
Areas developed as part of ‘Root to Route’ that are relevant to this research are as follows:-
The House and Rooms
In initial discussions with the young people they described their experience of Blueprint 22 to being
like a well-functioning family and felt that the imagery of a family home would help them explain
their journey within and through the organisation. This was the impetus for using the architecture of
a house as a visual symbol that everyone could relate to. The rooms were added to describe how
they navigated their own routes within the house.
!
Figure 1 - House Floor Plan
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Join, Grow, Develop & Move Forward
The group established 4 key stages of their journey through the organisation and they made these
the rooms of the house. ‘Get Involved’, ‘Get Real’, ‘Keep It Real’ and ‘Get On With It’. During the
research these rooms changed to ‘Join’, Grow, Develop and Move Forward. The group felt that
these words described the process in a clearer way.
!
Figure 2 - Rooms
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Think, Feel, Talk and Act
The group shared their thoughts and feelings about the organisation and this was broken down into
4 areas ‘Think’, ‘Feel’, ‘Talk’ and ‘Act’. Towards the end of the research ‘Listen’ was added as
something that they valued greatly and that they felt should be a stand alone like the other four
areas.
Figure 3 - T.F.T.A
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Personality Tests
Discussion amongst the group about effective team building lead to an interest in exploring
personality tests. Many already had experience of tests including Belbin (1972), Myers-Brigg
(1966)and Stephenson (2012).
During the ‘Root to Route’ research we used Merrill (1996) ‘Personal styles and effective
performance as an introduction to individual and team dynamics’. Figure 4 - Personality Styles Test
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Heart of the Matter
The research participants repeatedly referred to the ‘heart’ of Blueprint 22 as the centre point in
which everything started within the organisation and the power force behind what drove the
organisation forward. This resulted in the development of the new 22 heart shaped logo.
!
Figure 5 - Heart Development
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Figure 6 - Heart Development
Spiral Pathway
By combining the driving force, the heart and the core values of Think, Feel, Talk, Listen & Act.
(T.F.T.L.A), participants established that their journey was a spiral pathway with ranging highs and
lows.
!
Figure 7 - Initial Spiral Pathway Drawing
If you would like to read the ‘Root to Route’ report in full you can access it in PDF format a
www.blueprint22.org.uk/youth_research/
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Focus Areas
In planning the Structural Research Project it was important to revisit all the topics that were
highlighted by the young people in the Root to Route Project. The initial name for the project was
Working Practise Model 2.0 (WPM 2.0) and each topic highlighted was then divided into 5
categories.
Figure 8 - Working Practise Model 2.0 Ideas
Structure, People, Building, Change & Growth were the proposed areas of exploration, these were
not seen by participants but were used as a root map for the research with flexibility for each
session to inform the next. Many parts of this original plan were not covered, with participants
setting the agenda for what they felt was most needed and important to them as individuals and
as a group.
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Figure 9 - Areas for Exploration
Methodology
The research methods as listed below were chosen because they have been successful in earlier/
previous research conducted by Blueprint 22.
Using these specific methods have enabled us to get the most meaningful responses from young
people engaged in the project.
We conducted research before using the same methods but were restricted at the end of the
process by having to write our findings in an academic format. This style wasn’t always accessible
to young people and whilst we tried to create alternative ways for them to access the data they
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didn’t always understand how this translated into action. This created a disengagement in the end
process and we have actively chosen to write this report in a format that is more user-friendly to
the 16-25 age group, should they choose to read it.
In the past we have youth researchers alongside adult researchers but in this case we were
mindful about not to creating a perceived power imbalance as after the research, the young people
involved would have to continue functioning as a team.
This research was not looking at participants reactions but focused on organisational and team
development.
Actioning change has been previously difficult when working with organisations that are more
institutional and it has been important to acknowledge that young people respond better to
immediate actions and impacts. They have repeatedly stated that they feel like they are achieving
when they can see changes being made due to their input into the research.
Throughout the research we have create visual opportunities for young people to see their ideas
developing and helped them understand how their input creates action and the importance of this
for Blueprint 22.
Note:
• When referring to young people or participants we are referring to people aged 16-25
• When referring to adults we are referring to people aged 26+
• When referring to the Founder or Lead Researcher we are referring to Amanda Baker
• When referring to trustees we are referring to participants aged 16-25
Research Methods
Varied group work
Participants worked in one large group, smaller groups of 3-4 people and in pairs throughout the
research. This enabled those less confident to speak in a large group to express themselves within
smaller groups.
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Focus group discussions
Focus group discussions were arranged at monthly meetings throughout the course of the project
and the content of these discussions was not predetermined at the start of the research. This
allowed the participants to have influence in the areas of research covered, based on their views
and opinions of the organisation as the sessions developed.
Arts-based methods
It was felt that the appropriate use of arts-based research methods would make the research
process more accessible to young people who may not fully engage with traditional styles of
research. The methods included the design and use of 2D and 3D visual representations of the
themes which arose throughout the research.
Self-reporting
Opportunities were create for individual expression of views both in a verbal and written format.
Online Reporting
Visuals were displayed in a private online forum giving the opportunity for participants to post
comments about how to best develop specific areas of the research and to review topics discussed
in the face-to-face sessions.
Online Discussions
Discussions were made possible online for all participants to contribute and view throughout the
research.
