Facilitation: Facilitating alignment and understanding to build a global diving community

Aligning a global team into a connected community, Concentric Consulting designed and delivered four hugely successful BP Diving Technical Authority Forums.

Brief

A forum for embracing BP Diving Authority for sharing and learning

The BP Diving Technical Authorities Team identified the need for greater process alignment and understanding across their operations. Regional data could be captured and shared to benefit the community while new levels of collaboration and communication would create a more integrated team.

Concentric was approached to design an annual Diving Forum, creating a space for collaboration and providing strategies for knowledge sharing.

Delivery

Identifying issues and designing a forum to understand and resolve them

Concentric’s work began with the careful consideration of different views, standards and priorities from the Diving Authority and the global team. This identified six fundamental issues that needed to be addressed, defining a clear desired outcome.

Driving engagement within the Diving community

To engage candidates, invitations were sent that included a high-level agenda and introduced Concentric as the facilitator. Calls were also carried out with the regional teams to establish a rapport and create understanding around roles and expectations at the forum.

In addition, a short questionnaire tested each regional Diving Authority’s alignment with the six issues that had been identified. Each region then completed produced poster template that allowed each diving community to paint a picture of the work, resources and scope of their Diving Teams.

Facilitating positive dialogue and practical action planning

The forum itself began with a recap from each region using a slide pack and their regional posters, which were left visible for the team to discuss during breaks.

From this foundation of mutual understanding of the current position, the forum included:

• Expert diving presenters who set out best practice and regulatory considerations around diving
• Q&A sessions with outputs captured
• Breakout sessions to review BP Group practices using risk posters and priority frameworks
• Opportunities to share critical technical information
• Creating an agreed roadmap of actions for the global diving community to address

Outcomes

A valued addition to the Diving Authority’s annual plans

Following the forum, the diving community was closer and more able to share best practice, provided support as a global community and better communicate. This was supported by the introduction of a dedicated diving web portal that could store all technical and regulatory information. Each region also had a consistent way of working, from subcontracted diving services to Health and Safety obligations under a new Group Recommended Practice for Diving.

However, this was just the start. Following such a successful first forum, Concentric went on to provide a further three annual Diving Forums – one of which was facilitated virtually using video conferencing with 20 attendees in 6 different time zones over 2 to 3 hour sessions. Each forum building on continued progress and creating ongoing, sustainable improvements.

“Concentric has helped build and sustain our global Diving Technical Authority community.”