Business case meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Overview

• Work management improves the organization’s command, control, coordination, communication, cooperation, and collaboration.
• The work management improvement project sharpens the understanding of “how” we work in our organization.
• The work management improvement project provides an overview of relevant areas of improvement and implements good practices within teams.

Goal

• We learn good practices on how to work more effectively and efficiently.
• We facilitate thinking about how we work and how we manage information in our organization.
• We start the discussion about topics like information sharing as an alternative to “reinventing the wheel.”

Objectives

• Maximize the percentage of employees thinking about how they work, particularly with information assets.
• Minimize the time people spend searching for information.
• Minimize the time people spend in meetings without draft input and/or output documents.

Challenge

• Our organization doesn’t work on its work management process.
• Information is in search, information is recreated, information is lost.
• Existing approaches like process management don’t cover all habits and/or are too slow and complicated.

Possible solutions

• We let it run because we don’t see any short-term necessities.
• We start a half-hearted discussion but don’t implement any improvements.
• We view work management as a horizontal continual improvement topic on our agenda.

Solution recommendation

• We start the discussion around work management with a limited project.
• We identify any low-hanging fruits and quick wins in terms of improvement.
• We set up a plan for how to continually improve our work habits.

Benefits

• Employees become aware that work management can increase their effectiveness and efficiency.
• Employees become more effective and efficient by changing small elements of their work habits.
• Our organization becomes better, faster, and cheaper without large-scale transformation initiatives.

Limitations

• Work management requires some changes, and only a few people like change.
• People must adhere to some basic rules that require them to change their minds to some degree.
• Some organizational, legal, and technical preconditions are necessary for effective work management.

Procurement

• Work management can profit from the right software tools.
• Procuring software tools isn’t part of this project.
• This project builds on already implemented software tools and works on their adoption by individual teams.

Budget

• We recommend a budget of one FTE per 100 employees for process/information/work management.
• We recommend an initial budget of 20k EUR for external consulting services.
• We recommend starting the discussion about our software tool landscape and possible investments for better work management.

Risks

• We don’t see the value in thinking about work management.
• We aren’t ready for significant organizational changes.
• We can’t measure the outcomes of work management to communicate our process and successes.

Risk mitigation

• We focus on bringing awareness about the challenge instead of jumping into problem-solving steps.
• We assess our employees’ willingness for organizational change and focus on the benefits for individuals instead of for the organization.
• We define outcomes to look at and explain measurement via surveys.

Outline plan

1. We introduce the topic of work management.
2. We explain various elements of work elements, including challenges and solution options.
3. We discuss the current software landscape as a necessary element of work management.
4. We improve the work habits of individual teams and reference good practice adoptions.
5. We share the implemented changes with the broader organization.
6. We explain how all other teams can implement better work management, too.

Required resources

• We assign two internal part-time work managers.
• We work with external consultants to execute this project.
• We need some time from many operational people and stakeholders of various teams and functions.

Timescale

• We’ll need approximately three to six months for the initial facilitation project.
• We aim to make progress step by step on a weekly basis.
• We’ll offer individual support to teams based on their demands and schedule.

Project management

• We manage this project, including all the activities necessary to make it a success.
• We continually report to all involved stakeholders about the current status and changes to the plan.
• We develop work management good practices for future use by our organization.

Follow-up email

Project planning meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Project integration

• We lead and manage this project independently, reducing the friction that could occur working in several project teams and/or sub-projects.
• We coordinate the project via the project team in collaboration with superiors, sponsors, and stakeholders.
• The project team includes the future work managers, reducing friction from project to process.

Project scope

• The project aims to create awareness for work management as a horizontal organizational capability.
• The project includes good practices on how to manage work.
• The project doesn’t include work management improvement for the overall organization, such as aligning stakeholders on new organizational practices.

Project schedule

• We want to execute the project over the next three months.
• The schedule includes all the required steps to explain work management to the organization and improve some teams’ actual work habits.
• The project has external dependencies, especially finding meeting dates and times with employees and teams.

Project costs

• The project has calculatory internal costs.
• Hiring an external consultant costs 20k EUR - 50k EUR.
• The ongoing work management capability would account for between 1 FTE / 100 employees and 3 FTE / 1,000 employees.

Project quality

• The project is mainly a starting point for work management and therefore doesn’t measure too many organizational outcomes.
• The project team will determine and discuss project quality criteria and is open to feedback from employees, superiors, sponsors, and stakeholders.
• The project includes interviews, a survey, and evaluation meetings to analyze its success.

