Vinod Baker

Our Challenge

I work in an operational environment; the purpose of our business unit is to ensure the circulation  of money. Our staffs’ primary job is to handle the monies that is coming into the bank (deposits)  and the monies that is leaving the bank’s premises and transported to clients’ premises  (withdrawals). Dealing with clients’ money is an important job however quite stressful for our  staff. All our clients rely on our service offerings for them to continue with their business.

The staff morale and motivation is not at a desirable level for optimal productivity. Our challenge  is to change how our employees feel about working for this business unit. To create an  environment that employees find pleasant and a place that encourages growth and learning.  Furthermore, we want our staff to feel motivated and encouraged to improve how they work.  Having motivated and determined staff will have a positive implication on our productivity.  Therefore, as part of our People Program we need initiatives that assist in changing how our  people feel about their work. We also need initiatives that are cost efficient.

Our Selection

We started our design thinking journey by using multiple tools such as: interviews and personas  to understand why our employees came to work and how they felt at work. More importantly we  wanted to find out how we can make their lives better and what is important for them. Majority of  our people work an 8-hour shift, this means that they spend more time at work with colleagues  than they do with their families. Hence it is important that we improve this environment.

The team and I are now at a phase where we would like to test our hypothesis and assumption  by running small experiments and prototypes, learning launches. The objective is to see how  employees react and receive the new and different offerings made available to them. The  purpose of learning launches is to test a hypothesis and then to learn and improve on the  offerings and solutions.

Application

Firstly, we simultaneously interviewed our staff and had them complete a survey. The purpose  of this was to gather data to understand what matters for our employees and to answer the “what  is?” question in design thinking. Out of the data we were able to create personas and identified  themes by using mind maps.

One of the themes that derived from the data was that: our staff felt there was little opportunities  for growth and development.

For the Learning launch we introduced Learning Bytes, which is an online learning and tutoring  platform and is a form of virtual learning. From the data gathered there was other themes that  came out, which we thought would be great focus points and learning topics which we could  teach the staff through the virtual learning platform.

For example, employees had a concern with time management. Therefore, we scheduled a  learning session to cover this topic. Then we looked for a staff member in our business unit who  could build and deliver a course on time management. It was important to get the right individual  who had the qualification and the practice to facilitate the learning sessions. Therefore, we had  a senior project manager deliver the course as time management is a critical component of  project management.

Some of the other learning topics that we scheduled for the upcoming weeks came about merely  because of the environment. The environment we are working in is very complex and has many  changes, our team leaders often prepares the staff for these changes. Hence, we included a  change management learning session.

The flight plan for our learning launch:

1. We will schedule a learner bytes every second week for the next four months (that means

we will have approximately 7 learning sessions)

2. For every session we will take roll call of the staff attending these sessions. We will

monitor this as well, this will be a great indicator if staff find these Learner Byte  worthwhile.

3. After each session employees will provide feedback of the Learner bytes session. This

will help us to improve the interaction in these sessions.

4. After the four months we will conduct a survey again with staff. The reason for this is to

see how employees felt about these sessions and where we need to improve if we decide  to continue with these sessions.

Insight

It is funny how one thinks they know what is important to an employee. After all we, ourselves  are employees. It scary how one can miss the plot because we make decisions based on  assumptions. What design thinking allowed us to do was to build hypotheses from data and then  test these hypotheses before creating and implementing a solution. For example, what matters  for one person was career progression and for another was financial stability.

By answering the four basic questions through the design thinking process, we were  able to see  what the problem was, that majority of the staff felt like just a number and that there is no room  for growth and development. We were then able to brainstorm different solutions to make  employees feel like there is opportunities to learn and grow.

Approach

Some lessons learned from design thinking was not to build solutions based off assumptions. At  the bank we often have “great ideas” that is going to improve operations. As a result, we go off  a tangent; drafting business cases and jumping ahead to complete solution design. Then we  discover that we were boiling the ocean, by designing a solution that customer don’t really need  and will just complicate the lives of our staff.

In future we will complete Learning Launches, as this will allow us to test our assumptions and  hypotheses. Conducting Learning Launches help organisation to build appropriate solution and  doing so while saving organisation from waste money and time. The challenge is to find cost  efficient ways to complete Learning Launches.


