Here’s my variation of an interesting activity from my co-facilitator Tracy. She uses this activity with excited groups of participants to produce effective results.
Basic Idea
Three teams of participants rotate around flip charts to post activities to start, stop, or sustain. At the end of the activity, the participants narrow down their ideas to identify an item for immediate implementation.
Purpose
To generate and analyze ideas for the improvement of a workplace procedures.
Participants
- Minimum: 3
- Maximum: 30
- Best: 9 to 21
Time
20 to 30 minutes
Flow
Specify a workplace procedure. Select a procedure that is frequently conducted. Examples: staff meetings, performance review, company picnic, training sessions, expense reimbursement.
Ask for individual analysis. Ask everyone to independently think of how this procedure is typically conducted in the workplace.
Set up three flip charts. Arrange them in a large open area in a triangular configuration. Label the flip charts Start, Stop, and Sustain
Form teams. Organize the participants into three teams and position each team in front of a flip chart
Write notes. Ask the team members to write items on sticky notepaper depending on which flip chart they are located at:
- Start doing this activity (which we have not done before) because it will produce valuable results.
- Stop doing this activity because it is just a waste of time.
- Sustain doing this activity because it adds value to the results.
Ask the team members to post the items on the flip chart page.
Rotate to the next flip chart. Ask the teams to move to the next flip chart in the clockwise direction.
Add more notes. Ask each team to study the items posted on the flip chart page and write additional appropriate items (Start, Stop, or Sustain) depending on the label on the flip chart. Ask the team members to post the additional items on the flip chart page.
Repeat the procedure. Ask each team to move to the next flip chart and add more items.
Select three items. After the third rotation, the teams would have returned to the flip chart they started from. Ask the team members to study the sticky note items and select the three best items that require the least effort and produce the most impact. Ask the teams to paste the three selected items on a new blank page of flip chart paper.
Review the items. Ask the participants to walk around the flip charts and review the nine selected items (posted on the three flip charts). Ask each individual participant to place a check mark below an item for immediate implementation.
Select one item. Count the check marks and determine the first item to be implemented.