Tiny Changes! Small Steps Big Success

Flexibly achieve goals, understand solve & change problems, motivate win & convince people, learn agile communication psychology & rhetoric

Simone Janson, Simone Janson, Simone Janson

• Publisher: Best of HR – Berufebilder.de®
• Year: 2024
• ISBN:
  9783965963733
• Edition: 4
• Topic: Psychologie
• Subtopic: Psychologie appliquée

In the 4th, completely revised edition of this groundbreaking guide, published by an award-winning publisher, renowned experts (overview in the book preview) combine their knowledge with interactive AI. This unique combination of decades of experience and state-of-the-art technology enables you to master challenges on a whole new level. Thanks to the innovative transfer of information, complemented by personal experiences of success, you can realize your goals and reach your full potential. Because every change, no matter how big, begins with the first step. But it is precisely this first step to go at all that many people fail. Decisive for change success is the right goal setting: good goals are smart and feasibility is an important keyword here: they should not seem too big and unattainable, but big enough to be challenging and offer development opportunities. That's why even the smallest change in our habits, known in the trade as micro habits or atomic habits, begins with that first step. It helps to appreciate and celebrate even small successes, to take our awareness more seriously and to be mindful of ourselves and our needs. Only then can we improve positive habits over time and achieve our desired goals. Good luck and have fun reading. For its concept "Information as Desired, " the publisher won the Global Business Award as Publisher of the Year and received government funding. It is also a partner of the Ministry of Education and Research of the Federal Republic of Germany. The goal to give you the best possible content on topics such as career, finance, management, recruiting, or psychology goes far beyond the static nature of traditional books: The interactive AI Extended Books not only provide AI-optimized content in several languages based on data analysis but also allow you to ask individual questions and receive advice tailored to your personal interests. Each book contains detailed information and examples for your successful use of AI. You can utilize AI software for free, download e-courses, collaborate with workbooks, or engage with an active community. So you gain valuable resources that enhance your knowledge, stimulate creativity, and make your personal and professional goals achievable and tangible. Expertise and technical innovation go hand in hand, as we take the responsibility to deliver well-researched and informed content seriously, honoring the trust you place in us. Due to the unique combination of human expertise and innovation, we can publish works that meet your requirements in every aspect. And furthermore, we want to offer you the opportunity to make your journey towards personal growth and success even more unforgettable. We understand that true change occurs not just in the mind but primarily through personal experiences and application. Therefore, we've conceptualized special success journey experiences tailored to each book for you. Be inspired to elevate your life to an entirely new level. By purchasing the books, you can also do good: The publisher dedicates about 5 percent of book sales revenue to socially relevant or sustainable projects. We provide scholarships, support innovative ideas, and contribute to climate protection initiatives. Publisher Simone Janson is also a bestselling author and one of the top 10 influential German bloggers according to the Blogger Relevance Index. Additionally, she has been a columnist and author for renowned media outlets such as WELT, Wirtschaftswoche, or ZEIT - more about her can be found, among other places, on Wikipedia.

Solve problems quickly and efficiently like Google & Co: Success in 5 steps
// By Jake Knapp

Everyone wants to solve their problems quickly and efficiently. Because whoever does not procrastinate has proven to work better. A method tried and tested in Silicon Valley can help.

This is how efficient work works in Silicon Valley

On a cloudy morning in May 2014, John Zeratsky walked into a beige building in Sunnyvale, California. John wanted to speak to someone at Savioke Labs, one of Google Venture's newest investments. He made his way through a maze of corridors, took a short flight of stairs to a simple wooden door that read "2B" and entered.

High-tech companies are a little disappointing to those who expect red-rimmed computer eyes, StarTrek-like holodecks, or top-secret designs. Most of Silicon Valley is essentially a pile of desks, computers, and coffee mugs. But behind door 2B there were piles of circuit boards, plywood cutouts and plastic fittings fresh from a 3D printer, as well as soldering irons, drills and drafts. Yes, actually top secret designs. "This place looks like a startup should be," thought John.

How robots make our work easier

And then he discovered the machine. It was a three-foot-high cylinder about the size and shape of a kitchen trash can. Its shiny white body had an elegantly tailored, curved shape that broadened up and down. At the top was a small computer screen that looked almost like a face. And the machine could move: it slid across the floor under its own power. "It's the relay robot," said Steve Cousins, Savioke's founder and CEO. Steve wore jeans and a dark t-shirt and was excited like a middle school physics teacher. He looked proudly at his little machine. "It was built here, and it was made of precast." The relay robot, Steve explained, was designed for hotel guest services. He could navigate automatically, ride the elevator by himself, and bring things like toothbrushes, towels and snacks to hotel guests. Steve and John watched the little robot carefully wheel around a desk chair and stop near an electrical outlet.

Savioke (pronounced "Savvy Oak") had a team of world-class engineers and designers, most of whom were former employees of Willow Garage, a prestigious private robotics research laboratory in Silicon Valley. They all had one thing in common: the vision of making everyday life easier for people with the help of robots as hard-working helpers - in restaurants, hospitals, old people's homes and so on. Steve had chosen to start with hotels because they offered a relatively simple and consistent environment with one constant problem: morning and evening work peaks when the front desk was overwhelmed with check-in, check-out, and room service assignments. That was the perfect location for a robot.

AI as a maid

The following month, the first fully operational relay robot went into operation at a nearby hotel, doing real room service for real guests. If a guest had forgotten their toothbrush or razor, the robot would come along. But there was a problem. Steve and his team feared that the guests might not like the servant robot. They might find it a nuisance or even be afraid of it. The robot was a marvel of engineering, but Savioke wasn't sure how the machine should behave towards humans.

