The Answer to Transformation is a Jigsaw Puzzle

We solve complex business problems for enterprise brands by generating game-changing insights through experimentation. Through our partnerships with our clients we see a lot of examples of how organizations fall into traps and are unable to effectively and efficiently leverage insights. They need to transform their businesses and the way in which they remain nimble to the ever-changing demands of the customer. They have purchased the tools and technologies that they need. They have built teams to rapidly scale the impact of their programs. And many truly believe in the value of CX and a "test & learn” culture. So where’s the problem?

The problem isn’t in how teams execute the tasks. The problem is in how they approach the problem. And the answer is a jigsaw puzzle.

First, a story. 

My wife loves to do jigsaw puzzles. This is a love that pre-dates long before the mini puzzle boom at the beginning of our COVID-19 quarantine this March. I respond, almost universally, to the offer from my wife to join her with a “I just don’t like working on puzzles.” And so there she goes to start working on a puzzle by herself.

But, you see, as soon as the puzzle starts taking shape, she calls us over to see the progress and eventually gets one of my three kids to join her. They typically sit across the table, take on a different section, and then another kid joins. The pace in which the pieces are fit together now happen at an exponential rate. Eventually, I join in too. But not so late in the game where I may fall victim to accusations of wanting the glory without putting any of the work into it. This idea about joining the movement and being part of something before it finishes is much like Derek Sivers’ TED Talk “How to Start A Movement”  which is one of my all-time favorites.

The way in which a puzzle is completed in my household is a metaphor for how organizations can find success in transforming their culture.

Here are 5 ways a jigsaw puzzle is the answer to creating transformation in your organization 

First, identify your “Catalyst”

At Brooks Bell, we provide maturity assessments of teams and organizations across all aspects of the business including the personality makeup of the core team. You must make it a priority to identify and empower the “Catalyst” role (like my wife in the case of puzzles in our family).

This person is the firebrand. The spark. The drumbeat. They help recruit others within your organization simply by their passion on the movement! And they also serve as the mouthpiece to rally the troops (sometimes simply because they won’t shut up about it) but also because they set the pace for progress. Otherwise you will be limited by the pace of only a few in the group and from our experience, this will eventually slow al the way down to no action at all.

Then, start with the border. 

Transformation may be an ever-expanding universe, but in order to gain traction within your organization and measure your progress with true attribution you must first define what your borders are. This may be defined by a business unit or a specific KPI or region.

Without clearly defining the vision and aligning the teams on the guideposts you will end up trying to boil the elephant or eat the ocean one bite at a time—that is—your understanding of the problem to solve and your progress on the tasks needed will be as mixed as my metaphors.

Next, find matching pieces.

Another common trap organizations fall into is to think sequentially or to prioritize your areas of focus. For transformation to occur you need top-down and bottom-up alignment and energy towards a common vision. The way to do this is to generate excitement over something specific. Many organizations fail before they even get started. This is typically because they try to define the sequence of activities in detail before even starting! That’s like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle from the top left and fit each piece in order forming rows and eventually the entire grid. That’s no fun for anyone.

Our recommendation is to use your catalyst to start where they bring energy. This will show quick small successes and will lead to a culture of smaller experiments across multiple departments of your business. Find something to start with and start fitting some pieces together. You'll find those pieces will draw much interest within your organization. Especially if this initiative is led by your catalyst.

Now, tie the groupings together.

The big tipping point in any organization's transformation is when multiple lines of business find connections in their insights. After all, in many cases, multiple LOBs are messaging to the same customer. But frequently within organizations (mostly driven by the downfalls of operating under separate P&Ls) multiple departments are interacting with the same customer at the same time.

We believe the answer is having an insight repository in order to archive customer insights all in one place. This allows you to divide and conquer much like my kids do to complete the puzzle more quickly. While one department is pulling into focus one area of the puzzle, another is completing another area. And in the end both departments benefit from the complete picture! We believe in this so much that we built our own tool and offer it for FREE to any organization. Check out our illuminate? product here.

Finally, admire your work and then quickly start your next puzzle.

The first time my family put together a 5000 piece puzzle it took a couple of weeks. Then next time it took 1 week. Now we sometimes finish over a weekend and one time with all 5 of us we finished in a single day! There are no egos. Just a situation where each of us constantly learns more every time we finish another one and where we all share a common desire to complete it together.

Defining your border and filling it in with multiple people and departments working together towards a common goal is incredibly rewarding. But remember: transformation never finishes. Now’s the time to leverage the process, the common language, and the team to continually transform and innovate your business.

***

About Brooks Bell Inc. Founded in 2003, Brooks Bell is a technology-enabled agency focused exclusively on solving complex business problems through experimentation for enterprise brands. We’ve spent the last 17 years building world-class optimization programs and helping companies leverage data, human-centered design, and technology to deliver a better customer experience. All of our engagements are focused on generating consumer insights that can be utilized throughout organizations. We enable teams to take full ownership of their testing, personalization, analytics, and user research programs to become masters of their own experimentation success. www.BrooksBell.com