Project resources

• We set up a project team consisting of people who will work on work management in the long term.
• The project team is the single point of contact for all superiors, sponsors, and stakeholders.
• The project needs many employees as more or less passive participants in meetings, interviews, and surveys.

Project communications

• The project team is the single point of contact and the single source of truth for all employees, superiors, sponsors, and stakeholders.
• The project team values high-quality written documentation in addition to verbal explanations in meetings.
• The project team will use mass distribution communication to inform employees about the project, including future processes.

Project risks

• The project consists of risks regarding finding date and time slots for organization-wide information & facilitation meetings.
• The project consists of risks regarding our employees' interests, problems, needs, and wants.
• The project consists of risks regarding the perceived achieved outcomes by executives, stakeholders, and employees.

Project procurement

• The project includes the procurement of consulting services.
• The project doesn’t include the procurement of software tools (e.g., tables, wiki).
• The project doesn’t include the procurement of larger organizational change support services.

Project stakeholders

• Sponsor: The project sponsor has an interest in improving our organization’s work.
• Employees: Our employees have an interest in saving time in their work.
• Team leaders: Our team leaders have an interest in getting more things done.

Follow-up

Stakeholder alignment meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Work management on a page

• Effectiveness: We increase our effectiveness with organizational learning.
• Efficiency: We increase our efficiency by creating and discussing everything only once.
• Sustainability: We increase the sustainability of our work by creating good practices instead of “reinventing the wheel.”

Work management facilitation project

• Explanation: We explain what work management is and how it can be adopted on a team level.
• Improvement: We improve the organization by working with selected teams on their work habits.
• Sharing: We share team-level successes with the organization to show the relevance of work management.

Operational work management habits

• Keeping written records: Written outputs and documents are worth the effort in the long term.
• Sharing with a wiki: Sharing as default instead of on request distributes information throughout the organization.
• Managing with tables: Tables are a wonderful work tool that mean you don’t have to decide between a spreadsheet and a database, but can use something in between.

Advantages of work management

• Better: Work management increases the quality of work outputs because people can improve based on previous results instead of “reinventing the wheel.”
• Faster: Work management makes the organization faster with clear work distribution, the use of good practices and templates, and learning instead of forgetting.
• Cheaper: Work management makes the organization cost-efficient, with clear guidelines and templates instead of tiring meetings and wasted effort.

Follow-up email

Introductory meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: How does work management integrate with existing functions, roles, and practices?

• Work management is a number of practices that many existing functions, roles, and teams can apply without the need for any approval.
• Work management integrates with many existing methodologies and frameworks and doesn't need another function, team, or role.
• Work management isn't a new management fad with courses, certifications, roles, and other bullshit creating the next management religion.

Slide: What are the typical roles that facilitate work?

• Functional leaders (e.g., IT managers, marketing managers) determine the methodologies, frameworks, and practices of their subordinates.
• Staff functions (e.g., information managers, process managers) already support organizations modularizing, systematizing, standardizing, and automating work.
• Consultants and coaches (e.g., Scrum Master) facilitate organizational improvements as internal or external resources in temporary roles.

Slide: How can existing roles manage work?

• Information managers, innovation managers, knowledge managers, operations managers, process managers, agile coaches, coaches, consultants, and team leaders can apply work management with tables to their work.
• Individuals start using their already implemented software tools.
• Organizations don't need committees to implement work management as an organization-wide habit.

Slide: How does the organization adopt work management habits?

• Organizations adopt work management on the team level without the need for an organizational change campaign.
• Horizontal and staff roles (e.g., information, innovation, L&D, operations, process managers) are suited to propose general approaches to managing work in the organization.
• Every employee can start to manage his/her work; in many cases no approval from their team leaders is necessary.

Slide: How do team members use work management in their daily work?

• Team members start with work management with the already implemented software tools.
• Team members explain what they have set up to their colleagues and implement their feedback.
• Team members discuss wok management practices with their colleagues.

Follow-up email

Organizational speed meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We need too long for improvements and innovations.
• We don't develop and test enough improvements and innovations.
• We discuss things for too long before designing and testing improvements and innovations.

