Continuous improvement is a mindset and an approach to our work with teams. Being successful with a team means the leader has established a productive level of trust with team members. This level of trust is supported by having the team engaged in meaningful work that will support the success of the organization. Teams want to know the direction of the organization. They also want to be able to participate in supporting achievement of the goals and priorities.
We must take specific actions to achieve success and reach our goals. One of these actions is a review of our processes and practices to determine what works well and what needs to be adjusted to be more effective. A plus/delta process is one way to get team feedback for improvement.
ENGAGE AND VALIDATE EMPLOYEE INPUT
When we engage our team members in goal setting, reviewing results, taking actions for improvement, and celebrating wins, employees are engaged and productive. Engaged employees want to provide useful input and feedback. Using the plus/delta process with our team engages employees in conversation that validates their feedback and ideas. Employees are further validated when they see actions taken based on the plus delta process. The resulting improvements support a great work environment.
+/Δ
Plus/Delta is a formative assessment process that allows feedback on an event or experience and collects ideas for future improvement. This activity asks team members what worked well and what could be changed for improvement. Responses from all participants are recorded for all to see.
If our team were debriefing about a hosted event, we might ask, “What worked well about the event?” Then, we would ask, “What could we change or tweak to be better?” The PLUS (+) column is used to capture wins. The DELTA (Δ) column is used to capture ideas for improvement. The leader might choose one issue on which to focus or allow the team to determine the focus of the conversation. Ultimately, this would lead to changes for improvement that the team has identified.
After an event or implementation of a process hold a plus/delta session with your team.
Use a flip chart or some tool to display so all can see the responses.
Step 2
Ask the team what worked well about the event or process. This is the PLUS of the process.
Record all responses on the flip chart for complete transparency.
These responses are wins for the team and actions that should continue.
Step 3
Ask the team what might need to be changed or could have worked more effectively. This is the DELTA of the process.
List all responses of the team.
Ask the team to help prioritize the suggestions.
Step 4
Create a 90 Day Action Plan.
Step 5
At team meetings, revisit the 90 Day Action Plan and monitor improvement results.
Organize Your Feedback
The plus/delta tool is an effective way to keep feedback organized. As electronic file sharing continues to be a positive trend in organizations, consider leveraging electronic tools for feedback gathering. Teams might use a shared plus/delta document to collect feedback about wins and challenges, if a particular process is ongoing. The notes made on the plus/delta can then be examined at each team meeting.