bol.com "A spark as the basis for progress"
bol.com "A spark as the basis for progress"
Tension is potential
In your work, you probably see things that could be done differently. You see things that could be organized better, or perhaps there are things that are threatening to go wrong. You may experience this as a kind of "tension"; it makes you feel restless because you believe that something can and must be improved! Perhaps you discuss your ideas and sometimes your frustration with a colleague in an informal setting, at the coffee machine. After letting off steam, you may have lost your frustration, but what does that actually change? Isn't letting off steam literally wasting excess energy? At bol.com, we therefore see these "tensions" as valuable fuel for progress.
What is a spark?
At bol.com, we increasingly refer to every identified opportunity or potential problem as a spark. And just as a spark can be used to ignite a fire or start an engine, we also see a spark as the first push we need to get moving. By indicating that you "have a spark," you start a conversation within your team and take the first step toward a possible improvement or solution.
What do you do with a spark?
If you work at bol.com in an autonomous spark team, you are primarily in charge of your own work and are trusted to solve your own sparks. If you think something can be improved, go ahead and do it! However, you often can't do this alone and need help from your team. You can therefore bring a spark to a team meeting, where there is room for all team members to present their own sparks. Spark teams use a consultation structure that ensures that the team (without getting bogged down in discussion) searches as effectively as possible for the next step. In this way, they work towards a solution for each spark.
Sometimes a spark is nothing more than a request for clarification and a solution can be found immediately. Sometimes someone with a spark exposes a complex problem and we use the meeting primarily to clarify the goal (when will your spark be completely resolved?). And to assign the first step as an action to a team member. In this way, we keep ourselves moving forward continuously and step by step.
Your own spark
Every spark is personal, and all team members are given the space for their own sparks. This means that an autonomous spark team revolves around all team members, not just the team leader or the most vocal team members. In this way, everyone is a "feeler" for the team, because we can all experience sparks. The team helps you take a step further. Not only is this an effective way of teamwork, but it is also enjoyable for each individual team member. You experience what it is like to see your input lead to real improvement, and that feels even better than letting off steam at the coffee machine.
By Harm Jans (old blog from bol.com)