Slide: Approach

• We share information and knowledge to prevent reinventing the wheel.
• We focus on the most impactful questions instead of the sidelines.
• We define outcomes for our team/process/workflow.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time solving problems.
• We spend less time planning changes.
• We spend less time evaluating (failed) changes.

Follow-up email

Continual improvement meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We conduct large, complex change initiatives with vague outcomes.
• We don't improve small problems with a modest impact.
• We don't encourage people to suggest improvements.

Slide: Approach

• We share challenges with colleagues and welcome their feedback.
• We share challenges and possible improvements with an online collaboration software tool (e.g., table) and welcome feedback.
• We design, test, and implement improvements in small increments and measure their success.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time implementing improvements
• We spend less time designing, testing, and implementing/discarding improvements
• We spend less time explaining failed changes

Follow-up email

Collaborative innovation meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We don't listen to the innovative ideas of our own people.
• We don't encourage and support our people to develop innovations.
• We don't have a process to let our people collaborate on innovations with each other.

Slide: Approach

• We share innovative ideas (e.g., business model innovations) with an online collaboration software tool (e.g., table) and adapt it based on feedback.
• We ask our superiors to test the innovation.
• We share our innovations with external partners and include their feedback in our thinking.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time requesting feedback on possible innovations.
• We spend less time explaining ideas to our direct superiors.
• We spend less time working on avoidable failed innovations.

Follow-up email

Asynchronously written communication meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We spend too long discussing the same questions in too many meetings.
• We must update people who haven't participated in meetings.
• We must communicate verbal information to many different stakeholders so that everyone has the same information.

Slide: Approach

• We write down information instead of conducting meetings.
• We use a forum instead of an instant messaging software tool
• We write down the minutes of calls and web conferences and share them with (non) participants.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time consuming information.
• We spend less time in conversation, meetings, and workshops.
• We spend less time explaining things more than once.

Follow-up email

Written work instructions meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We don't know how to conduct a specific task.
• We need too many verbal explanations of what could be self-taught.
• We lose work knowledge when people leave the organization.

Slide: Approach

• We create written work instructions in the form of operating procedures, manuals, and good practices.
• We use written work instructions for autodidactic learning (instead of instructor-led learning).
• We welcome feedback and continually improve our written work instructions.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time asking how something works.
• We spend less time correcting errors and mistakes.
• We spend less time receiving and giving verbal instructions.

Follow-up email

Document templates meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We create similar documents too often in different ways.
• We forget necessary information in our documents.
• We align on document structures and contents again and again.

Slide: Approach

• We collect requirements for a document template from different stakeholders.
• We share documents to create templates based on previous creations.
• We share document templates with other organizations to receive and share feedback.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time discussing how to write documents, and what to include.
• We spend less time thinking about and discussing how to create a document.
• We spend less time aligning documents between stakeholders.

Follow-up email

Process management meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We don't know how work flows through the organization.
• We do things a bit differently every time.
• We don't have a foundation to implement software tools automating work.

Slide: Approach

• We define the flow of work.
• We dedicate process managers to modeling our work.
• We stick to defined processes or change them.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time discussing how work flows.
• We spend less time correcting errors/mistakes in work outputs.
• We spend less time discussing how to implement processes into software.

Follow-up email

Information management meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We don't know what we know.
• We don't know who processes which information, and how they do it.
• We create similar information assets without using previous creations.

Slide: Approach

• We structure information in a standardized way.
• We define practices, tools, and responsibilities on how to work with information.
• We complement existing horizontal capabilities (e.g., innovation/process/project/work management).

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time searching for information.
• We spend less time creating information (through similar information).
• We spend less time sharing information.

Follow-up email

Work management meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We don't know what we do.
• We reinvent how we do our work too often.
• Classic process management is slow and not very efficient.

Slide: Approach

• We define how we work without the "overhead" of process management.
• We define the structure, good practices, and templates, but without any strict flowcharts.
• We delegate work to lower ranks.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time discussing how to execute a task.
• We spend less time delegating work.
• We spend less time managing work compared to process and/or information management.

Follow-up email

“Reinventing the wheel” meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We do (e.g., ideate, design, develop, build, think, discuss) things that have been done before.
• We don't collect, share, and reuse our work.
• We don't discuss the challenge of "reinventing the wheel."

Slide: Approach

• We start the discussion around "reinventing the wheel," its impacts, and how to stop it.
• We start measuring the impact of "reinventing the wheel."
• We discuss methodological approaches to collecting and sharing information.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time creating work outputs (e.g., documents) which have been created in one or another form before.
• We spend less time discussing topics which have been discussed before.
• We spend less time on operations (compared to improvements).