Participants
Project Lead Researcher
Amanda Baker
Founder
Age 41
Director of Delivery
Age 35
Project Support
Veronica Carver
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Attendees
Amy Dexter
Youth Trustee
Age 21
Cameron Brophy-Lemay
Youth Trustee
Age 18
Gemma Hathaway
Youth Trustee
Age 24
Josie Churchill
Youth Trustee
Age 21
Kirsty Smith
Youth Chair
Age 19
Laura Montgomery
Youth Trustee
Age 23
Lucy-Marie Nelson
Youth Trustee
Age 26
Michael Jenner
Director
Age 27
Shannon Colbourne
Youth Trustee
Age 20
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Workshop Timeline
Session 1: 20th September 2014
Attendees: 5 - Amy Dexter, Cameron Brophy-Lemay, Gemma Hathaway, Kirsty Smith
& Michael Jenner
Timeframe: 1 hour 30 mins
Why we did it The aim of the workshop was to review previous ideas about working in an equal and nonhierarchical way and to look at whether this was in fact still correct, desirable and attainable. To
look at where people currently sit within the organisation and to establish a new clear visual
structure that was current and adhered to the young people’s on-going request to work in a
structured but non-hierarchical way.
What we did and when we did it
Route to Root Recap
At the start of the session we wanted to provide participants with a context as to why we were
embarking on this research and development as well as recapping on our original trustee research
project Root to Route. By using some of the key factors of the initial research it formed the starting
point for the Structural Research Project.
Family Structures
Each young person was to asked to think about the structures of their own family and friendship
circles and where they would put themselves within that structure, this was to include key people to
whom the young people felt featured significantly in their lives.
Structures and Hierarchies
We explored the terms structure and hierarchy and related this to their experience of being in a
hierarchy in their school, college or work environment. We looked at different organisational
structures and how they currently saw Blueprint 22.
Developing a New Structure
In a group activity young people were asked to name all the key players currently within Blueprint
and what their roles were. They were then asked to place them in order of what they do and how
important they are to the organisation The young people grouped them to indicate who went
together and importantly their overall position in the organisation.
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Figure 10 - Mapping a New Structure
Is Our Current Structure a Hierarchy?
We viewed the current Blueprint 22 structure and discussed whether it still worked or not and
whether it was a hierarchical or a flat-line structure. The participants clearly communicated that the
new structure should be flat-line and interconnected.
Figure 11 - Current Structure
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What makes a Leader?
The young people were asked to work together to write down everything they want and expect
from a leader. They included expectation of themselves as project leaders, of adult workers within
the organisation and the youth chair.
Figure 12 - Important Skills of a Leader
What happened?
In the previous research Root to Route the young people felt in was important that the organisation
was non-hierarchical and the current structure showed a clear indication that a hierarchy had
actually naturally formed or was in place. They expressed they wanted leadership and clarity of
roles but felt it was important to create a new structure that was clearly non-hierarchical and
indicated how people work together to create the organisation. The wanted to know where they
fitted in and what the expectation was of each person in the organisation.
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How what happened influenced the next session
Spending time recapping the previous research project helped the participants have a context for
the starting point of the new research project and those who were involved in the previous project
were confident to support others as they had experience of how the process worked.
The group were keen to engage with the activities, some were slightly under confident because of
literacy issues, once reassured that they didn’t have to focus on correct spelling they relaxed and
came forward with new ideas.
The group discussed their individual roles, the need for clarity, why they needed it and
demonstrated an enthusiasm for this to be the next stage of the workshops.
Online Group
As a part of maintaining contact and discussion between sessions, visuals were added to the
Facebook Trustees Group, which is a private group that has been established for approximately 2
years.
These visuals were created after the workshop and based on information and content
discussed at the sessions.
Word Cloud
Key words used at the session were recorded and made into a word cloud to visually capture the
areas discussed.
Figure 13 - Structure Cloud
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New Structure Visual
Initial layout created from the ‘Developing a New Structure’ activity.
Figure 14 - New Structure Version 1
Group Photos: Session 1
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Session 2: 18th October 2014
Attendees: 7 - Amy Dexter, Cameron Brophy-Lemay, Gemma Hathaway, Josie Churchill, Kirsty
Smith, Laura Montgomery & Lucy-Marie Nelson
Timeframe: 1 hour 30 mins
Why we did it The aim of the session was to look at current roles; look at gaps in what the organisation needed;
look at the current skills base of trustees, define each role and how this fits into the new structure
being created.
What we did and when we did it
We started the session with a recap of session 1 to enable the new participants to understand why
and how things had developed.
Participants were given the opportunity to view the old structure and compare it with version 1 of
the new draft structure that all participants had access to in the online group.
Draft Structure Version 1
Participants had a discussion about the details of new structure, what they feel worked and what
they wanted to change. Specifically they felt that colours should be shades of blue and each colour
should denote a separate cluster of roles that went together.
All hexagons should be placed
together with no connecting lines and the overall look should be more of a diamond shape rather
than a straight line.
Current Roles and Defining Roles
Discussion about current roles and who was responsible for what, including whether they wanted
to change their roles, if the roles were needed, if they worked and why we had them took place.
This resulted in the majority of the group saying they wanted to know specifically what was
expected of them and how they could achieve the expectation. Some were resistant to changing
their roles, some were nervous about having a role and weren’t sure what they had to offer. The
group discussed the strengths and skills of other participants and initial ideas for roles were
recorded on post-its with a clear understanding that the roles were negotiable and would change
and develop during the research. Overall they wanted to understand more about themselves and
what they could bring to the organisation.
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Figure 15 - Sharing Ideas for New Roles
Running Projects
As the organisation primarily runs a project based service the following question was asked of
participants: How do we know we are running a good project?
The group discussed the following points to help them define the answer to the question:-
Number of attendees at projects - The group felt quality over quantity of people was more
important however they recognised the need to have between 8-12 places filled per session
otherwise the project wouldn’t be benefiting enough people.
