Agile survey tools (2): Anne M. Schüller explains how you and your team can quickly get rid of unsuitable rules and processes. For example, using the “Kill a stupid rule!” method.
We live and work in high-speed times. Nobody knows when and by whom market-relevant innovations will come, but when they do, they come quickly. Rapid action is therefore essential. Three methods lend themselves to this: the speech bubble method, flashlight surveys and “kill a stupid rule”. This article is part of a series by Anne M. Schüller on fast, open, agile survey tools.
In every company, there are countless things that make work tedious, but of which the management often knows nothing. Employees, on the other hand, believe they know, but for whatever reason do nothing about it. Or they think their manager wants something done in such and such a way, even though this is not the case. In short, people only put up with unfortunate circumstances because nobody speaks up about them.
Many things are not even questioned and are thoughtlessly dragged along. People often believe that something cannot be changed, even though this is not true at all. Nonsensical decisions are simply accepted. For example, elaborate documentation is produced that nobody reads. Or employees simply lack the courage to make their own suggestions. Smart methods can help to change this.
1. Optimization with the speech bubble method
If you want to capture potential for improvement quickly, you can try the speech bubble method. It works like this: you draw speech bubbles facing each other, one on the left and three on the right. The one on the left contains a question from the following list, the ones on the right are empty so that the respondents can write in their answers. Here are some possible questions:
The gold piece question: what are the three most revenue/cost-saving ideas you would have for us?
The stardust question: What are your three craziest/most emotional ideas that we could implement for our customers?
The truffle pig question: What are the three most innovative things we should introduce as soon as possible?
The killer question: If there was a grim reaper, what would be the three things he should absolutely kill?
The UFO question: If you were an alien, what three things would you find particularly strange about us?
The forum question: If we had a forum called “What really annoys us”, what would be the three main points of discussion?
The magic wand question: If you had a magic wand, what would be the three most important behaviors you would like to see from your manager?
The coffee machine question: If our coffee machine could talk, what would it suggest to optimize our team culture?
The gum tree question: If the gum tree in the entrance area could talk: What would it dislike most about the way we work together? And what would he like best? (using three speech bubbles twice)?
This method can be used openly or anonymously. A larger number of employees can be interviewed individually. Or you can choose the framework of a group event, which can also be done online. It is best to use a (virtual) pinboard for this purpose. Catalogs of measures are created almost automatically. Ideally, suitable suggestions for improvement are drawn up by the employees themselves in order to quickly and constructively eliminate any shortcomings.
There is something playful about this approach and it challenges creativity. However, pranksters or even the overly frustrated can also use it to get up to mischief. In addition to absolute honesty, the following rule must therefore apply to this method: Discretion. Formulate it as follows: “For internal purposes only. The aim of this campaign is for us to become a high-performance team together.”
2. Reduce inefficiencies with “kill a stupid rule”
Some companies are a bureaucratic nightmare. Like bulky luggage, their obese administrative apparatus prevents them from making the leap into the future. So to become more agile, efficient and innovative, the first step is to get rid of the internal legacy. Superfluous processes must be eliminated, complicated processes simplified and unsuccessful processes redesigned.
“Kill a stupid rule” starts at precisely this point. This measure was originally developed by US banker Vernon Hill, who appealed to his employees to identify customer-unfriendly processes of all kinds as quickly as possible.
Envato/wanaktek
The method is also useful for internal purposes to identify paralyzing, demotivating ballast and replace it with simpler, more contemporary procedures. Many guidelines and procedures have worked quite well in the past, but they are no good for the near future. Sometimes there are even rules that are still followed even though the person who issued them is long gone. So give your people a “license to kill” like this:
“Kill a stupid rule!”: what ineffectual standards, rules and processes and what administrative nonsense should we get rid of as soon as possible?
First, the participants sit down in pairs and search for as many “stupid rules” as possible within ten minutes. They write them down on sticky notes or moderator cards and pin them up on a pinboard. You will be amazed at how the sparks suddenly fly and how many things come together.
Once the collection is complete, it is prioritized. Teams of three then set to work on eliminating “stupid rules” altogether or replacing them with new, more agile procedures, naturally also across departments.
At the start, you start where you can make the quickest changes. In this way, initial success stories can spread via storytelling and inspire others. “Put it on the killer list” is a call to all those who later think of something that urgently needs to be abolished or fundamentally changed.
3. Get to the point quickly with flashlight surveys
Envato/safakc1
Flashlight surveys are suitable, for example, if you want to test performance aspects against each other. In traditional questionnaires, these are to be evaluated and weighted by ticking boxes. The problem: when asked in this way, employees often find almost everything more or less important and good. Asking the wrong questions creates a veritable inflation of expectations. As a result, companies can no longer keep up with the apparent wishes of their employees.
In flashlight surveys, a maximum of four features are on a list instead. Employees are then asked to decide which feature is most important to them and which is least important. The winning feature from round one competes against other features in further rounds. This is how you arrive at perfect performance bundles – from the employee’s perspective, and that alone counts.
Feature
most important
least important
Feature 1
Feature 2
Feature 3
Feature 4
Alternatively, you can have employees weigh up two features against each other, for example with the following question: What is more important to you, … or …? The results can be extremely helpful in prioritizing implementation measures.
Please also read the following articles from the series by Anne M. Schüller:
Anne M. Schüller is a management thinker, keynote speaker, award-winning bestselling author and business coach. The business graduate is considered a leading expert in touchpoint management and customer-focused corporate management. She gives keynote speeches on these topics at conferences, trade conventions and online events. In 2015, she was inducted into the German Speakers Association Hall of Fame for her life's work. She was named Top Voice 2017 and 2018 by the business network Linkedin. Xing named her Top Writer 2018 and Top Mind 2020. Her Touchpoint Institute trains certified Touchpoint Managers and certified Orbit Organizational Developers.
This method can be used openly or anonymously. A larger number of employees can be interviewed individually. Or you can choose the framework of a group event, which can also be done online. It is best to use a (virtual) pinboard for this purpose. Catalogs of measures are created almost automatically. Ideally, suitable suggestions for improvement are drawn up by the employees themselves in order to quickly and constructively eliminate any shortcomings.