Follow-up email

Information sharing meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We don't know what other people in our organization know.
• We ideate documents that have been created in our organization in a similar form before.
• We hire external consultants for things which could be done by internal people.

Slide: Approach

• We share information proactively instead of on request.
• We store information in a way that others can find it.
• We reuse information instead of "reinventing the wheel."

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time creating work outputs that others have created before in a similar format.
• We spend less time requesting information from other people in the organization.
• We spend less time searching for the right person for a topic.

Follow-up email

Work management with tables meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We store our information in too many files and applications.
• We store our information in too many different structures, in too many different ways.
• We cannot find the right information when we're searching for it.

Slide: Approach

• We structure work-related information in tables.
• We use a table software tool (e.g., Airtable, Microsoft Lists, Microsoft SharePoint Lists) instead of creating spreadsheets.
• We include fields (e.g., number, text, dropdown selection), references (rollups), and file attachments.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time searching for the right information.
• We spend less time aligning on how to store information.
• We spend less time using complex and complicated software tools.

Follow-up email

Table software tools meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We fight with the feature overload of spreadsheets.
• We cannot connect different spreadsheets through rollups with each other.
• We discuss which (new) software to use for each new use case and/or information asset.

Slide: Approach

• We check which table software tools we already license.
• We conduct a procurement project, like with any other software tool.
• We implement and adopt the table software tool with a structured initiative, including organizational change activities.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time using several software tools with similar functionalities.
• We spend less time tackling a spreadsheet software tool.
• We spend less time learning how to use software to manage a new information asset.

Follow-up email

Managed metadata meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We don't have a common structure to manage our files and folders.
• We don't know which files exist for each topic area.
• We cannot find the files we need to find.

Slide: Approach

• We define tag categories and tags within them.
• We migrate information in steps so that we recognize missing metadata early.
• We dedicate an information manager to managing the metadata.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time searching for information.
• We spend less time defining and aligning metadata.
• We spend less time preparing information for long-term archiving.

Follow-up email

Document library meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We cannot find the files we need on our file storage.
• We cannot attach metadata to files and folders on our file storage.
• We don't differentiate between current and archived files and folders in our file storage.

Slide: Approach

• We evaluate our table software tool's necessary/included features for use as a document library.
• We set up a metadata management capability.
• We migrate files incrementally, while checking we can find the information in need.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time searching for files.
• We spend less time understanding someone else's folder structure.
• We spend less time searching for files that haven't been in use for a long time.

Follow-up email

Information model meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We don't want to create a high number of interrelated work management tables without the necessary managerial transparency.
• We want to discuss work management table changes effectively and efficiently.
• We want to avoid information redundancies because people don't know about other people’s work management tables.

Slide: Approach

• We determine the tables to be implemented and their columns.
• We determine the column values (e.g., for status, type) and rollups (connections to columns of other tables).
• We determine the owners of each table and how to write down standard operating procedures for each table.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time understanding our table structure.
• We spend less time discussing proposed changes to our table structure.
• We spend less time checking which information is already captured before proposing a new table.

Follow-up email

Work management tables meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We store work-related information scattered across various applications, spreadsheets, and documents.
• We don't know who records what information where.
• We execute work in different ways every time a task occurs.

Slide: Approach

• We brainstorm tables, columns, and column values with the teams owning the tables.
• We set up a small number (1-3) tables per team and record the feedback.
• We migrate recent work information to the corresponding new tables to test their structure.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time discussing how to record work-related information.
• We spend less time recording, searching, and maintaining work-related information.
• We spend less time understanding functional and industry-vertical software tools.

Follow-up email

Wiki table meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We don't know which pieces of information we've recorded somewhere.
• It’s challenging to find the information in need.
• We use word processing software too often for documents that we don't aim to print.

Slide: Approach

• We decide on the wiki table approach based on the implemented table software tool and wiki software tool.
• We either store the wiki pages directly in the table or maintain a list of all wiki pages in the table with links to the wiki software tool.
• We tag all wiki pages with the managed metadata model to maintain an overview of what we've created.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time searching for information.
• We spend less time formatting documents.
• We spend less time "reinventing the wheel" with the right wiki documentation to hand.

