When Receptum CEO Mika Weckström ordered Topaasia's card decks from the online shop years ago, not everyone was excited. The decks have now been in use for about ten years, and there are more of them than at the start. We asked Mika why the physical games have stayed in use for so long and how Topaasia's digital tools look through the eyes of an experienced user.
Receptum is a Helsinki-based software company that develops the MAXX pharmacy system for pharmacies and the Helmi patient information system for oral healthcare professionals. The company also provides IT services as well as development and change projects. Its expertise covers the Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian markets.
The content comes from the organisation, the deck gives it structure
Many tools go out of date in a few years. According to Mika, Topaasia's cards have stood the test of time precisely because they don't offer ready-made answers.
“They stand the test of time well because the content is always our own. The cards help with doing, with conversation and with figuring things out, but they don't in any way limit what we do or what we talk about.”
The decks have been used most in management team discussions. That is where their value has been clearest.
“Surely we're not going to start playing with cards”
The beginning wasn't easy. When the decks were first introduced, some of the group were sceptical.
“The comment was that surely we're not going to start playing with cards, we should be talking about the matter. But in my own view, the best conversations have happened in the situations where we've used the decks.”
Mika didn't need to prove afterwards that he had been right.
“There was no need to even say ‘I told you so’ at that point. Everyone understood what had been accomplished.”
The value of the decks also shows in the fact that people miss them when they change jobs. One former employee called from their new company and asked whether they could borrow a deck.
Digital raised doubts until the demo hit the mark
When Topaasia moved to digital, Mika was reserved about it.
“When you told us that you'd now moved into the digital world, I thought, hang on, those cards work really well. I didn't see what the benefit of a digital thing would be. But in a little over half an hour you showed that the digital side has been thought through too. The demo genuinely struck a chord with my current challenges and how to start solving them. That's pretty great.”
Does your organisation need better conversations?
With Topaasia's games, conversations get a structure and everyone gets a voice, whether it's a management team, a team or a one-on-one development discussion. Get in touch and we'll tell you more.