High volumes of unnecessary internal emails received were cited as an issue for many at a recent team meeting.
The following memo was sent to all:
'Individuals have autonomy to make decisions and are trusted to do the right thing - including all and sundry into emails was one of our protection mechanisms, in the hope someone would pick it up and at times have someone to blame - the ugly world of 'blame culture'.
How do we change this habit? Habitual change is tough, it's now hardwired.'
Starting 1st September every member of the team was given £100 provided by Paramount. Each individual lost £5 for every email they sent during September to a recipient that didn't actually need to be included in the chain. The game lasted one month, at the end of the month, each individual could donate £100 to charity or their remaining balance...
The result:
Some individuals took a while to get used to this change, but in the end behaviour and habits were altered. I'm delighted to announce we have managed to raise £485 for Agents Giving and £285 for Brent Food Bank. Inboxes are clearer and a problem has been solved, although we do occasionally find the odd person forgets...