Follow-up email

File archive table meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We're challenged to find current information in our cluttered file storage / document library.
• We must maintain outdated metadata tags in our document library.
• We create more chaos with every file not deleted after use.

Slide: Approach

• We sort through team-related documents to find documents to be archived.
• We migrate not-to-be-changed files to the file archive table.
• We create new documents of archived files instead of changing the archived version.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time finding information in our more concise document library.
• We spend less time restructuring our file document library.
• We spend less time retrieving archived information.

Follow-up email

Internal messages table meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Slide: Problem

• We cannot find old emails and instant messages to prevent "reinventing the wheel."
• We don't share information sent as emails and instant messages.
• We don't structure our internal emails in a way that enables others to use this information.

Slide: Approach

• We set up an internal messages table in our table software tool or implement a dedicated internal messages software tool (e.g., "Twist").
• We decide to send answers as part of the original (table software tool) internal messages table record or as separate records.
• We adapt our internal message habits based on the implemented and adopted software tool for internal messages.

Slide: Outcomes

• We spend less time recreating information we haven't participated.
• We spend less time asking others for information siloed in inboxes.
• We spend less time sorting through various email threads which cannot be merged or otherwise managed.

Follow-up email

Software tool categories meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Wiki software

• What: Wiki software tools make text-focused documents available, in a way that is similar to public wiki projects (e.g., Wikipedia).
• Outcome: Minimize the time searching for structured articles, SOPs, and all kinds of text-focused documents.
• Examples: Archbee, AppFlowy (OSS), Atlassian Confluence, Coda, Document360, GitBook, Microsoft Loop, Microsoft SharePoint pages, Notion.

Table software

• What: Table software tools sit between spreadsheet software and database software, making it easier to create simple tables for daily use.
• Outcome: Minimize the time spent configuring the spreadsheet software, including connecting it to other systems (e.g., file share).
• Examples: Airtable, Baserow (OSS), Coda, Microsoft Lists, Microsoft SharePoint Lists (outdated), Notion.

Messaging board software

• What: Messaging board software tools structure asynchronous online discussions, similar to old-school online forums.
• Outcome: Minimize the time searching for asynchronous communication.
• Examples: Discourse for Teams, Stack Overflow for Teams, Threads, Tipi, Twist

Workflow software

• What: Workflow software tools model and automate business processes, combining modeling and execution environments into one solution.
• Outcome: Minimize the time spent designing and developing business process environments and automation.
• Examples: Kissflow, Microsoft Power Automate, Pipefy, Process Street, ProcessMaker

No-code software

• What: No-code software enables employees to create business apps without writing code.
• Outcome: Minimize the time it takes to create simple business process apps.
• Examples: Appy Pie, Bryter, Google AppSheet, Microsoft Power Automate, Retool.

Follow-up email

Software tools evaluation meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Why

• Software tools are an integral part of work management.
• We don’t have to buy additional software tools before starting with work management.
• We need a market overview to drive our organization’s internal discussion in this field.

How

• We understand the software tool categories and their differences.
• We evaluate software tools by creating free accounts and/or making calls with their salespeople.
• We make notes about how we could combine different tools together.

What

• Wiki software
• Table software
• Messaging board software
• Workflow software
• No-code software

Follow-up email

Software tools architecture meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Why

• Various software tools should work in a useful way together.
• Every task should have one software tool to use.
• The organization should only have one software tool for each task.

How

• We determine the software categories we would like to use.
• We analyze overlapping features between various software tools and categories.
• We analyze which software tool categories we have in use and how we want to develop our current architecture.

What

• Wiki and table software tools as the necessary foundation.
• Messaging board and shared email software tools as an optional addition.
• Workflow and no-code software tools as a sufficient work management software architecture.

Follow-up email

Software tool implementation meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Selection & Procurement

• We determine our work management software tool landscape.
• We elicit financial and legal restrictions (e.g., data privacy).
• We align our stakeholders on our drafted software tool landscape.
• We conduct a procurement project to buy the selected software tool (category).

Training

• We focus on cultural and organizational change instead of “software training.”
• We educate our employees on the new software tool early in the process.
• We set up a software introduction project incl. the necessary organizational change activities.

Rollout

• We roll out the software tool gradually.
• We support teams using the new software tool.
• We set up various meeting formats, offering employees different communication and exchange options.

