Pat Esslinger's approach to conducting high-tech, face-to-face sessions is to focus on the client's unique needs, take as much of the load off the client as possible, and call as little attention as possible to herself and the technology she uses in order to avoid distracting the group from their task. She provides extraordinary value in facilitating groupware-supported meetings through in-depth knowledge of Federal management, meticulous advance planning, complete consultation with clients combined with full appreciation of the value of their time, expert judgment in applying collaborative meeting software functionality to the client's needs, unusual proficiency and speed as a technographer, and ability to identify and synthesize key concepts as they develop in the session.

Because she is able to perform simultaneously as facilitator and GroupSystems technographer, Pat's groupware sessions not only accomplish far more than traditional facilitated meetings, but they do so much faster than typical GroupSystems-supported meetings where the participants have to sit and watch the facilitator and technographer consult with each other during the session. Her multi-tasking, synchronous facilitation and technography, combined with her grasp of the substance of the group's deliberations, make the software demands transparent to the participant.

With Pat's unique background combining experience as a Federal manager and expertise in technology-enabled facilitation, she is often preferred for supporting Federal agencies' groupware sessions. Pat is pleased that several consulting companies have been so impressed with the strategic planning results she achieved for their clients that they turned around and engaged her to facilitate internal strategic planning sessions for their own organizations.

In preparation for group sessions, in consultation with the client, Pat

• determines the objectives of meeting, identifies the desired outcome, and defines the end product needed.
• explores strategies to achieve those ends.
• identifies issues to be addressed in the electronic group sessions as well as other issues that could come up and how to respond to them.
• develops approaches for analysis of opinions and formulation of recommendations.
• determines steps in the process of developing the end product of the group sessions.
• prepares the meeting agenda.
• recommends information to be communicated to meeting participants in advance.
• selects GroupSystems tools to be used during the session, sets up electronic formats, and loads "going-in" data.
• prepares any other involved staff or consultants for their support role in the sessions.
• prepares the meeting room.

Prior to the meeting, Pat can administer a web-based questionnaire to expected meeting participants or other players to gather preliminary opinions or other data to inform development of the meeting agenda. Read more about these on-line surveys.

During the electronic meeting, Pat

• facilitates the group discussion.
• teaches participants how to use the software.
• runs the software.
• records oral discussions.

After the meeting, Pat

• provides a report of proceedings.
• may administer another web-based questionnaire to get broader input or meeting participants' comments on the product that resulted from the meeting.
• follows up with the client to assure satisfaction.

Depending on the client's needs, Pat may partner with in-house staff or contract consultants to provide some of these services. Some of the consulting companies Pat has partnered with successfully are listed on the clients & partners page of this website.