The risk of having towels brought by a machine was too impersonal, Steve explained. Savioke's chief designer, Adrian Canoso, came up with a lot of suggestions on how to make the exterior of the robot friendly, but the team still had a lot of decisions to make before the robot was really fit for the public. How should he communicate with the guests? How much personality was too much of a good thing? "And then there was the elevator," said Steve. John nodded. "Personally, I feel uncomfortable just having to ride in an elevator with other people." "Exactly," said Steve, slapping the relay. "And what happens when a robot is added?"

How to make structured decision-making processes more efficient

Savioke had only been in business a few months. The company had focused on development and technology. They had negotiated a pilot project with Starwood, a hotel chain with several hundred properties. But there were still important questions in the room - questions crucial to success, and there were only a few weeks until the start of the pilot project. It was the perfect time for a sprint. Sprint is Google Ventures' unique five-day process with which key questions can be answered by creating prototypes and then testing them on real customers. Sprint is a kind of compilation of the "greatest hits" from business strategy, innovation, behavioral science, design and more - packed into a step-by-step process that any team can use.

The Savioke team considered dozens of ideas for their robot and then used a structured decision-making process to select the most convincing solutions, without group-think processes. A realistic prototype was created in a single day, and in the end, the team won target customers and set up a makeshift research laboratory in a nearby hotel. We would like to tell you that we, the authors, were the genius heroes of this story. It would be wonderful if we could sneak into every possible company and share our brilliant ideas that will make it a resounding success. Unfortunately we are not geniuses. The sprint at Savioke worked because you worked there with real experts: those involved were already part of the team. We just gave them the right process for their job.

This is how efficient problem solving works in 3 steps

And here is the sequence of the Savioke sprint. No robots are built in your company? Never mind. We use the exact same sprint structure for software, services, marketing and many other areas.

1. First we put together a number of checklists, including a shopping list for necessary materials or a brief overview of the respective daily routine of the week. You don't have to memorize everything at once, but before we begin we need to carefully plan the process so that it will be a complete success.
2. Then the team shoveled a full week off. From Monday to Friday they canceled all meetings, activated the "out of office" response function of their e-mail accounts and focused exclusively on one question: How should the robot behave in the presence of people?
3. Next, they set a deadline. Savioke agreed with the hotel to conduct a live test on the Friday of sprint week. The countdown was on and the pressure increased significantly. We only had four days to design a working solution and create a prototype.
4. On Monday, the Savioke team analyzed and reviewed everything they knew about the problem. Steve emphasized the importance of guest satisfaction, which is meticulously measured and tracked in hotels. If the relay robot increased satisfaction ratings during the pilot, the hotel would order more robots. If the value stagnated or fell and there was no order, the young start-up would find itself in a tricky position.
5. Together we created a kind of overview plan, similar to a map, in order to identify the greatest risks. Imagine this plan like a storyboard in a film: guest meets robot, robot hands guest the toothbrush, guest is enthusiastic about the robot. There were critical moments on this storyboard when the robot and the guest meet for the first time: in the lobby, in the elevator, in the hotel corridor and so on. What point should we focus on? If you only have five days to sprint, you have to focus on well-defined goals. Steve chose the service fulfillment moment. If that works, the guest is delighted. If things go wrong, reception staff may have to spend all day answering questions from confused guests.

Identify recurring problems

One major concern kept cropping up: The team feared that the robot might appear too intelligent on the outside. "We're all spoiled by C-3PO and WALL-E," Steve said. “We expect robots to have feelings and plans, hopes and dreams. But our robots are not that sophisticated. If a guest speaks to him, he won't answer. And if we disappoint the guests, we have failed. «On Tuesday the team switched from problem definition to possible solutions. Instead of a rumbling brainstorming session, each participant worked out their own solution. And not just the designers. Tessa Lau, chief technology officer and chief engineer in robotics, worked on it, Izumi Yaskawa, responsible for business development, and Steve, the start-up's CEO, also pondered possible solutions. On Wednesday morning, all the walls of the conference room were plastered with sketches and notes. Some ideas were new, while others were old ideas that had been discarded or never thought through. All in all, we had 23 competing solutions.

How could we condense them to a few? In most organizations, the decision would require weeks of meetings and endless email traffic. But we only had one day available. The Friday test hovered over our heads like the sword of Damocles, and everyone felt the pressure. By means of voting procedures and a structured discussion, we came to a calm, quick decision without arguments and arguments.

No result without risk

The test would include a number of Savioke designer Adrian Canoso's most daring ideas: a face for the robot and a soundtrack of beeps and ring tones. In addition, the team decided on one of the fascinating but controversial ideas of the solution sketches: If the robot was satisfied, it would perform a little dance of joy. “I still fear we're giving it too much personality,” Steve said. "But we have to take the risk." "Should it explode, we can still drive it back," Tessa said. When she saw the look on our faces, she said, “It was just kidding. Don't worry, the robot can't explode at all. "

When Thursday broke, we had just eight hours to create the prototype for the live test on Friday. That was actually too close. With two tricks we managed to get our prototype ready on time: Much of the hard work had already been done. On Wednesday we agreed on the ideas that we wanted to test and documented each potential solution in detail. There was only execution. The robot didn't have to function autonomously, as it would in the end in a hotel. All he had to do was do one job: bring a toothbrush to a guest's room. Tessa and her engineering colleague Allison Tse programmed and adjusted the robot's movements using an old laptop and a PlayStation controller. Adrian put on large padded headphones and orchestrated the sound effects. The "face" was designed on an iPad and mounted on the robot. At five in the afternoon he was finished.

Never forget the customer

For Friday's test, Savioke arranged interviews with guests at the on-site Starwood hotel in ...