Produce8’s Guide To Bringing Produce8 to Your Team

Everything you need to know to managing the change for your team.

When it comes to managing change, a little preparation goes a long way towards ensuring that adopting Produce8 is easy and frictionless. 

Step 1: Make a Plan

It doesn’t need to be complicated, but it’s important to have a plan that outlines the problem you want to solve, the people who you’ll engage, and a timeline for the rollout.  Here’s a simple template to help get you started.  Make sure that you:

1. Set a clear goal: Record the problem that you want to solve for your team, the desired outcome, and identify how you’ll know when you’re successful. Be as specific as possible.

2. Identify stakeholders: Make a list of any key leaders & gatekeepers who’s support you need, as well as individuals or groups who will be involved.

3. Build a timeline: Start to map out the steps and target dates so that you can keep yourself on track.

Step 2: Build excitement

How you communicate a change is often the key to how well it goes.  It’s important to make sure that all parties understand the reason for the change, especially the specific benefits for them:

1. Articulate the vision: Clearly communicate the objectives and goals of implementing Produce8 to various stakeholders.
2. Highlight the benefits: Make sure that you can speak to the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) for every member of the team. Be specific about the benefits of creating space in your team’s day.  
3. Get feedback: Invite and really listen to any concerns or doubts. Alleviate the concerns you can but be prepared to make adjustments to your messaging or strategy. 
4. Cultivate engagement: Don’t describe the rollout as a task or duty. It’s an opportunity. Ask for volunteers to participate in planning, messaging, and/or joining the pilot phase.

Step 3: Welcome your team

Depending on the size and complexity of your team or organization, it may be best to roll out Produce8 in phases rather than all at once.  If your team is small and adapts quickly and easily, then you may decide that a simple one-stage rollout is best. A phased approach is great for larger, more complex teams; it allows you to manage the change in bite-sized pieces, to build momentum throughout the rollout, and to take an iterative approach and apply learnings from each phase. 

A quick overview of the possible phases of an implementation are as follows:

1. Pilot Phase: Start with a small number of engaged early adopters and check in with them frequently. Use their feedback to learn and iterate before you engage additional members of your team. Highlight, celebrate, and share positive outcomes widely to build enthusiasm and support among the larger team.
2. Cohort Waves:  Rolling out in cohorts is great for larger teams as it allows for a smoother, more gradual transition that is easier to support. For each cohort, ensure that you communicate goals and expectations clearly, provide training and support resources, update frequently on progress with an emphasis on celebrating wins, and collect and action feedback. Finally, encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing by inviting members of earlier cohorts to act as guides and coaches as more team members adopt.

• General Rollout: When you’re ready, extend the invitation to the remaining team members, fostering a cohesive and unified approach. Again, make sure that you communicate frequently, provide supporting resources, update progress & celebrate wins, and maintain open feedback channels.

There’s no magic formula for deciding how many phases would work best for your organization. It really depends on the size and dynamic of your team.  The goal is to ensure a smooth transition without overcomplicating things. Here are some considerations:

1. Size: This one’s pretty obvious –the smaller the team or organization, the fewer phases you’ll need.
2. Complexity: In an organization with many departments and functions, it may make sense to stage the rollout, either engaging one team or department at a time, or in cross-departmental cohorts.
3. Dynamic: This is a big one. How does your team respond to change? What was the response to your communication plan? If you ran a Pilot Phase, how did it go?  If those factors are a concern, then a phased, iterative approach is recommended.
4. Goals: It’s also important to consider your goals for implementing Produce8. Is the goal the same across the organization, or will the focus differ from team to team? If it’s the latter, then a phased approach is likely preferable.

Step 4: Follow up for continuous improvement

Once everyone on your team has joined you in Produce8, you’re still not done!  That’s because you’ll get the best results by fostering a ‘continuous improvement’ mindset.  Keep measuring what matters–your team’s work environment–and set aside some regular, recurring times to review your progress and results. Here are some suggested actions:

• Conduct a quick "retro" after each stage or rollout phase. Reflect on what went well and the lessons you have learned along the way.
• Revisit your plan from Step 1. Assess how you are progressing towards your timeline &  goals and make adjustments as necessary. 
• Maintain ongoing discussions about Produce8 across your team as part of your routine. Encourage team members to share their insights and suggestions about what work looks and feels like.
• Continuously iterate your goals based on your team’s evolving needs. Adapt your approach to ensure ongoing effectiveness and alignment with your team's objectives and health.
• Celebrate the wins and positive outcomes along the way. It’s easy to overlook, but this is a key way to build and maintain excitement and engagement.

Remember, this is a general template, and you can modify it to suit your specific needs and requirements.  However you approach it with your team,  it’s important that your team knows that Produce8 is a tool for them –to create space by protecting their time and focus from distractions and interruptions so that they can truly thrive and do the best work of their careers.