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Self-Assessment Tools

The Koosh Ball Company

• To demonstrate the difference between continuous improvement and reengineering a process.
• To demonstrate the need for innovation when reengineering a process.
• To develop participants' awareness of behaviors that may obstruct or undermine innovation.
• To develop participants' awareness of behaviors that may contribute to process innovation.

• A set of three Koosh balls or any soft balls (palm size) in three different colours.
• A stop watch
• A prepared overhead transparency or flip-chart sheet of "The Koosh Ball Company" policy and appropriate markers.
• Paper and a pencil or pen for recording data.

1. Explain to the groups that they are workers for the Koosh Ball Company. Take out the three balls of different colors.
   
2. Say to the group, "I have 3 balls of x color, y color and z color. I'm going to toss each ball to one person in the order of x, y, z. After you catch the balls, select someone else in the room and toss all three balls to that person, in the same order. That person will do the same until everyone in the room has had a chance to catch all three balls". Repeat the instructions if necessary, but do not go into further detail.
   
3. Toss the three balls to one person
   
4. Record this person's name on a sheet of paper for future reference.
   
5. As the balls are tossed between participants, make no comment, and express no indication of whether they are correct or not.
   
6. When the last person has caught all three balls, ask if there is anyone who did not catch all three balls. If someone has not, continue until the last person has all three balls.
   
7. Collect the three balls from the last person and record this person's name.
   
8. Announce to the group:
   "I am the President of the Koosh Ball Company and am quite disappointed in your performance. During this process, balls were damaged (dropped) and passed incorrectly (wrong order of balls, same person receiving them more than once, etc.) and it took a long time for the process. Accordingly, I have decided to develop a simple process which, if followed correctly, should improve your efficiency, eliminate damage, and reduce repetition."
   
9. Display the Koosh Ball Company Policy overhead or flip-chart sheet. Read it to the group. Do not solicit questions. If any are asked at any point, refer the person to the policy.
   
10. Give the three balls to the same person who started last time. Tell the person to begin by shouting "Start". When the last person (the same as the original process) catches all three balls, he or she is to shout "Stop".
    
11. Advise participants that you will time the process.
    
12. When the first person shouts "Start", start the stop watch. Also record observations about the process as balls are passed between participants. When the last person shouts "Stop", stop the stop watch.
    
13. Record the time down in a corner of the Koosh Ball Company Policy so that everyone can see it.
    
14. Tell participants that while they are busy with this process, an opportunity was presented to you from a company in Singapore. Tell participants:
    "My sources in Singapore claim that if I close down this plant and move all production to Singapore, the workers there can not only eliminate damage and waste (repetition), but can improve on your processing time. Now I like all of you, and would rather not close down this plant, but it is an attractive offer. My challenge to you is to eliminate damage and waste and improve on your processing time. Then perhaps I'll consider keeping the operation here going."
    
15. Give the three balls to the same person who started the last time. Tell him/her that when everyone is ready to shout "Start", and remind the group that the last person should shout "Stop" after catching the last three balls. Advice them that you will again time the process.
    
16. When the first person shouts "Start", start the stop watch. Record your observations about the process, and stop timing when the last person shouts "Stop".
    
17. Record the time next to the first time and mark it as number two.
    
18. After this round, tell the group:
    "While you were working on the process, I had an opportunity presented to me from a company in Mexico. They claim that if I close down my plant and move the production to Mexico, they can not only eliminate damage and waste (repetition), but can improve on the processing time. I was impressed by the improved time during this last round, as well as the decrease in waste and damage. I would rather not close down this plant, but it is an attractive offer. My challenge to you is to ensure that there is no damage or waste and to improve on the processing time. Then perhaps I'll consider keeping the operation here going."
    
19. Give the three balls to the same person who started the last process. Tell the person that when he/she is ready to shout "Start". When the last person (as per the original process) catches all three balls, he/she is to shout "Stop". Advice participants that you will time the process.
    
20. Follow the same process, making the time as number three.
    
21. Again, address all participants. Tell them:
    "while this process was going on, I had an opportunity to talk to a number of consultants who have worked with similar processes in other organizations. They claim that this process can be done in less than one second. I said "No way". They said they could show us how, but can't come for another week. They suggested firing all of you and replacing you with new employees who have fresh ideas. Now as I said before, I really do like all of you and would rather not fire you, but it is an attractive idea to be able to process the Koosh balls in less than one second. I could make a lot more money. My challenge to you is to reduce the processing time to one second or less on the next round or I'll have to fire all of you."
    
22. Give the three balls to the same person who started the last process. Tell the participants that you need to leave for a few minutes and that you suggested that the team take some time to discuss the challenge ahead of them. Tell them to call you when they are ready for you to time the process again. Move away from the group and allow them to identify a radically new approach.
    
23. When they call you back, time the process one last time and record it again. Applaud their efforts. (Note: The group may come up with a solution sooner. If so, you will of course shorten the activity.) Two of the possible solutions are listed at the end of the activity.
    
24. Bring closure with the following questions:
    • What happened to people's innovative ideas early in the process?
    • Why can innovative ideas be blocked in the day-to-day work environment? How does that happen?
    • What managerial behaviors encourage innovative ideas? Discourage them?
    • At the beginning of the process, you were looking for ways to continuously improve the process. Then the climate changed, and you had to reengineer the process. What are the differences between the two?
    • What role does innovation play in reengineering?
    • Why didn't the team immediately decide to strive for a one-second process?
    
25. Review the notes you took during each process with the group. You may wish to read your notes about what was said (not who said it) and how others reacted. Undoubtedly, the comments would be things like "Can't do that," "That's not in the rules," or "It's against our policy."

• Each person creates a funnel with his/her hands by placing the thumbs and fingertips of both hands together to form a circular shape. Then each person places his or her hands on top of another's in the original order to form a funnel from top to bottom. Some people may have to crouch, while other stretch above them. The starting person drops all three balls in the order of x, y, z colors so that each ball passes through the people's hands to the last person.
• All the team members stand together to from a tight circle around the first person, facing in. They hold up the palms of their hands in front of them, facing the center person. The first person holds the three balls in the correct order and spins around, touching each person's hands in the order of x, y, z colors.

• Balls must be passed in the same order:
  • X colour
  • Y colour
  • Z colour
• Balls must be passed through the same order of individuals.
• Everyone must touch the balls

1. Record the number of ideas shouted out by the team members.
2. Record the ideas shouted out.
3. Record the ideas that were shot down by other team members
4. What were some of your observed blockages and barriers to ideas that happened in the team
5. How did the team, if at all, overcome these blockages and barriers
6. How did the team decide to implement the solution that they did implement

• What ideas were shouted out by team members but shot down
• Why? What innovation blockers were used.
• What ideas were should out by team members but tried?
• Why? What innovation promoters were used.
• How does one innovate in a friendly environment? (by using words such as good, excellent, try it, etc.)
• How does one innovate in a threatening environment? (don't as they hear words such as stupid, we tried that one before, there's not money, etc.)
• What do you see as the difference between continuous improvement and reengineering in this process?
• Why couldn't the team immediately come to the conclusion that they should strive for a one second (or close to it) process right at the beginning?
• Why didn't the team use some of the tools available to them for problem solving which were available in the room i.e.; flip charts, yellow stickies, etc.