Popularity - The group questioned whether the youth project leader needs to be popular to attract
an audience of people keen to attend. It was felt that historically, projects hadn’t worked if people
whose behaviour was selfish and erratic had run projects because it created a bad atmosphere
and no one wanted to support or attend. They decided that rather than needing to being popular it
was more beneficial to be welcoming and listen to what people wanted.
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Timeframe of Project - One participant felt they hadn’t been given enough time to run their project
and eventually the project was taken off them. They expressed that they wanted to manage the
project but did not attend or do any of the planning or set up. The other participants of the group
thought this was totally impractical and a lengthy discussion took place about taking responsibility
for your own projects and not expecting adult workers to take this on. There was also discussion
about Project Leaders recognising that if funding is provided for a project then it was completely
acceptable for adult workers to have an expectation and when this isn’t being met to create a
timeframe for it to happen.
External Commitments - One participant felt that due to external commitments they couldn't always
confirm when they would do things. The other participants felt this was not acceptable and felt it
was not for adult workers to balance young peoples commitments and that this should have been
considered by the participant before applying for funding. They also commented that blame and
excuses were not acceptable from trustees as they were supposed to be acting as role models to
other participants.
Getting Money - The whole group agreed that projects should not be run as a way of ‘receiving
money’ and that the £50 they receive as part of running a project is a bonus and not an expectation
and that the project should always come first. One participant said they felt it was important that
travel expenses were provided but they majority did not agree. There was a discussion about the
direct financial situations of participants in the group and it was understood that some people may
not be able to access projects without travel support.
What Happened?
Although the session was productive, it was felt that the group were definitely in their ‘storming’
Tuckman (1988) period. Some participants were trying to dominate with their views, stopping
others speaking, dismissing what others were saying and trying to continually draw attention back
to themselves. The Lead Researcher had to act in a firmer manner than participants had previously
experienced to ensure that people felt listened to and all had equal time to speak if they wished.
One of the influencing factors was the change of the room in which the research took place due to
a double-booking. The room for session 2 was dark and quite cramped and added to the overall
atmosphere. The participants were clearly testing each other and the adults to establish
boundaries.
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Overall the group verbalised feeling nervous about running their projects and wanted to be
reassured that they would receive support. For many running a project would be the first thing that
they had embarked on as a solo venture and they weren’t sure about how to take the next step
without the support of the group.
How What Happened Influenced The Next Session
The Lead Researcher felt that for the next session it was important to enable participants to move
around and work with other members of the group in two’s rather than a seated discussion. This
would encourage confidence building and group bonding through activities.
The focus would
remain on structure, roles and developing the threads of ‘Root to Route’.
Online Group
Word Cloud
Key words used at the session were recorded and made into a word cloud to visually capture the
areas discussed.
Figure 16 - Roles and Responsibilities
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New Draft Structure Version 2
Layout developed from version 1 based on suggestions by participants.
Figure 17 - New Structure Version 2
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Group Photos: Session 2
Session 3: 22nd November 2014
Attendees: 6 - Amy Dexter, Gemma Hathaway, Josie Churchill, Kirsty Smith, Laura Montgomery
& Michael Jenner
Timeframe: 1 hour 30 mins
Why we did it The aim of the session was to offer a creative and physically interactive experience to stimulate a
feeling of play and learning together. The purpose was to encourage the young people to relax and
work together in pairs rather than as a whole group.
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What we did and when we did it
We started the session by viewing version 2 of the new structure and discussing what they thought
of the changes they had requested. The group decided they didn’t like any of the changes they
had made, they said that the different shades of blue made it hard to define the groups, the
diamond shaped made it look hierarchical. They requested that the structure be changed back to
a flat-line, that each hexagon joined together and the previous colours were reinstated
We also had a brief discussion about roles and asked if they had any ideas about the types of role
they would like to have in the new structure. Some of the group seemed not keen to commit, some
were unsure what the organisation needed or what their skills were and some wanted us to
suggest some potential roles based on what we thought they would be good at. We agreed to
revisit this at the next session.
We then asked the group to work in pairs to take part in an activity circuit, with each participant
having a chance to try out each activity.
Mini-Me (10 minutes)
Participants were provided with the parts to create their own little lego mini-figures. They could
select hair or hat, head, body, legs and an accessory to build the lego image of themselves.
Figure 18 - Making Mini-Me
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Figure 19 - Finished Figure
The House that We Built (10 minutes)
Lego bricks and base plates for both a house and garden were provided for the participants to take
part in building their version of the Blueprint 22 House. A list of specifications were provided based
on the criteria agreed by the original research group ‘Root to Route’. The included:-
-
6 Rooms to house each core value - Think, Feel, Talk, Act Listen and one more
Bungalow so it could offer full disabled access
No back door as they didn’t want anyone to leave in shame
A garden with trees so that birds could fly free in a relaxing outside space
6 Supporting Pillars to hold the house up
How they chose to interpret the brief was left to each pair and how they built the house and garden
could change as each new pair took their turn.
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Figure 20 & 21 - Starting to Build and Building the Structures
Magnetic Words (10 minutes)
Young people were asked to spell out words in magnetic letters that they felt best described the
organisation.
Figure 22 & 23 - Creating Magnetic Words
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Letters to Us (10 minutes)
Nine Envelopes were provided with each Trustee’s name on and each individual was asked to
write a positive comment or thought for each envelope. This was done confidentially and each
participant spent time thinking about the other members of the team and putting their ideas down.
