Our client, a leading company in the insurance sector, is faced with the task of reducing internal bureaucracy and creating more freedom for staff and managers. The aim is to actively drive forward the change process within the company. At the heart of this is the ‘stop2start’ initiative, which aims to identify existing routines, processes and working methods, scrutinise them critically and, where appropriate, discontinue them if they do not add value. The aim is to provide tangible relief, shift the focus to strategically important issues and sustainably strengthen the company’s ability to adapt to the future and embrace change.

The challenge lay in testing the initiative through a pilot process involving around 80 staff members. The aim was to generate enthusiasm for the initiative amongst both managers and staff. The pilot was intended not only to generate initial positive momentum, but also to identify concrete measures and draw insights for company-wide roll-out across some 14,000 employees.

The following questions were central to the project:

• How can internal bureaucracy and outdated processes be eliminated to create meaningful scope for action?
• How can employees and managers be won over to the initiative and motivated to participate actively?
• What measures are necessary to translate the results of the pilot into a scalable initiative?

The implementation of the ‘stop2start’ initiative was structured in five phases

1. Conceptualisation

First, a detailed concept for the initiative was developed. This took into account the fact that both the pilot and the scalable, company-wide roll-out were being planned. The strategic cornerstones and objectives were defined in close collaboration with the core team. In addition, the relevant stakeholders and their roles, tasks and responsibilities within the process were identified.

The individual project steps were set out in a workflow chart. This covers the process, resources, tasks, communication and training materials, as well as decision-making and information flows.

2. Communication

The aim was to secure the support of the Executive Board, managers and staff for the initiative. Alongside stakeholder management and conceptual planning, particular emphasis was placed on motivational communication. The objective was to foster enthusiasm and commitment amongst all those involved throughout the entire process.

In a series of collaborative workshops, the core team and experts in internal communication developed a communication and empowerment strategy. This covers the target groups, drivers, barriers, tasks and materials. It defines the tone, visual identity, overarching communication theme and target-group-specific messages. In addition, an action and touchpoint architecture was created, including fact sheets for empowerment and communication initiatives.

Particular emphasis was placed on empowering managers and staff through appropriate materials to ensure the successful implementation of the company-wide roll-out.

3. Technical setup

To make the idea submission process as straightforward as possible, an intuitive, user-friendly tool was used. The interface is designed to ensure that submissions are convenient and hassle-free. Ideas can be assessed transparently, which boosts feedback and participant engagement.

4. Implementation of the pilot

The pilot was carried out with around 80 participants. The concept, objectives and approach were presented at a kick-off meeting. This was followed by a submission phase lasting approximately four weeks, during which an average of 0.45 ideas per user were submitted.

The submitted ideas underwent a brief quality check and were then forwarded to senior management for quantitative evaluation. Following the evaluation phase, senior management decided which ideas would be implemented. These were incorporated into a roadmap, and teams were formed to carry them out.

Finally, an event was held to recognise participants’ contributions and showcase the best ideas.

5. Follow-up & Evaluation

Once the pilot had concluded, the results were collected, consolidated and analysed. In collaboration with divisional management, the first flagship projects were identified. Feedback and lessons learnt from the pilot process were also analysed. The aim was to develop a scalable roadmap for the company-wide implementation of the initiative. The results were communicated transparently. Furthermore, specific next steps for implementing the measures were defined.

The participatory approach led to several positive outcomes

• High participation: 87 per cent of staff in the pilot area registered on the platform. They submitted an average of 0.45 ideas per person and generated 6.5 engagements per user.
• Forward-looking ideas: Routines and processes that did not add value were identified and discontinued. This created scope for strategically important issues.
• Enhanced capacity for change: The initiative encouraged personal engagement with change-related issues and increased the teams’ adaptability.
• Motivation through participation: Staff and managers were actively involved, which increased acceptance of the changes.
• Scalable infrastructure: The insights and materials gained from the pilot provide a solid basis for company-wide scaling.

The “stop2start” initiative has not only produced concrete measures to reduce workload but has also fostered a cultural shift towards greater agility and a willingness to embrace change within the organisation.