Follow-up email

Software tool adoption meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Why

• Work management software tools are only useful if individuals and teams use them.
• Most work management tools are licensed by the number of users (instead of by usage), which could be expensive if people don’t use the software.
• People don’t like change and the easiest approach to new software is to not use it.

How

• Organizations learn about the new work management software in webinars.
• Teams develop their individual work habits in workshops.
• Individuals get their questions answered in Q&A/support calls.

Follow-up email

Employee interviews preparation meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Why do we conduct employee interviews?

• We elicit our organization’s challenges regarding work management.
• We prepare our team-focused work management facilitation.
• We receive helpful feedback before we get into the details with the individual teams.

How will we conduct employee interviews?

• Invitation via email.
• Broad selection of appointment dates and times.
• Flexible date and time change possible.

• One-hour web meeting.
• No preparation needed.
• Time for Q&A and individual feedback.

• Semi-structured interview.
• Ten questions in one hour.
• Feedback at the end and updates after the interview.

What questions will we ask?

1. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding how we work in our organization?
2. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding the communication & coordination of work between teams and individuals in our organization?
3. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding the cooperation & collaboration between teams and individuals in our organization?
4. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding the horizontal software tools we use to manage our work?
5. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding reducing “reinventing the wheel” in our organization?
6. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding information management/sharing in our organization?
7. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding standard operating procedures and document templates in our organization?
8. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding making meetings more effective, efficient, and sustainable?
9. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding modularizing, systematizing, and standardizing work?
10. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding automating work?
11. Do you have any other challenges/requirements/preferences?

Follow-up email

Employee interview meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Question 1

• What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding how we work in our organization?

Question 2

• What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding the communication & coordination of work between teams and individuals in our organization?

Question 3

• What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding the cooperation & collaboration between teams and individuals in our organization?

Question 4

• What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding the horizontal software tools we use to manage our work?

Question 5

• What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding reducing “reinventing the wheel” in our organization?

Question 6

• What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding information management/sharing in our organization?

Question 7

• What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding standard operating procedures and document templates in our organization?

Question 8

• What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding making meetings more effective, efficient, and sustainable?

Question 9

• What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding modularizing, systematizing, and standardizing work?

Question 10

• What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding automating work?

Question 11

• Do you have any other other challenges/requirements/preferences?

Follow-up email

Employee survey meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Why

• Awareness: We create awareness for the need for work management as an organizational capability.
• Feedback: We collect feedback about the current situation and possible future changes.
• Participation: We practice participatory decision-making with this survey.

How

• We’ll define the to-be-invited group instead of creating a list of names.
• We’ll invite participants via email and will remind them with additional emails.
• We’ll give invitees at least two weeks to participate in the survey.

• We’ll use an already implemented software tool, if available.
• Alternatively, we’ll use an external cloud software tool and provide clear data protection information for the invitees.
• We’re open to survey software tool ideas.

• We aim to formalize the survey to make it somewhat statistically useful.
• We aim to evaluate the closed survey in the following two weeks.
• We’ll share the survey results first with the stakeholders, then with all employees.

What

1. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding how we work in our organization?
2. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding the communication & coordination of work between teams and individuals in our organization?
3. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding the cooperation & collaboration between teams and individuals in our organization?
4. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding the horizontal software tools we use to manage our work?
5. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding reducing “reinventing the wheel” in our organization?
6. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding information sharing in our organization?
7. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding standard operating procedures and document templates in our organization?
8. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding making meetings more effective, efficient, and sustainable?
9. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding modularizing, systematizing, and standardizing work?
10. What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding automating work?
11. Do you have any other challenges/requirements/preferences?

Survey invitation text

Follow-up email

Employee interviews and survey meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Interview results

• Work management is an important topic for our organization.
• Work management is an under-represented and underestimated topic for our organization.
• We should improve our work management capabilities.
• It’s worth it to at least investigate deeper.

Survey data

• 123 survey participants
• 100 completed surveys
• 7 questions answered on average
• 10,000 words written
• 12 additional feedback emails received

What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding how we work in our organization?

• The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing.
• Information isn’t properly written down, and therefore lost and written-down information is hard to find.
• We reinvent the wheel because we don’t have the right information at hand.

What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding the communication & coordination of work between teams and individuals in our organization?

• Lots of coordination is necessary.
• Coordination isn’t well structured.
• Communication feels chaotic.