Figure 24 & 25 - Creating Letter to Us & Personalised Envelopes
The activity circuit was very popular with participants and they enjoyed the playful elements of
each activity. They expressed an ability to engage freely because they knew the activities were a
way of finding out information for the research. They seemed to fully trust in this process and
willingly took part in each activity. The simplicity of the activities enable them to focus on having
fun.
We had asked the group to allow us to take their photos for the new structure and they seemed
fairly reluctantly. This time they requested that rather than using their photos that we instead use
their Mini-Me character, the whole group liked this idea and said they felt much more comfortable
doing this.
When building the house they said they forgot how relaxing doing a repetitive activity could be and
enjoyed building the house as a group because they only had responsibility for their part in the
build.
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The magnetic letters generated words such as cool, fun, dynamic, happy, helpful, great, grounding
and inclusive. It was clear that their experience of the organisation was enjoyable and useful to
their lives.
At the end of the session the participants were keen to take their envelopes with their Letters To Us
with them. They were told they would be posted to them after the session and those who were
unable to attend would also receive theirs. They expressed excitement about receiving them.
Participants said they realised that creativity didn’t necessarily mean having to be good at art and
that they felt they had been able to explore being creative as part of these activities.
The DOPE 4 Bird Test
Participants were asked to take part in a personality test called DOPE: What bird type are you?
Created by Richard.N.Stephenson (2012). The test aims to characterise participants as one of the
following Dove, Owl, Peacock & Eagle.
Figure 26 - DOPE bird symbols
The young people were read the multiple choice questions and chose the answer they felt best
suited them, with feedback of the results being posted later in the online forum.
Many of the words in the test were not familiar to the participants and an extended period of time
was used to ensure each word and its context was understood by all to enable them to give the
answer that felt most right to them.
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Discussion took place about how they had taken part in other personality tests and that they were
interested in developing a test that resulted in not only understanding yourself and your type but
also helping to understand others and the best ways to interact with different types of people/
personalities. They were keen to create this for the 16-25 year old age group and in a language
they could understand that didn't need explaining.
Those who were unable to attend this session were met with on a 1-2-1 basis and helped with the
test.
What happened Due to the creative play nature of the session the group were overall more relaxed and comfortable
to engage with the second part of the session where they sat as a group to complete their
personality test. They discussed the fact they liked having both the creative workshops and what
they deemed the more serious discussions as a group, they were keen to combine both. They
also discussed wanting to think and talk about their roles more and having time to explore that
throughly.
How it influenced the next session As a starting point to defining their roles we created an ‘All About Me’ fact finding sheet that they
could complete at the following session.
Discussion about the structure of the house and how the pillars supported the house lead to the
initial creation of the Pillars of Purpose and how that tied in with projects and the overall structure
of the organisation including new roles.
More discussion about how and why we would create a personality test took place with the group
and they indicated they wanted something that supported their behaviour development more than
just saying what type of personality they had. It also lead to a discussion about core beliefs and
where they crossed with character ethics.
It was agreed more time was needed to be spent
looking at structure, roles and character/behaviour.
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Online Group
Word Cloud
Figure 27 - Developing the Organisation
New Draft Structure Version
Layout developed from version 2 based on suggestions by participants.
Figure 28 - New Structure Version 3
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Team Minifigures
Figure 27 - Lego Characters
DOPE Results
DOVE - The Harmony Seeker - Low Assertive/High Emotion (4 participants - Dove)
OWL - The Detail Seeker - Low Assertive/Low Emotion (1 participant - Owl/Dove combination)
PEACOCK - The Excitement Seeker - High Assertive/High Emotion (2 participants - Peacock)
EAGLE - The Results Seeker - High Assertive/Low Emotion (1 participant - Eagle, 1 participant Eagle/Peacock combination)
Figure 29 - Results
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The House That We Built
Original House from Root to Route including the T (Think), F (Feel), T (Talk), L (Listen) and A (Act)
rooms.
Figure 30 - TFTLA House
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New house built using the new specifications.
Figure 31 - New House including supporting pillars
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Group Photos: Session 3
Session 4: 24th January 2015
Attendees: 8 - Amy Dexter, Cameron Brophy-Lemay, Gemma Hathaway, Josie Churchill, Kirsty
Smith, Laura Montgomery, Michael Jenner & Shannon Colbourne
Timeframe: 1 hour 30 mins
Why we did it We felt it was important at this session to review some of the ideas we had developed in previous
sessions, explore their roles and commitment to the organisation and the type of character traits
they felt were important to learn and develop.
What we did and when we did it
Structure (Version 4)
Minor changes to the structure including colour and layout of roles, clusters of roles remain the
same. Participants wanted to revert back to blue but using the colours of the logo.
Figure 32 - New Structure Version 4
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All About Me
Participants were asked to complete individual team sheets for the website to give web visitors a
broader sense of who they are and what their interests are.
Figure 33 - All About Me Sheet
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House
We looked at the lego house and discussed if they felt that Think, Feel, Talk, Act, Listen and
potentially Review (TFTLA(R) were at the heart of the organisation. Although the trustees felt that
these areas were still key, it wasn't necessary to show them as rooms. They felt that at the heart of
the organisation were the trustees meetings and that they were the driving force. They felt the
house should now be open plan and that TFTLA(R) were our core principles and could be used to
develop the behaviour model/personality test using these areas as primary personality types, such
as Thinker, Feeler, Talker, Listener, Actioner and Reflecter or Reviewer.
It was agreed that we remove the rooms and add the trustees meeting table and chairs.
Figure 34 - New House Interior
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Pillars of Purpose
The group discussed the pillars of the house and what they represented, they decided they could
represent the 6 key project themes that that we currently use and the colours of each pillar would
link to the project logo bricks that are created for online publicity.
