Focus Group ResultsAttendees: Andy Appleton, Dennis Jefferies,

Juli Morris, Eric Snyder

Date: 140714

What are your favorite tools to use when receiving information at home?

› Newspaper› Subscribed news letters› Word of mouth› Email› TV

What would you call the “ideal” communication method?

› Face to face conversations› Email› Verbal› Email with embedded links

List all the ways you receive information at work

› Hallway conversation› E-mail› Phone calls› Web sites› SharePoint› Group meetings› Employee info meeting› Digital Monitors › DESIGN @ PEC› Lync› Posters› Loud Speakers

Of the current PEC Communications methods, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Waterloo Communications Weekly Advantages = good amount of information, good

timing (not too often) Disadvantages = Tired of “branding” questions, not

topical information, sorting through garbage, don’t read it, too much of the info doesn’t pertain to me -> its non-targeted information

• Rated out of 5: 1,2,1,1

Of the current PEC Communications methods, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

DESIGN @ PEC Advantages – it has a targeted audience, good

information, doesn’t seem to repeat WCW, good timing and not too often, contains limited to detailed information

Disadvantages – sometimes not current, create a mechanism for people to submit

Rated out of 5: 4,5,3,5

Of the current PEC Communications methods, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Digital signage Advantages – links to web sites w/ same content is

good to be able to follow up, good information, it is easy to find, has good visuals, rotate on the employee engagement page which is helpful

Disadvantages – dangerous to look up at the screens, slow cycle times, have to stop walking to read in high traffic areas, only able to get partial information

Rated out of 5: 5,1,2,3

Of the current PEC Communications methods, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Broadcast email messages Advantages – quick to get information on important

issues, coverage, timeliness, it is there when I want to read it, timely for systems down information, comes from same email

Disadvantages – not communicated well, no follow up, too many, interns and organization changes could be combined, limited value to most people

Of the current PEC Communications methods, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Employee Engagement site Advantages – one source, good amount of

information Disadvantages – not engaging, didn’t know it was

there, SharePoint is a pain to navigate, hard to find the link

Rated out of 5: 3,2,3,3

Of the current PEC Communications methods, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each? • Recognition wall

Advantages – mostly everyone has to walk by, high traffic area, easy to notice when walked by

Disadvantages – don’t know where it is, one of the areas is dark, limited number of people can view at one time, how to know when it changes, feeling of guilt to take the time to read it, it is a high traffic area – so you feel in the way when you stop and read it, not clear how you can get stuff added to the wall

What topics of information do you want to know about or interest you?

› Would prefer primary communication to be through email. I only want information that is important to my job (i.e. no more Deere Credit Union information)

› Recognitions/awards: include this apart of DESIGN @ PEC or WCW

› Open positions, employee moves, retirements. Include this via staff meetings or one-on-one with supervisor

What other ways of communication do you believe we should look into?

› Subscription categories and topics to choose from, so you can pick the information that you want to be communicated to you.

› Noise cancelling headphones, so people in adjacent cubicles don’t disturb each other so much

› Too many already› Do not use social medial, PA announcements-

stop the music at the entrance › Focus on being professional on everything we

do

When you think of this information how would you like to be communicated to?

For employee engagement activities Posters/emails DESIGN @ PEC which is connected to meeting

notice PEC Calendar and notice via email

When you think of this information how would you like to be communicated to?

Tips/tricks Emails DESIGN @ PEC Rollout of tool/feature- lunch and learn on the

subject

When you think of this information how would you like to be communicated to?

Building information Emails with links attached to them (DESIGN) Follow up emails after an initial broadcast – people

like to know what’s going on

When you think of this information how would you like to be communicated to?

Trainings WCW Emails attached with links (DESIGN)

When you think of this information how would you like to be communicated to?

Lunch and Learns Posters Weekly emails Employee Engagement Site DEISGN @ PEC PEC Calendar

We have received some suggestions from our recent communication survey on possible improvements. Do you think the following would be helpful? Would you sign up and check your Twitter account?

“please don’t” Definite no

Yammer? It’s a private social network “The only time that I would see this helpful is

for ‘Tips/Tricks’, but usually that is connected somewhere else. So, I don’t think this would be useful for a majority of PEC.”

In the area of PEC communications, what are you unable to do today that you wish you could do?

› Finding the information that is visible – have a tool to find it

› Have a PEC specific Homepage – what is important to me what is going on in this building. There needs to be connectivity within the building.

› Need to have a better search engine › Organizational announcements

In the area of PEC communications what are you doing today that you wish you didn’t have to do?

› Weekly salary cards › C Projects › You have to dig for the information that

you want (i.e. Waterloo Homepage) Sometimes you just give up because it isn’t

worth the effort It isn’t worth the effort

Extra Notes:

• Make a push for everyone to have a picture on Deere photo site

• Put organizational announcements back on front of WW homepage

• Hold a panel conversation on the subject of communications like the career panel

• Share a vision of where and when web cameras will fit into Deere’s future