What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding the cooperation & collaboration between teams and individuals in our organization?

• We must involve many teams for even the small topics.
• Lots of alignment between teams is necessary.
• Decisions aren’t written down, and are made again and again.

What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding the horizontal software tools we use to manage our work?

• We don’t utilize already-implemented software tools.
• We don’t discuss additional software tools.
• We aren’t willing to invest in additional software tools.
• The need/usefulness of additional tools is questionable.

What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding reducing “reinventing the wheel” in our organization?

• More high-quality writing is required.
• Better search and finding functions are required.
• Information management is an organizational capability that needs a cultural change.

What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding information sharing in our organization?

• More open sharing by default.
• Fewer politics about “this is my information peace.”
• Cultural and process change is necessary.

What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding standard operating procedures and document templates in our organization?

• Standard operating procedures are tiring to write.
• Research for lean approaches to SOP writing would be useful.
• Someone needs to create and maintain document templates.

What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding making meetings more effective, efficient, and sustainable?

• We prepare our meetings poorly.
• We don’t create an input and output per meeting.
• We talk too much, instead of creating things.

What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding modularizing, systematizing, and standardizing work?

• We must invest in optimizing our work to stay competitive and make room for true innovation development.
• We must create a way of working that systematizes and standardizes without the overhead of traditional process management.
• We must get these things under control soon.

What are your challenges/requirements/preferences regarding automating work?

• Many things are hard to automate.
• We don’t know how we can automate procedures.
• Automation software tools can be quite expensive.

What are your other challenges/requirements/preferences?

• It’s good to start a discussion about these topics.
• Real change is necessary, and not just in discussions.
• Other organizations (inducing our competitors) have similar challenges, therefore no rush is required.

Follow-up email

Team leadership meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Work management governance

• What are our goals, resources, and commitments for work management?
• How do we make time for work management?
• How do we align with other teams on work management?

Work management leadership

• How does our team leader support us in improving work management?
• How does our team leader lead us in improving work management?
• How does our team leader motivate us to improve work management?

Work management learning/teaching

• How do we learn about work management?
• Who teaches us work management?
• How do implement/use our learnings?

Work management mentoring/coaching

• How do we guide each other on work management?
• How do we support each other on work management?
• How do we share our work management practices with other teams?

Follow-up email

Team communication and coordination meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Communication via emails

• How do we reduce the number of emails?
• How do we write emails instead of (physical and virtual) meetings?
• How do we make our emails more concise?
• How do we include only the necessary people in emails?
• How do we include all the necessary people in emails?
• What are the alternatives to email?

Communication via meetings

• How do we reduce the number of physical (instead of virtual) meetings?
• How do we ensure we have very important meetings in person?
• How do we reduce the number of (physical and virtual) meetings?
• How do we make meetings more effective?
• How do we make meetings more efficient?
• How do we make meetings more sustainable?
• How do we prepare meetings?
• How do we follow up after meetings?
• How do we summarize meetings?
• How do we shift from verbal to written communication?

Communication via chat

• What do we want to communicate via chat?
• How do we avoid chat message fatigue?
• How do we shift from synchronous to asynchronous written communication?

Coordination of responsibilities

• How do we determine responsibilities?
• How do we ensure responsibilities are executed?
• How do we ensure responsibilities are executed in high quality?
• How do we avoid transgressing responsibilities?

Coordination of work

• How do we report about our current work?
• How do we report about our future work?
• How do we align on work demarcation lines?
• How do we show our work?
• How do we communicate our work to other teams?

Follow-up email

Team work management with tables meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Why create tables

• Why could more tables structure our work?
• Why could more tables structure our work better than other tools?
• Why should we invest in thinking about tables instead of continuing without them?

How to create tables

• How do we ideate tables?
• How do we design tables?
• How do we test tables?
• How do we implement tables?
• How do we adopt tables?
• How do we continually improve tables?

What tables to create

• What tables do we need to create?
• What are the most important tables to create?
• What tables can we combine?
• What tables must we separate?

Follow-up email

Team writing and sharing meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Why write more information down

• Why could writing down topics help us?
• Why could writing down more be more beneficial than meetings?
• Why could writing down help us to stop reinventing the wheel?

How to write more information down

• How do we ideate document topics?
• How do we design documents?
• How do we test documents?
• How do we use the documents created?
• How do we use these documents continually?
• How do we continually improve the documents?