Figure 35 & 36 - Lego Pillars & Pillars of Purpose Diagram
Project Bricks
We discussed how each individual project would now be colour coded to fit with the pillar of
purpose that best suits the project.
Figure 37 - Creative Arts Project Logo
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Project Wall
The group agreed that each brick could build a project wall and the walls would build the Blueprint
22 house.
Figure 38 - Bricks building the project wall
Our Learning Journey
We reviewed participants overall journey through the organisation and discussed whether Join,
Grow, Develop, Move Forward still represented how people travel through the organisation.
Participants agreed that it did but also felt there was a more detailed journey that could be
recorded by reflecting on individual experiences.
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Figure 39 - Learning Journey
Figure 40 - Detailed Learning Journey
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Character Education & Virtue Ethics
We introduced the concept of Character Education and Virtue Ethics using three standards, the
globally recognised character traits, government identified key traits and key traits developed by
Jubilee Centre, Birmingham University (2014).
We asked participants to choose out of over thirty potential traits which were of most importance to
them as a group and to priorities these. A grid format titled ‘Valuable Values Activities’ Jubilee
Centre (2014) was provided as an aid and they were given cards with individual traits to select
from.
Figure 41 - Top Ten Priority Triangle
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As participants discussed how to approach the activity they quickly decided that they did not think
some of the words provided were ‘youth-friendly’ and wanted to find words that they could relate to
and understand. They also decided that they didn’t want to create a hierarchy of importance with
the words and the 10 chosen should be treated as equally important.
Participants decided to sort through the words and put together words that were similar and then
change the names to words they would use and understand. The ten words they chose were
honesty, focus, positivity, determination, respect for others, social responsibility, self -development,
self-respect, confidence and tolerance.
Figure 42 - Character Education & Virtue Ethics activity
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During the group activity they discussed what the visual of these ethics could look like and decided
on a tree, with a strong trunk and that this could be the tree in the Blueprint 22 Lego Garden and
that each trustee would be responsible for learning how to be a good role model and
demonstrating their ten chosen ethics to all new joiners of the organisation.
Figure 43 - Lego Garden with the Ethics Tree
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Trustees Charter
Participants were set a group activity with the aim of drawing up a new trustees charter for them to
each sign. The premise of the idea was to establish what trustees would do for the organisation
and what the organisation would do for the trustees. The group were given 100 cards with real life
scenarios and situations that had happened over the last 4 years within the organisation.
For
example ‘Trustees should attend meetings’, ‘Trustees should attend as many meeting as possible’
and ‘The organisation should offer you support. The group selected via a yes, no, maybe process
and used this system to identify twenty-two points that they could sign up to. (See Appendix 1)
What Happened?
During the recap part of the session it was hard to gauge the responses of the participants as they
were being very passive and had to be heavily encouraged for responses. When asked if they
were ‘bored’ and whether they ‘understood the information’ they all agreed they were listening and
taking on the information. Once the group activities started they were fully engaged and all actively
participating.
The recap felt very student/teacher in its setup and this created a passive
environment that was difficult to read.
How it influenced the next session?
Due to the fifth session being our final research session, we agreed that it was important to finalise
the roles, structure and revisit what makes a good leader and TFTLA.
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Online Group
Word Cloud
Figure 44 - Exploring Ethics Word Cloud
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Virtue Ethics
Figure 45 - Ethics Tree
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All About Me - New Roles
Each Trustee was sent their new role based on their ‘All About Me’ sheets and previous discussion
about their roles. They were asked to make any changes so their roles could be finalised at the
final session.
Figure 46 - My Specialist Role
Group Photos: Session 4
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Session 5: 21st February 2015
Attendees: 5 - Amy Dexter, Cameron Brophy-Lemay, Kirsty Smith, Michael Jenner & Shannon
Colbourne
Timeframe: 1 hour 30 minutes
Why we did it Due to the previous success of combining creative and discussion based activities as part of the
sessions, we decided to start with a leadership game followed by a group discussion.
What we did and when we did it
Egg Challenge
The team split into pairs and each was given the task of building a container that would protect a
hollow chocolate egg. The brief was that one person would be the leader and one would be the
maker. The leaders could only instruct by voice and the makers task was to build what the leader
requested. The container had to be able to be opened so that we could check the state of the egg
at each stage.
Once the containers were completed they were dropped from waist height, standing on a chair and
then thrown at the wall, to see how well they had worked together as a team to protect the egg.
The purpose of the activity was to enable participants to take a leadership role and for other team
members to clearly listen to instructions.
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Figure 47 - Egg Challenge, Protecting the Egg
Figure 48 - Challenging the Protection
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Figure 49 - Egg Challenge Results
Our Principles Charter
The group split into two teams and were each given a list of ‘Our Core Principles’ created by the
original research group. They were asked to read through the list and decide which statements
were still correct, which needed to be removed and which needed to be changed.
The core
principles had been broken down into 5 headings, Think, Feel, Talk, Listen and Act.
The teams were asked to pick a leader to guide them through the process.
Both teams only selected one change. They wanted to the statement that the “organisation was
fuelled by tea and cake’ removed because they believe the organisation is now more engaged with
health and well-being.
Our Principles Charter (See Appendix 2)
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What Makes a Good Leader?
The group formed into 2 teams with a new person acting as leader. Each group was provided with
50 playing cards which had statements and characteristics of leadership on them. These
statements were taken from real scenarios within the organisation. Each team was asked them to
divide the statements into 3 piles, yes, no and maybe. The ‘maybes’ from both group were then
combined and read out to the whole group so they could decide if it was a yes or no.
