In the summer of 2022, Vincit carried out a merger through which the work community grew by over 200 new employees and Vincit's design community doubled to over 60 designers. To support the organisational change, the aim was for people to get to know and learn to understand each other better through shared dialogue, supported by Topaasia's Systems Intelligence game.
Supporting organisational change and employee experience at Vincit
Major changes in a work community often create challenges for cooperation and interaction. A large share of organisational changes fail in the absence of shared understanding and human connection. At Vincit, a solution to these challenges was sought by increasing constructive dialogue in the work community. "Topaasia offered a suitable and safe framework for small-group discussion. The need was great, and this spring kick-off was exactly the kind of event where we wanted to invest particularly in dialogic conversation", Heidi says of the starting point. Initially, the plan was to play the games as individual events in weekly meetings, but in the end the choice fell on a large live event where the entire design community could be gathered face to face. "We made use of good old-fashioned live encounters in the discussions so that we could reach the right level of sensitivity. There have been plenty of online meetings over the past few years, so we invested in a much-missed live gathering", Heidi says.
The physical Topaasia: Systems Intelligence serious game
The Systems Intelligence game was chosen for the discussions
Heidi says she wanted to bring human sensitivity, shared understanding and positivity into digital design and interpersonal interaction. The goal was to get people to see possibilities even in challenging situations. From Topaasia's selection of over 40 games, the Systems Intelligence game was chosen for Vincit's needs. "The Systems Intelligence game has 'a dash of Esa Saarinen', positive psychology and empathy, which can never be brought out too much. We wanted a suitably empathetic and softly uplifting angle to how we bring people together around dialogue", Heidi describes the choice of the game deck. The systems intelligence concepts were developed as the result of joint research by philosopher Esa Saarinen and professor emeritus Raimo P. Hämäläinen. Systems intelligence combines human sensitivity with world-changing engineering thinking. Based on systems intelligence research, the Topaasia®: Systems Intelligence serious game was created, and it is available as a physical deck and in the digital Topaasia service. In their interview, Esa and Raimo note that the Systems Intelligence game helps in interpreting concepts that come from outside. During the game, an understanding of the concepts of systems intelligence is built collectively, and when the concepts are jointly defined, committing to them is more natural. Systems intelligence puts into words a way for people to act together, and it cannot be forced from the outside.
Topaasia's Systems Intelligence serious game was made in content collaboration with Raimo P. Hämäläinen and Esa Saarinen
Playing the Systems Intelligence deck and putting it to use in practice
Vincit had reserved a whole day for the design community's annual kick-off, and during the day employee experience and design working methods were discussed in small groups. "Topaasia was a session of a good two hours in the afternoon, in which we split into small groups. The atmosphere in the groups was very intensive, gentle and attentive. It was very rewarding, but also demanding, to practise dialogue face to face again. Playing took it out of us, but giving space to the conversation was worth it", Heidi describes how the games went. According to Esa Saarinen and Raimo P. Hämäläinen, playing the Systems Intelligence game challenges the participants, and the purpose is indeed to enable the formation of a human connection between the players, and to enable insights to open up concerning the whole. Working together on insights makes people feel more positively towards each other.
Topaasia games can be played digitally remotely, in person or as a hybrid. On site, physical games can also be played.
Did the Systems Intelligence game provide support in the midst of organisational change?
Topaasia was meant to give people a space and a place for free-form but themed discussion, and according to Majuri this was achieved: "People wished for a looser agenda and for the discussion not to have a clear objective or a forced destination, but rather room to move forward without anything being expected of it. The discussion had themes, but still a certain looseness." Heidi describes the need for dialogue and continues on how Topaasia supported its realisation: "Typically, large gatherings focus on sharing information, goal-driven workshop work and summarising, condensing discussion. The conscious choice to change this emphasis gave space to dialogue. Everyone had the space and the opportunity to share their own thoughts, and playing supported the quieter ones getting to speak as well." The vocabulary that opens up through the playing cards of the Systems Intelligence game is delicate. As matters rise from the card deck, they can be discussed neutrally, without fears and blame. Everyday speech is not enough for the kind of conversation people would like to have. The deck opens up a vocabulary that enables deep and human conversation. According to Heidi Majuri, there is a need for this kind of conversation at Vincit too: "The pace and amount of change is at times enormous, so a gentle atmosphere in which to pause and reflect together is always welcome." The goal for playing was to create a safe space and time for discussion. The greatest value of Topaasia for Vincit was the dialogue, which is expected to bring good especially over the long term. In addition to shared understanding, the games produced many ideas and seeds of ideas, and weak signals also emerged in them. "People expect that the things they have voiced with their very fine powers of observation will be picked up and acted upon. That is how we show that together we are able to deal with the things that have come up", Heidi says. A report was produced on the outcome of the discussions, which according to Heidi gave further understanding of what had happened in the games during the day, and with which it is possible to return later to the whole and to individual elements that arose from the games.It is really important what kind of supportiveness or acceptance flows from us, because we are each other's support network and environment. It has a really big impact on the employee experience. -Heidi Majuri