What we strive to achieve
We want to establish an online marketplace where trainers and trainees can get to know and learn from each other.
In this setting, trainers use the ShuraForAll platform to showcase their abilities to offer training courses at an affordable price that help trainees build the skills they need.
Trainees browse offerings and select those that satisfy their requirements. The platform manages course registration, payment, delivery of content, and quality of performance.
Emphasis will be placed on enabling trainers to help their trainees to work in teams to perform better using the shura process. When we consult with each other during training, we generally find that we get better results than when we work alone or compete against each other.
The great majority of research performed on this topic shows that achievement and productivity are higher in cooperative situations than in competitive or individualistic ones (David W. Johnson and Roger T. Johnson, 1989. Cooperation and Competition. Interaction Book Company).
We plan to explore ways to use these findings to improve trainee performance.
The issue
For more than 30 years, many countries have implemented training programs that have failed to significantly improve skill development among the world's "disadvantaged population."
In South Africa, for example, even when they place high priority on developing "a skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path," high unemployment remains the key challenge (Department of Higher Education and Training Republic of South Africa, 2010. Skills Supply and Demand in South Africa).
Among the reasons for this is the fact that most training programs are actually designed for the relatively small base of existing users of training services. The cost of training and the style and pace used to deliver content usually exceeds the means of those who could really benefit.
Consequently, we find that the dominant approach to training is not effective or practical for our target market of trainees who historically have had limited access to training opportunities.
Context
Consider the case where during slavery in the United States, various state governments passed laws stating that it was illegal for slaves to learn to read or write.
In response to these state laws, it is well documented that many slaves put into action various ways to overcome them. Some involved only people who were slaves and other ways involved people who were free but did not agree with these laws.
Some historians describe their response as a “communal act” where some of the slaves within a community acted in a coordinated way among themselves and others who were free. The key common factor was trust.
In this context, money was not a key factor. Nor was the need for special buildings or people who were experts at reading or writing.
Anyone who could read or write better than the person who needed to learn was an essential part of the solution. Books and something to write on and write with were enough.
Under the circumstances this approach worked reasonably well. The process of learning to read and write got started right away. Some of those who built these skills went on to help others.
Years later, many of the basic elements of this approach were carried over to the first schools that were started to educate freed slaves. Among them were:
In a setting where about 3.5 million slaves needed to develop these basic literacy skills, it is amazing to note the effectiveness of the approach in spite of not having much financial support.
The implications for our efforts today are especially relevant. We need to establish an online marketplace where our target market of trainers and trainees help each other satisfy ever-changing skill development requirements that are in great demand.
Using the shura process facilitates these interactions. And it creates an environment that serves as a foundation for sustainable growth.
The core work in every shura
Crafting a good strategy and executing it is part of the core work in every shura.
When we use the word strategy we are referring to active problem solving.
So, for example, when a person starts a shura, she tries to provide an insightful context that helps participants understand the challenge being introduced.
This includes uploading as many relevant documents as needed to deepen everyone’s understanding.
Accurate and concise problem statement
Strategy begins here, with an accurate and concise problem statement description.
Once suitably informed, participants actively engage in dialogue to determine the best course of action to take. The focus is on trying to determine what is the most important part of the problem that needs the most attention.
Emphasis is on “most important.” The selected course of action guides all subsequent actions, ensuring that they reinforce each other. This is what adds strength to strategy.
Keep everyone informed
Then the work of the shura shifts to the Deliver phase. This is where all participants are expected to commit to entering and carrying out action steps that help accomplish objectives.
Only the important action steps should be entered. Even though some participants may think that every action step is important, they must be prioritized. The top priority steps are the most important.
As part of the strategy execution process, they must be entered before the task is performed.
This allows other participants to see what action steps are intended to be carried out. It helps inform them of the thinking that is behind the planned actions before actually using the time and resources to perform them.
Now comes the hardest part. We have to follow through on what we say we are going to do. And we need to hold everyone accountable.
All of this is what helps make a shura successful.
The person who starts the shura is called the shura initiator and is responsible for explaining the shura context and providing a timeline for completing its phases of activities. This information is displayed in the Overview section. All text in this section is indexed to optimize search results to make it easy for users to find your shura. So, be sure to include all the important keywords in this text.
Following this, the shura moves to the Discuss phase where all participants share their points of view on the issue as they recommend various courses of action to take. They are expected to provide evidence in the form of linked references or uploaded files to support their viewpoints.
After the discussion time period has ended, the shura moves to the Decide phase. Here is where each person selects their preferred course of action based on their best judgment. The ShuraForAll tool will compile selections and present the results to everyone. Once the course of action is agreed on, the shura effort moves to the Deliver phase.
This is where participants try to put the selected course of action into motion by setting objectives and carrying out action steps. Each person either joins an existing team or starts a new team and then performs the work. ShuraForAll charts the progress along the way, letting everyone know how things are going.
Each shura displays a set of metrics that inform all participants how things are going. Below each shura phase (Discuss, Decide, Deliver) icon is a score that indicates overall performance.
For the Discuss phase this metric is the ratio of the number of unique participants who have submitted at least one comment to the total number of participants in the shura.
For the Decide phase this metric is the ratio of the number of unique participants who have selected a preferred course of action to the total number of participants in the shura.
For the Deliver phase this metric is the ratio of the number of unique participants who have self-assigned at least one action step to the total number of participants in the shura.
As work is performed in the Deliver phase, the tool automatically calculates the Achieve Rate metric for each participant. This is a measure of completing the action steps that are given a higher weight or greater priority. A higher Achieve Rate indicates that the person is completing the more important action steps.
Since a participant can work on more than one team, the Achieve Rate is calculated in the context of work performed for each team, as shown below.
The Achieve Rate is also calculated as a composite score for all the participants who are working on a given team. This score is a measure of team performance.
Additionally, the Achieve Rate is calculated as a composite score for all the participants who are working on a given objective. This score is a measure of objective performance.
An example of objective level and team level performance Achieve Rate measures is displayed in the Shura Profile Report. This report is generated for each shura and is updated in real time as work is performed.
Both the Shura Profile and the My Profile Report can be produced by selecting each from the user menu.
An example of My Profile Report is shown below.
All reports represent progress made up to the point the report is produced.
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