The group chose 65 key principles out of 100 as to what makes a good leader. (See Appendix 3)
What is the role of the Director of Delivery?
Participants were asked to work alone and to write down their experience of the role of Director of
Delivery.
One speech bubble note per observation or experience placed into a sealed box.
Participants were told they could write anything they wanted about this role. The box was opened
and read after the session.
Figure 50 - Say Your Experience Note
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Our New Roles
Participants were handed their individual roles and shown the new roles structure and how the
colour frames of their roles linked to the Pillars of Purpose.
Figure 51 - Roles - Team Structure
Participants didn’t want any changes to their roles but they asked for minor changes to their lego
figures, including change of hair or change of accessories. Their image was of key importance to
them.
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Structure (Version 5 - Final)
We viewed version 5 of the structure and participants agreed it was now finalised.
Figure 52 - Structure Final Version
What We Learnt?
Participants were given the chance to review the Structural Research Project using the following
questions. (See Appendix 4)
Figure 53 - Describe Your Experience
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Figure 54 - Participants Feedback
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Reward and Finalise
Each participant was given a gift to mark the end of the research project which including a card
with their initial thanking them for their contribution and matching Lego Block keyrings that link the
group together.
Figure 55 - Finishing Gifts
What Happened?
Participants worked through the activities with ease and were keen to know if and when a new
research project would start.
We decided that we would start the next research project in
September 2015.
When viewing the comments from the ‘What does the Delivery Director role’ activity the
participants had focused on personal attributes primarily and practical jobs secondary. We decided
to combine both the ‘What makes a good leader’ list and the ‘Delivery Director Role’ comments to
create a new role and job description based on what they had prioritised. (See Appendix 5)
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How it influenced the next session?
For the sixth session a practical activity was planned and organised by participants. They wanted
to have a team building session and decided to go to ‘Go Ape’ Outdoor Activity Centre they named
this trip ‘Unity’.
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Online Group
Word Cloud
Figure 56 - What Makes A Leader Word Cloud
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The Final House
Figure 57, 58 & 59 - Lego House - Finalised
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Working Together
Simple model of how key people work together in the organisation and their main responsibility.
Figure 60 - Lego House - Finalised
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Conclusion
Participants made it clear from the outset that they required further clarity about their roles and a
stronger sense of direction. There was an active willingness to engage as trustees but due to lack
of work experience or the ability to reflect on their previous experience due to their age, they were
struggling to see how to input, what their own skills base was and what value that had to the
organisation.
As trustees were recruited based on behaviour and skills whilst attending projects, it was important
that they could flourish in the trustees meeting and in their role as project leaders. They were
definite about not wanting trustees to be selected on gender, sexuality or race and felt selection
should remain skills based.
They also wanted to be able to change their roles once they broadened their skills base and were
keen to get to know the skills of others in the group. They wanted to know their role mattered and
that it had impact, and ultimately wanted to know that what they were doing was being monitored
and evaluated by each other.
It remained important that everyone was treated equally and as an adult but they wanted more
accountability, not only from the adult workers but from their peers.
It was clear that although the trustees functioned well as a team they hadn’t really had a chance to
get to know each other and wanted more time in meetings to have informal chats and were all
keen to embark on the team building activity and wanted that to be a regular feature, at least twice
a year.
They felt that the research project had brought them together, enabling them to interact with each
other and learn each others strengths and where people needed help and support. It also gave
them an opportunity to steer the adult worker roles in a clearer direction and gave them a real
sense of ownership of the organisation.
They recognised the importance of finding a new director, as it is a funding requirement and to
boost the number of trustees. It was agreed that new trustees would have to complete a project
successfully before becoming a core part of the team and the new selection process for this would
be recommendations at meetings and then final decisions to be made by Founder and Youth Chair.
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During the research we had some concerns when they appeared passive, that they were not
understanding the content or weren’t interested. When this was discussed they told us to ‘stop
worrying’ and ‘if they had something to say they would say it’.
It was clear from the project
evaluation that they had fully grasped all aspects of the project. We recognised that creating a
teacher/pupil setup during one part of the research caused them to be most passive and
unresponsive and we remain mindful to find ways around that in future research projects.
They are keen to continue with the research and the next two clear strands emerging are exploring
virtue ethics and how we role model these or looking at a behaviour model using personality
testing and the current established work of Think, Feel, Talk, Act, Listen, Review (T.F.T.L.A.R) and
how to expand that into a youth designed psychometric test.
It is clear that a mixture of creative and group discussions works well and introducing more ‘play’ to
the sessions will help participants relax. It is also essential that now the team is well established
that the youth trustee for Research & Development take a key role in the design and delivery of the
next research module.
For such a time restricted piece of research and development, 7.5 hours in total face-to-face time,
a vast quantity of information was gained from this piece of work, not only in drawing up clear
structures and ways of working but also in bringing young people together, actively listening to
them, valuing their input and creating something useable and sustainable from their ideas.
New Developments
Directly following the research the following developments were actioned:-
Trustees Handbook
A comprehensive trustees handbook was created and provided to each trustee at the start of their
new term (01.04.2015). A visual and written guide on all aspects of the organisation and
expectations of trustees. View the handbook at www.blueprint22.org.uk/meettheteam
ID Badges
Each trustee was provided with a new identification badge with their new roles, lego mini-figure
photos and their real photos displayed.
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Project Folders
Evaluation and monitoring sheets were created as the content of new project folders, which each
youth project leader receives at the start of every project to enable them to track progress and
developments throughout.
Online Logos
Online logos were created for each project to share across the organisations social media, each
logo ties in directly with Pillars of Purpose.
