That’s it.
Every time.
It’s a simple technique: “What Works/What Needs Work”
It is my absolute first step in all my projects, process improvements, and innovations.
For more than 15 years of working on nearly every process a municipal organization could touch…we start with what works and what needs work.
Also known as…
+Plus/Delta▲
Plus/Delta helps me capture feedback from the team I’m working with immediately.
It allows the team to vent about the process as they discuss some of the challenges they have with a service.
It is one of the easiest techniques to perform with your team and one we have taught thousands of times to facilitators and innovators alike.
About two years ago, we shot a quick five-minute video on how to perform Plus/Delta with your team.
Ask your team:
- What is going well with this service or process?
- Label your answers under Plus +
Then ask them:
- What needs to go better or what needs work?
- Label your answers under Delta ▲
But here are the secrets to running this exercise.
- This isn’t a gripe session.
So do NOT ask people to raise their hands and talk out loud. This won’t be constructive. Instead, give them Post-It notes or 3×5 cards to write on.
- If you have a Delta▲, you need to have a Plus +.
Also known as—”If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” This forces the team to remember all the good things about what they are doing and doesn’t let people make a laundry list of things that SUCK!
- Next, read them and bunch them into similar challenges and similar positives.
- Lastly, read them all out loud without emotion.
This is the last step. Make sure not to rank them based on your bias.
This exercise is simple, fun, and quick—especially if you do the brainstorming part silently and the reading without emotions.
Brainstorming quietly helps the team members who do not command a room get their say in the process—whether it is a positive or a delta.
This also doesn’t allow for the bigger personalities to grandstand or take over the conversation—everyone gets their voice heard. And it is quicker because you don’t have to fight out every statement.
By using this simple technique, we can start to brainstorm on what to fix about the Deltas.
I love this technique so much. I use it all the time with my classes, workshops, projects, teams…you name it.
For years, my daughter has called this “roses and thorns.”
But I want to make sure you know that a delta isn’t a negative, nor is it a thorn.
The delta is an opportunity for change.
Take a look at the video and create a Plus/Delta sheet for yourself.
This technique is exactly what we teach in all of our courses.
Fill out this Plus/Delta out and send it back to me – you might find a thing or two you can change about your job.
Speaking of problem-solving techniques, I am leading the next ICMA Innovation Bootcamp from September 22 – October 13th.
This course will help you rewire your thinking, identify unnecessary work and focus your energy on tasks that matter.
I’ll be leading 5 online live sessions in conjunction with self-paced online training and skill-building activities that you’ll complete on your own.