ASTC 2013 Presentation: "Design 360 - Cross-Departmental Planning from All Directions" by Doug Buchanan

1. About COSI
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The Center of Science and Industry
Located in Columbus, Ohio, USA
Opened 1964
320,000 square feet science museum
583,556 onsite visitors last year
About 300 full-time and part-time Team Members

2. COSI’s Divisions
• Advancement
– Marketing, Membership, Development
• Operations & Experiences
– Exhibits, Guest Services, Retail, Food, Facility
Operations
• Diversity, Inclusion & Partnerships
– Access Initiatives, Strategic Partnerships
• Finance
– Accounting & Human Resources
• Programs
– Student & Family Programs

3. Lots of projects +
lots of people +
collaborative culture =
lots of meetings

4. Working Cross-Divisionally:
it hasn’t always been so.
Old complaints:
Too many meetings.
When will I get my work done?
Why are so many people from our department here?
Why are we having this meeting?
Not everyone knows how to meet.
We should get rid of half our meetings.

5. To work cross-divisionally,
We cleared the decks and organized.
We spread out accountabilities.
We sought to end the era of “that's your
department’s problem, not mine.”
No one team member is in more than two
standing meetings.
We even trained on how to meet.

6. The Result: Four Cross-Divisional Meetings
Designed to Help Us Move COSI Forward

7. 1. Strategy Meeting
Advancement
President
Operations &
Experiences
Programs
Finance
Diversity,
Inclusion &
Partnerships

8. 1. Strategy Meeting
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Meets: Every Wednesday from 8:00 – 10:00 AM
Major Activity: Strategy
Level of Focus: Executive
Time Horizon: 1 to 5 years out
Participants: President and VPs
Major Activities: strategic initiatives, strategic
plan, budget, holding balanced portfolio of
experiences, top-level reporting, campaigns,
major partner relations, major pricing revisions

9. 2. Planning Meeting
Diversity, Inclusion &
Partnerships
Advancement
Finance
Programs
Operations & Experiences

10. 2. Planning Meeting
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Meets: Second Tuesdays from 1:30 – 3:30 PM
Major Activity: Planning
Level of Focus: Big Picture
Time Horizon: 12 months to 2 years out
Participants: directors, project managers, VP of
Experience Division
Regular Activities:vetting new programs,
exhibition rental and movie ideas,
interconnectedness of overall marketing and
fundraising plans, talent development, inputs
from strategic team and mobilization team

11. 3. Mobilization Meeting
Advancement (Marketing)
Programs
Operations &
Experiences

12. 3. Mobilization Meeting
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Frequency: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 1:30 – 2:30
Major Activity: Operations
Level of Focus: Medium-Picture
Time Horizon: 1 month to 12 months
Participants: managers and directors, project
managers as needed, VP Operations
• Regular activity: calendar and space negotiation,
resource capacity, research and evaluation
implementation, reporting, troubleshooting

13. 4. Implementation Meeting
Operations & Experiences
Advancement (Marketing)

14. 4. Implementation Meeting
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Meets: Weekly – Thursdays at 11:00 AM
Major Activity: Doing
Level of Focus: Small-Picture
Time Horizon: tomorrow to 4 weeks out
Participants: implementers, schedulers,
point people
• Regular activity: use of resources and
equipment, daily event turnover, logistics,
communication, putting out fires before
guests see them, not decision-making.

15. Standing Meetings In a Nutshell
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Team authority is based on time horizon
• If something is happening a year from now, for
example, Implementation must pass it up to
Mobilization
Aim to have the right frequency of meetings with the
right people in the room
Expect participation, not just attendance
Meeting recorder is the law enforcement officer
Re-evaluation should happen annually
Have a coach who reaches out to recorders: How's it
going? Are you missing someone critical? Do you
have people who don't need to be there?

16. Doug Buchanan
Education Programs Marketing Manager
dbuchanan@cosi.org