Vinod Baker Our Challenge I work in an operational environment ; the purpose of our business unit is to ensure the circulation of money . Our staffs ’ primary job is to handle the monies that is coming into the bank ( deposits ) and the monies that is leaving the bank ’s premises and transported to clients ’ premises ( withdrawals ) . Dealing with clients ’ money is an important job however quite stressful for our staff . All our clients rely on our service offerings for them to continue with their business . The staff morale and motivation is not at a desirable level for optimal productivity . Our challenge is to change how our employees feel about working for this business unit . To create an environment that employees find pleasant and a place that encourages growth and learning . Furthermore , we want our staff to feel motivated and encouraged to improve how they work . Having motivated and determined staff will have a positive implication on our productivity . Therefore , as part of our People Program we need initiatives that assist in changing how our people feel about their work . We also need initiatives that are cost efficient . Our Selection We started our design thinking journey by using multiple tools such as : interviews and personas to understand why our employees came to work and how they felt at work . More importantly we wanted to find out how we can make their lives better and what is important for them . Majority of our people work an 8 - hour shift , this means that they spend more time at work with colleagues than they do with their families . Hence it is important that we improve this environment . The team and I are now at a phase where we would like to test our hypothesis and assumption by running small experiments and prototypes , learning launches . The objective is to see how employees react and receive the new and different offerings made available to them . The purpose of learning launches is to test a hypothesis and then to learn and improve on the offerings and solutions . Application Firstly , we simultaneously interviewed our staff and had them complete a survey . The purpose of this was to gather data to understand what matters for our employees and to answer the “ what is ? ” question in design thinking . Out of the data we were able to create personas and identified themes by using mind maps . One of the themes that derived from the data was that : our staff felt there was little opportunities for growth and development . For the Learning launch we introduced Learning Bytes , which is an online learning and tutoring platform and is a form of virtual learning . From the data gathered there was other themes that came out , which we thought would be great focus points and learning topics which we could teach the staff through the virtual learning platform . For example , employees had a concern with time management . Therefore , we scheduled a learning session to cover this topic . Then we looked for a staff member in our business unit who could build and deliver a course on time management . It was important to get the right individual who had the qualification and the practice to facilitate the learning sessions . Therefore , we had a senior project manager deliver the course as time management is a critical component of project management . Some of the other learning topics that we scheduled for the upcoming weeks came about merely because of the environment . The environment we are working in is very complex and has many changes , our team leaders often prepares the staff for these changes . Hence , we included a change management learning session . The flight plan for our learning launch : 1 . We will schedule a learner bytes every second week for the next four months ( that means we will have approximately 7 learning sessions ) 2 . For every session we will take roll call of the staff attending these sessions . We will monitor this as well , this will be a great indicator if staff find these Learner Byte worthwhile . 3 . After each session employees will provide feedback of the Learner bytes session . This will help us to improve the interaction in these sessions . 4 . After the four months we will conduct a survey again with staff . The reason for this is to see how employees felt about these sessions and where we need to improve if we decide to continue with these sessions . Insight It is funny how one thinks they know what is important to an employee . After all we , ourselves are employees . It scary how one can miss the plot because we make decisions based on assumptions . What design thinking allowed us to do was to build hypotheses from data and then test these hypotheses before creating and implementing a solution . For example , what matters for one person was career progression and for another was financial stability . By answering the four basic questions through the design thinking process , we were able to see what the problem was , that majority of the staff felt like just a number and that there is no room for growth and development . We were then able to brainstorm different solutions to make employees feel like there is opportunities to learn and grow . Approach Some lessons learned from design thinking was not to build solutions based off assumptions . At the bank we often have “ great ideas ” that is going to improve operations . As a result , we go off a tangent ; drafting business cases and jumping ahead to complete solution design . Then we discover that we were boiling the ocean , by designing a solution that customer do n’t really need and will just complicate the lives of our staff . In future we will complete Learning Launches , as this will allow us to test our assumptions and hypotheses . Conducting Learning Launches help organisation to build appropriate solution and doing so while saving organisation from waste money and time . The challenge is to find cost efficient ways to complete Learning Launches .