What to write down

• What documents do we need to create?
• What are the most important documents to create?
• What documents can we combine?
• What documents must we separate?

Why share more

• Why could more information sharing help us?
• Why could information sharing be more beneficial than meetings?
• Why could more information sharing help us to stop reinventing the wheel?

How to share more

• How do we simplify our sharing procedure?
• How do we share by default?
• How do we find topics to share?
• How do we exclude topics from sharing?
• How do we ensure others know about our shared information?

What to share

• What existing documents do we want to share?
• What existing documents do we want to share first?
• What documents do we want to exclude from sharing?

Follow-up email

Meeting title

Invitation email

Meeting information

How can we improve our communication?

• How can we communicate better?
• How can we communicate more efficiently?

How can we improve our coordination?

• How can we coordinate better?
• How can we coordinate more efficiently?

How can we improve our tables?

• How can we use our tables better?
• How can we use our tables more efficiently?

How can we improve our writing?

• How can we write better?
• How can we write more efficiently?

How can we improve our sharing?

• How can we share more?
• How can we communicate our sharing better?

Follow-up email

Success story meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

How we improved our communication

• How did we make our communication more effective?
• How did we make our communication more efficient?

How we improved our coordination

• How did we make our coordination more effective?
• How did we make our coordination more efficient?

How we improved working with tables

• How did we make our tables more effective?
• How did we make our tables more efficient?

How we improved our writing

• How did we make our writing more effective?
• How did we make our writing more efficient?

How we improved sharing information

• How did we increase our information sharing?
• How did we improve the communication about our information sharing?

Follow-up email

Organizational agreement meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Communication rules

• We communicate with written text instead of verbally.
• We communicate asynchronously instead of synchronously.
• We communicate proactively instead of reactively.

Coordination rules

• We structure our coordination by functions, teams, processes, products, projects, etc.
• We write our work coordination down.
• We coordinate from general to specific (topic → job → task).

Table rules

• We create tables wherever possible.
• We share our tables openly.
• We standardize our tables with templates and software tool features.

Writing rules

• We write down as much as possible.
• We reuse sent emails as wiki articles.
• We simplify our writing through modularization, systematization, and standardization.

Sharing rules

• We share by default, with the exception of some specific topic areas.
• We share early drafts and don’t criticize them too harshly.
• We point others to our shared documents.

How do we enforce our rules?

• We regularly reflect on our own behavior and provide feedback on others’ behavior.
• We regularly discuss our work management practices.
• We regularly improve these rules for work management.

Follow-up email

Continual improvement meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Areas of improvement

• People: How do we get people to improve their work habits?
• Process: How do we structure our work?
• Technology: How do we develop/implement/adopt new software tools for work management?
• Effectiveness: How do we adopt more work management good practices?
• Efficiency: How do we transfer good practices with less effort?
• Sustainability: How do we maintain good practices within the organization?
• Improvement & Innovation: How do we adopt improvements and innovations from other organizations?
• Information & Knowledge: How do we collect, use, and share good practices inside our organization?

Approach to improvement

• Individual feedback
• Interviews
• Surveys
• Team leader feedback
• Sourcing team’s feedback
• Technology innovation team’s feedback

Improvement implementation

• People: Helping people to change habits.
• Process: Adopting processes.
• Technology: Further developing and/or changing our technology landscape.

Follow-up email

Organizational outlook meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

Why change

• Why must we change?
• Why is change hard?
• How can we change?

Why now

• Why must we change soon?
• What can happen if we don’t change now?
• How can we change sooner/faster?

Consequences of no change

• What are the potential consequences if we don’t change?
• What are the potential losses if we don’t change?
• What was the impact for other organizations that didn’t change fast enough?

Follow-up email

Evaluation meeting

Invitation email

Meeting information

What have we achieved so far?

• We facilitated change in how we work together in our organization.
• The first steps towards better work management have been implemented.
• We created a common understanding of why work management is relevant, and why we should start working on it now.
• The work manager answers questions on how to work together in our organization and proposes change to executives and team leaders.

What can we generally do better?

How can we improve working together?

• Fewer meetings.
• Fewer meetings without input and/or output.
• Fewer documents without a template.
• More systems thinking.
• More standard operating procedures.
• More written information.
• More shared information.

How do we systematically evaluate our work practices?

• Feedback
• Interviews
• Surveys

Follow-up email