Continue-Start-Stop

Last week, 15 of us met to brainstorm what changes we needed to have in our organization next year.  The meeting facilitator had us break out into two groups.  On various topics, such as "Tasks", "Rewards", "Structure", "Information Systems", we were supposed to collect feedback from each group.

The facilitator said we should structure our conversations by identifying what we should "Start", "Stop", and "Continue".  That's the normal way we collect feedback in our company:  start-stop-continue.  But I don't like that order.  The emphasis is wrong.  What should we START doing because we've been missing the boat?  What should we STOP doing because we've been screwing up?  The most important question is what should we CONTINUE doing because it's been working well?  What has been our strength?  What should we do more of because it brings out our best performance and results?

I was facilitating one of the two groups, and I insisted on changing the order and the emphasis:  Continue, Start, and Stop.  This seemed to energize people.  We spent our time appreciating the best things they were doing and defining plans to make these things even stronger next year.  And, when we talked about what to START doing, it tended to be things related to what we already have been doing well.  As far as what to STOP?  We often didn't get around to writing anything down, and that was OK with me.

Co-Creation

It's easy to come up with a plan by myself, but hard to "sell it" to everyone else involved in the plan.  One of the themes of Stomp the Elephant in the Office, by Steve Vannoy and Craig Ross, and their company Verus Global, is that people will more easily accept a proposal if it includes their ideas.  But how do you efficiently create a detailed plan with lots of other people?  It often feels like "too many chefs in the kitchen".  Then there are the jokes about camels being horses designed by committee . . . And there is Congress . . .

I've had some luck with floating trial balloons.  Make a proposal, ask for input, and pray for conflict.  I don't want silence.  I want to have my ideas attacked.  I want to hear that I've missed important details or that something I said won't work.  Or that I forgot something important.  Because every criticism is an opportunity to build trust with the group by saying, "Silly me!  You're absolutely right.  How about this revised proposal?"  I've just included somebody else's light bulb.

But trial balloons don't always work.  Sometimes there are situations where too much is at stake for too many people for anyone person to start with, "here's what I think we should do."  I'm in one of those situations at work right now.  We're trying to create our plans for next fiscal year (7/1/14 to 6/30/15) on a project that effects a lot of people at multiple locations around the country.  I don't own the overall project, but I floated a trial balloon for a new way to approach part of the work.  The response was lukewarm.  In hindsight, I think this is a case where the plan needs to be "co-created" by at least a few key players.

Based on another technique recommended by Verus Global, I've decided we need to start by asking key players in the project what worked for them last fiscal year.  The project has made great progress in the last 9 months.  We need to ask the leaders at each manufacturing site and each central corporate team:  "What accomplishments do you feel really good about from last year?  What do you think helped the most in getting there?"  If we do this, and if the plan for the coming year is builds on what people told us worked for them last year, then they will feel that the new plan builds on the things that brought them the most success last year.  They will feel that their ideas were included.

Just as important:  the plan is more likely to work.  Too often, people develop an action plan that doesn't consider "do more of what's already working".  The approach that starts with "what has worked before" sets you up to succeed in the future.

Weekly Writing Habits

Research shows that happiness grows if you write every week about things you are grateful for.  And it grows if you imagine an ideal future, if you write about short term goals, if you reflect on what is most important right now in each area of your life, and if you take the time to think through strategies.

But how can I remember to do ALL this writing and analysis regularly?  How can I keep track of it all?  I can't usually find the time to write about ALL these things every day.  If I have to write about different things on different days, how do I choose what to write about any given day?  And how can I be sure that, over time, I'm thinking through and writing about all these things in a balanced way?

For the last few months, I've had success using Microsoft One Note on my computer to help remember to write about different things each day of the week.  My new system makes it easy to ensure that I usually spend SOME time every week writing in each area.  If I'm super busy one day, I might miss the chance, for example, to write that week about what I'm grateful for.  But I'm unlikely to forget any topic 2 weeks in a row.  The balance is there, and I'm noticing benefits in how I feel and think.

Below is a screen shot from my "Journals" in Microsoft One Note. Sunday is "Sunny" for optimism: I write about best possible outcomes in the near future at work, at home, and in volunteer work.  Monday is "Milestones":  key things to accomplish soon.  Good thing to think about early in a work week.  Tuesday is "Truth":  what truths do I need to confront or communicate that I've resisted?  Wednesday is "Working":  what is working well in different parts of my life that I should do more of to get even more success?  Thursday is "Thanks":  what am I grateful for?  Friday is "Focus":  What is most important right now?  What should I give attention to at the expense of less important goals?  Finally, Saturday is "Strategy":  What are some of the strategies and plans that will move me toward my goals?