New Director
A new director for Health & Well-being was recruited to the organisation in April 2015.
Development of Procedures & Working Practices
Existing procedures were reviewed and updated and clearer working practices are being
developed and will be added to a new staff handbook.
Staff Handbook
A staff handbook is in development for volunteers, sessional workers, directors and freelance staff.
Inclusion of volunteers
A small team of adult volunteers are in the process of being recruited to support projects and
events.
Recruitment
A series of focus groups are planned with the trustees team to discuss ways to recruit new people
and what the organisation needs to expand and grow.
Trademark
We have applied for both Blueprint 22 logos to be trademarked, one has now been confirmed and
we are due the outcome of the second logo in June 2015.
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Referencing
Belbin, M (1981) Management Team, Heinemann, London
Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at Universtity of Birmingham (2014)
My Character Education Enhancing Future-Mindedness in Young People
http://www.jubileecentre.ac.uk/userfiles/jubileecentre/pdf/My%20Character%20PDFs/My
%20Character%20pdf%20final.pdf
Merrill, D. (1996) Personal styles and affective performance, CRC Press, Florida.
Brigg, K.C & Myers, I (1962) Psychometric Test
http://www.truity.com/view/types
Stephenson, R. (2012) Personality Test
http://richardstep.com/self-tests/dope-bird-personality-printable-test/
Tuckman, B (1988) Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing team-development model
http://www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm
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Appendice
APPENDIX 1
Trustees Charter
THE ORGANISATION PROMISES TO:1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Support and guide you
Respect you
Listen, Encourage and Challenge you
Value your opinion and ideas
Help you fulfil your potential
Work hard to secure funding
Keep things fresh and exciting
Be clear about your role
Be flexible and understanding about your other commitments
Help you leave respectfully
YOU PROMISE TO:1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Attend and participate in meetings
Work for the benefit of the organisation
Agree to disagree and respect people have different views
Be honest
Support others
Balance your commitments
Work as part of a team and on your own initiative
Be responsible for your actions
Sign up other young people
Be reliable and on time
Work hard at your role and develop projects that young people really want
Be a positive role model
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Trustee
Youth Chair
PRINT NAME:
PRINT NAME:
SIGNATURE:
SIGNATURE:
DATE:
DATE:
APPENDIX 2
Blueprint 22 - Our Principles
Think, Feel, Talk, Act, Listen, Review
Think
-
We value everyone's thoughts equally
We share our thoughts in ways that are straightforward to understand and flexible to change
We respect that everyone's thoughts are unique and diverse
We share thoughts to generate new ideas
We think it’s important to put people first
Feel
-
We feel like a family
We believe in you while you learn to believe in yourself
We are honest about our fears and believe sharing them makes us stronger
We believe many people have similar fears and feelings
We look for different ways to explore how we are feeling and help us become more self aware
Talk
-
We believe it is good to talk honestly and openly
We don't give mixed messages by talking one way and acting another
We believe everyone has their own language
We find ways to create a shared language
We believe that opportunities to talk helps us form strong relationships and learn together
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Act
-
We believe we can create individual and social change
We believe in being enterprising
When we work as a group we consider individual needs and strengths
We welcome newcomers who demonstrate they act accordingly with our values
We learn from interacting with others
Listen
-
We know we are being listened to
We are understood
We know our opinions and ideas are valued
When we listen to others we can understand them better
Everyone is heard regardless of how loud or quiet they are
We listen closely
Review
-
We can look back and learn from our mistakes
We can change our behaviour from destructive to productive
We can be proud of what we have achieved
We can prove we are helping ourselves and others
We can describe our progress
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APPENDIX 3
What Makes A Good Leader?
Someone who:1. Helps us organise our transport
2. Who makes things happen
3. Whose personal behaviour doesn’t impact on the organisation
4. Gives you freedom
5. Can make you laugh
6. Is up for a laugh when appropriate
7. Loves working with people
8. Gives you space to make mistakes
9. Has broad shoulders
10. Respects others beliefs
11. Is interested in data
12. Speaks up
13. Is a good role model
14. Is a good listener
15. Can clearly communicate the vision of the organisation
16. Has a positive attitude
17. Understands your journey
18. Understands Blueprint 22
19. Is tolerant
20. Helps you get back on track
21. Is approachable
22. Works well with others
23. Deserves to be treated with respect
24. Isn’t over sensitive
25. Can teach you skills
26. Has respect for you
27. Can respond to different needs
28. Helps you develop
29. Creates structure
30. Is determined
31. Can show you how to be responsible
32. Helps you stay focused
33. Encourages you to be determined
34. Will help you change
35. Encourages you to be honest
36. Is objective
37. Who can be in control in difficult situations
38. Helps you care about others
39. Lets you decided what tasks you do
40. Is selfless
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41. Cares about you
42. Is firm but fair
43. Gives you space to improve
44. Is easy to relate to
45. Looks after their own health and well-being
46. Has empathy
47. Is honest
48. Is passionate about working with people
49. Has good boundaries
50. Makes sure Blueprint 22 operates within UK Law
51. Is approachable
52. Will compromise
53. Cares about Blueprint 22
54. Can be fun but can be serious
55. Is a team player
56. Cares about the local community
57. Admits to mistakes they have made in their past
58. Has life experience
59. Is adaptable
60. Can provide refreshments
61. Makes sure all staff/volunteers are DBS checked
62. Is organised
63. Helps you improve your confidence
64. Encourages you to be positive
65. Is keen to develop personally
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APPENDIX 4
Appendix provided was written by 3 participants and has not be revised.
What we learnt - Participant 1
Describe the project.
