Boosting Team Cohesion and Organizational Performance Through Enhanced Active Listening
EchoBridge
Project Overview
Team | As part of my independent final project for an MA in Service Design, I spearheaded EchoBridge, collaborating with over 50 stakeholders from diverse fields within the UK's communication and consultancy sectors.
My Role | I led the project as a service designer, user researcher, and workshop facilitator, driving the design and implementation of the entire project.
Duration | 5 Months
Expertise & Skills | I applied my skills in workshop design, toolkit creation, UI/UX design, brand design, participatory design, and prototyping to develop EchoBridge.
Project Summary
EchoBridge is designed to enhance organizational communication with a strong focus on active listening, particularly tailored for the consulting and design sectors. This program leverages interactive tools such as scenario cards and digital resources to cultivate empathy and clear communication across team levels, promoting better workplace interactions and boosting overall productivity.
Project Showcase: https://ualshowcase.arts.ac.uk/project/507713/cover
Context
The project began with an identification of a gap in active listening within organizational settings. I engaged with over 50 stakeholders, including communication experts, HR specialists, and design professionals, to understand the issue. The decision to focus on active listening was solidified through collaborative workshops and discussions, ensuring the project addressed real and significant communication challenges.
Challenge
The project targets the nuanced challenges of active listening at both individual and organizational levels. These barriers, influenced by personal growth, team dynamics, and leadership styles, are dynamic and complex, making them difficult to pinpoint and address.
Solution
EchoBridge features three service levels of interactive resources, created to bridge communication gaps and enhance team unity through tailored scenarios that encourage empathy and understanding.
Research & Insights Gathering
A comprehensive research phase involved both traditional user interviews and innovative methods like interactive polling. The insights from these activities informed our understanding of the barriers to effective listening. The decision to use a metaphor-based approach for the interactive research phase was driven by the need to make the concept tangible and relatable for all participants
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In the Stone Poll, users cast votes using small stones to identify and visually represent communication barriers. July 2023.
Research Process - 5-minute video
Co-discovery Workshops
Key Insights:
Efficiency's Drawback
In the fast-paced design and consulting sectors, efficiency is vital but often sidelines the deeper nuances of communication.
Dynamic Listening
Active listening in consulting and design is dynamic, evolving with personal growth and career advancement, highlighting its complexity.
Listening Across Levels
There is a distinct divide in listening styles within the industry; managers focus on goals, while staff seek deeper, genuine engagement.
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Workshop poster,Aug,2023
Development
In our online co-design sessions, stakeholders actively participated in identifying and overcoming personal and collective listening barriers. This collaborative approach was pivotal in designing a toolkit that not only addresses but also transforms communication challenges into opportunities for growth and understanding.
Exploration & Iteration
With a clear understanding of the challenges, I led the design and development of the EchoBridge toolkit. This included scenario cards, digital resources, and participatory design elements tailored to enhance active listening.
Decisions on toolkit content and design were continuously iterated based on ongoing feedback from pilot sessions and expert consultations. This iterative approach ensured the toolkit was both effective and user-friendly.
Main Issues Addressed
EchoBridge addresses the gap in active listening skills in the consulting and design industries, a crucial factor often leading to miscommunications and reduced team effectiveness.
Competitor Analysis
Outcome
EchoBridge serves as a communication bridge, turning potential obstacles into opportunities for growth.
It includes scenario cards, barrier stones, and action cards, all designed to foster active listening and empathy within diverse teams. The toolkit’s adaptability makes it suitable for various organizational contexts, enhancing dialogue and understanding across board.
Exhibition
EchoBridge was showcased at the London College of Communication, where participants engaged in an interactive workshop, further exploring and reflecting on the barriers to active listening. This interactive element helped deepen the understanding of the project’s core themes and its practical application within organizational settings.
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Project Report
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During the exhibition, nearly 100 participants engaged in an interactive EchoBridge stone painting workshop, creatively exploring communication barriers.
Service Value
EchoBridge’s impact is measured through user engagement, changes in communication efficiency, and organizational culture transformation. Feedback from stakeholders highlights its effectiveness in improving team dynamics and communication, paving the way for a more empathetic and productive workplace environment.
User engagement
Communication efficiency
Organizational culture transformation
Conclusion
My experience at EchoBridge went beyond product development and provided insight into the dynamics of effective communication and thinking differently. The project not only improved communication within the team, but also fostered a cultural shift within the organisation, promoting understanding and constructive interaction.
Collaborating with diverse stakeholders and specialists, I gained unique insights and broadened my approach, underscoring the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in service design. This journey reinforced the importance of empathy in communication, transforming how team members interact and contribute to their organizational culture. EchoBridge not only addresses communication barriers, but also fosters a workplace environment where empathy and understanding thrive.
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The process of creating the material is akin to meditation.