Carnegie Mellon University

Welcome to Human Resource Developers!

Carnegie Mellon's Community Think Tank can be a powerful tool for solving workplace problems and creating a continuing atmosphere of collaborative "on the job" problem-solving. Moreover, the Think Tank helps staff connect their WorkPlaces with their WorkLives -- allowing both management and employees to raise retention and job satisfaction.
How can the Think Tank help my organization?

Sometimes the outcome is new, clearly documented knowledge; sometimes it is practical results and individual or community change; and sometimes it is a change in the way people in an organization or community work and talk together. We have, for instance, seen Think Tank sessions:
  • Turn "complaint and blame" community meetings into a search for options.

  • Open a productive dialogue between community-based organizations and the people they serve.

  • Create an atmosphere of respect for diverse sorts of expertise.
What do I have to do? What do others do?

You play a key role in this process through working with the Think Tank team to develop a problem scenario for your organization and community, organizing the dialogue sessions, and collecting evidence of results. The Participation chart breaks down everyone's part in the process.
How do the decision maker's tools support personal development?

The Decision Maker's Asset Assessment and Journey Book is an online tool and CD based mini-curriculum that allows community members (adults/youth/CBO staff) (and their mentors) to:

  • Assess their personal assets and networks of support

  • Make plans for change.

  • Learn strategies for WorkPlace and WorkLife decision making in dialogue with others.

  • Take responsibility for monitoring and documenting their growth in assets and reflective decision making skills.

  • Analysis by Carnegie Mellon allows youth programs and workforce development efforts to document their clients' growth in assets and reflective decision making over the period of an intervention.