The project was designed to examine the structure of the organisation, whereby all trustee
members had to partake in group activities that assessed and redeveloped the core values
of blueprint 22. Explain how it will help blueprint
This project has enabled all members to really examine blueprint and its purpose, allowing
us as a collective to recreates new objectives. Certain aspects of the project highlighted
areas that needed more focus and reevaluating by all members, which were then tackled
through various activities. In regards to the future of blueprint, this project will continue to
help all members to strive for set goals and encourage new people to engage with the
community. What do you learn
This project has enabled me to fully examine and understand the importance of my role as
supporting wellbeing. In addition, I have gained a more comprehensive knowledge of
blueprints history and foundations. Although, we trustees often gather for projects and
meetings, I personally felt this project brought us more together as a collective and now
fully appreciate all and individual opinions.
Describe the project.
The project's aim was to interrogate the structure of Blueprint 22, looking at both its
foundations and current infrastructure to assess its efficacy & allow the trustees to play an
centred role in envisioning the organisations future as well ensuring the core goals and
values stay at the heart. 69 of 72
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What we learnt - Participant 2
Explain how it will help blueprint
This project has allowed the trustees of BP22 to thoroughly examine each of the
organisations core components and see first hand how it's evolved from the beginning.
This type of collaborative research enabled us to revisit the initial structure and strengthen
it as well as helping us to envisage new goals for the future. More specifically, the
workshop style sessions brought to light both our strength and weaknesses, and allowed
us to direct thought to specific areas that may otherwise be overlooked. It is our overall
endeavour that this project sets out a clearer pathway for the organisation that will aid us
in the completion of both individual and shared goals.
What do you learn
In terms of personal reflection, this project has not only served as a sign posting to the
foundations and evolution of BP22 but also enabled individuals to comprehend their
specific roles more clearly. I always felt that this project acted as team-building exercise for
the BP22 trustees. The collaborative nature of the project allowed us to come out of our
formal meeting style and get to know each other on a more individual level. Overall, the
project has re-focussed my attention to a role specific area, brought me closer to my BP22
counterparts and enabled a clearer image for the future! What we learnt - Participant 3
The structural research project has been there to help guide blueprint 22's structure and
form us into a functioning family, applying everyone's roles into working knowledge for us
to thrive off. I have learnt how blueprint works and how everyone needs to be a team player in order to
blueprint to grow and work. We all matter and we work well together. I have learnt the
basics of the behind the Scenes on how things work and how to do my role properly! 70 of 72
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It has helped blueprint develop because it has brought us together as a team and shown
each of us how important our roles are. It has shown us how to treat each other and how
to treat future participants and trustees. APPENDIX 5
Job Description: Project Delivery Leader
SPECIFICS
Job Title:
Salary:
Work Pattern:
Annual Leave:
Funding:
Transport Costs:
Equipment:
Engagement:
Legal:
Notice:
Project Delivery Leader
£30,784k per annum (gross). £16 per hour.
37 hours per week - flexible to service demands/peaks
6 weeks paid leave - flexible in response to service demands/peaks
Role remains funding dependent and this role must seek its own funding
Costs covered on a project to project basis (Business insurance on vehicle
required)
Laptop, iPhone, printer and iPad
Young People aged 16-25
Enhanced DBS check
3 months required. 2 months notice provided if funding ceases.
BACKGROUND
This role requires a leader who is committed to working with people, not specifically young people.
Youth work training is not required but they must have an understanding and experience of the
social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional needs of 16-25 year olds. It is essential that
the Project Delivery Leader can communicate effectively to create an equal, adult to adult
relationship.
Each project delivered must be inclusive to ALL in the target age group and the leader must
focused and determined to deliver to the best of their ability and willingly engage in on-going
professional and personal development.
This role has been defined by the Blueprint 22 trustee committee (10 young people), the Founder
and current Director of Delivery.
DELIVERY & ENGAGEMENT
-
Transport logistics including driving young people when needed
Project planning and delivery
Widening experiential learning opportunities
Promote the core principles of Blueprint 22
Role-model the virtue ethics of Blueprint 22
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-
Understand the needs of the local communities in which activities are delivered
Regular meetings with Founder (6 weekly)
Regular meetings with Youth Chair (8 weekly)
Monthly feedback to trustees
Monthly financial reporting to Finance Officer
Demonstrate close/active listening
Demonstrate a positive attitude and solution focused approach
Clear and open lines of communication with young people including face-to-face, online, text
and telephone
Encourage person-centred develop
Help the trustee team to grow, develop and move forward
Lead when situations become difficult or confrontational to enable resolution
Encourage trustees and project leaders to fulfil their roles
Guide and support when needed
Lead by example
Be accountable to the founder, trustees and yourself
Lead staff and volunteers
ORGANISATIONAL
-
Fundraising for this role and for projects a key priority
Collecting monitoring and evaluation data
Is an active voice for the organisation
Clearly communicate the vision of the organisation both internally and externally
Have a comprehensive understanding of the organisation
Be organised and structured
Make sure Blueprint 22 operates within UK Law (book keeping, accounts, DBS, insurance,
funding agreements)
Liaise with book-keeper, accountant, DBS facility, HMRC and insurance provider)
Liaise with freelance consultants
Work collectively with the Youth Chair and The Founder
Nurture relationships with funders
Maintain social media and website
Organise and attend 11 trustees meetings a year
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
-
Commitment to personal health and well-being
On-going development of skill set specific to working with young people
Engaging in all aspects of team building
On-going leadership development
On-going monthly professional development meetings
Take part in a yearly role review with trustees - 360 appraisal
Identify skills gaps and seek to build and improve skills base
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