Case: The board game that made the company work better together
The entrepreneurial media company had grown steadily during its first ten years. Now there where twelve employees. It was small enough that everyone would meet with everyone; big enough for important information and perhaps also the team spirit to be lost sometimes. Sure, they have developed corporate values, but how entrenched were they?
The company made contact with PlanB. We introduced Values Interweave – a tool, shaped like a board game. The aim of the game is that employees discuss and talk about the organization’s values in a profound way, and that the discussion is boiled down into a concrete action plan.
Now the company has played the Values game several times, and already a change is recognized. The game is designed so that the quiet can make their voices heard and that the more talkative have to quieten down.
- You can see the questions as an aid in the conversation, says company president. The game is a way to open up and not be so negative. Most of what comes up is that we need to talk more about certain issues. For example, we rearranged our staff meetings. We now have them less often, with more information. We can have more creative meetings on other occasions.
For a certain employee the game changed more. He was easy to snub his colleagues, which meant that they withdrew to talk to him. During a game session the question of his snappy attitude was explored. Afterwards, the employee’s behaviour changed completely.??The game creates a framework within everybody can bring up issues.
- It is a tool for me to say things that I find unpleasant. It is a forum.
The company works with its values only through Values, except to check on them during major changes.??Values do not require consensus of the group, on the contrary: we must learn to make decisions when a majority think so, even though not everyone agrees. This can be difficult for a consensus-oriented group, but is therefore also useful.??Some of the games practices, such as playing cards that force decisions, affect leadership.
- We have taken the decision cards into the management team. They help us to decide.
Now the company will continue to work with the Values tool. Play it more often – once every six months would be enough – and work with individual action plans.??The action that is a result of the game, is translated into concrete action – although it may take some time before all items are completed. The action plan creates a sense of participation, and it affects the firm’s business development.
- For example, we decided in an action plan that we would have a process for analysis, which meant that we created a seminar on it. Also: if we have an ambiguity in the organization, they become clear in the action plan.
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