ABSTRACT
Consumer-led rather than organisation-led decisions require the creation of participative and informative environments. Information gathering is time consuming but the process will give the gatherer a rich vision. The manager should sift information and keep a check on whether the data are useful, commensurate with the effort required to gather it. Information broadens a team member's vision of work and the issues with which they must grapple. With information, a team can make a convincing case that the action they wish to take meets the needs they defined earlier. Administrative staff can be sources of information; they may have new ideas about organising the data; they may be able to answer queries about the organisation of the team's work. The most common format for communication groups is a lunch where staff invites local workers in to 'get to know each other'. Consultation is a gathering of soft data, usually the views of workers about a specific event or plan.
