What is the improvement board and stand-up meetings?

The improvement board is used with the Weekplanner, for instance on a weekly Monday meeting. The meeting is short (max. 15 min.). The participants stand around the board(s) and the responsible manager organizes the meeting according to the permanent agenda.

The purpose of the improvement board:

• Positive dialogue
• Inclusion of the staff
• Visible goals and results
• Improvement culture
• Visible management
• Team spirit

Structure of the weekly stand-up meeting

• Short meetings
• 15-20 min. every week
• Optionally, 3 min. every day
• Stand-up meetings
• Everyone stands around the board
• Agenda
• Permanent and familiar

The board is divided into 4 sections

1. Goals for the focus areas

Here, the goals of the farm are noted down, for instance:

• Yield of 11,000 kg
• Calf mortality rate of 2%
• Cell count of 220,000

The current status of the different goals is also noted down. 

2. Improvement suggestions

Ideas for improvements are noted down throughout the week.
Often good suggestions pop up when the current goals are discussed. They are also noted down here.

3. Prioritization

• Immediately
• Soon
• Later
• Skip

4. Who does what when?

After the completion of this section, no one is in doubt about the division of responsibilities and deadlines.

Creating a positive dialogue

• All situations have good and bad aspects – that also goes for mistakes: “What can we learn from this mistake?”
• Turn the negative into something positive: What can I do better? Instead of “He forgot to…”
• Remember to give credit: “Good thing that you discovered the cow was sick”
• Always avoid irony and sarcasm
• If you need to criticize, do so in private

5 permanent items on the agenda

1. Planning

Planning of the following week:

• What tasks need to be done besides the regular tasks, such as hoof trimming
• Information about other activities at the farm, for instance grass cutting on Thursday
• Information about employees’ activities, such as Mads is going to the dentist on Wednesday, and Lisbeth is bringing cake for her birthday tomorrow. Use the Weekplanner

2. Last week’s successes

Everybody must mention at least one thing, for example:

• We had 3 calves – all are well
• Jonas found out that the cable was broken
• The sun, and with it, warm weather, finally came
• Help them get started if they cannot think of anything

3. Results

Set clear and measurable goals:

• They must be short-term, so the development can be followed, for instance daily cell count, milk delivered, live-born calves
• Celebrate the good results
• Make sure that every meeting includes a positive story   

4. Great ideas, improvement suggestions

Everybody must contribute:

• All suggestions must be taken seriously
• Use yellow stickers with suggestions
• Prioritization  
• Division of responsibility
• Follow-up   

5. Follow-up

• Maintain and insist
• Be consistent
• Never skip
• Create an improvement culture