Study-Action Teams™ (SAT)

Study-Action Teams make their impact through four steps:

1. The Study-Action Team is formed from 7-11 members seeking to implement change within their team or organization. The membership makeup should reflect the different roles within the team or organization.
2. The members of the Study-Action Team select a book chapter, video, or other related media and go through it together.
3. The SAT participates in a planning session, during which the team strategizes how best to apply the concepts presented in the content within their own team or organization.
4. The SAT implements their plan, with a selected leader among them to champion or spearhead the initiative. The team then monitors the progress of the initiative and continues to meet regularly to discuss potential changes, in the spirit of continuous improvement.

In order for a Study-Action Team to be successful, the SAT and its members must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Voluntary

Study-Action Teams are voluntary in nature – meaning people cannot be assigned to the SAT, they must choose to join it. This is an important factor as the people in the SAT will be the ones responsible for driving the change, and someone who is selected for the team involuntarily is unlikely to be driven to see the implementation of the agreed-upon changes through to completion.

To encourage people to join, make the SAT a fun get-together rather than a formal gathering. SATs are an opportunity for brainstorming new ideas and sharing perspectives, so make sure your environment reflects that so people want to volunteer for the team.

Additionally, know that SATs do not have to be a long-term commitment. Members can enter and leave the team as they wish, but they must be dedicated to participation in the time that they choose to spend with the team. For this reason, it’s also important for people entering the SAT to fully understand what will be expected of them prior to joining.

2. Curious

The members of the Study-Action Team need to be curious about new ideas and new perspectives. In the spirit of a respect for people, all members of the SAT should be willing to speak up and need to be willing to listen to one another. Coming into these sessions with an open mind is paramount for change to truly take hold.

Note that when you first begin your SAT sessions, there will likely be people who are more hesitant to speak up. To help everyone get comfortable voicing their opinions, it’s a good idea for the discussion leader to call on everyone to speak up. This helps each person get more comfortable sharing and participating.

3. Purposeful

Study-Action Teams should be direct in their purpose to serve the team or organization. It’s not easy to implement major change at the project team or organizational level, so it takes a sense of purpose to see these initiatives through to the end.

The SAT also needs to be aligned with one another on the purpose of the group. While it’s important that each member comes to the table with a different perspective, the group should be working towards a shared purpose – improving the processes within the project team or organization.

4. Interactive

What makes Study-Action Teams unique and especially impactful is their interactive nature. The members that compose the SAT work in concert towards a common goal, far more powerful and impactful than if they all drive change on their own.

Additionally, SAT meetings allow for real-time innovation to come to fruition in a collaborative setting. A collaborative problem-solving environment can often yield creative and surprising results that the members of the SAT would never otherwise consider alone or working in silos.

5. Adaptable

Unforeseen challenges will arise for your Study-Action Team as they do for everyone else in the design and construction industry. The SAT must be willing to adapt to new circumstances and changes in order to meet the stated goals.

Maintaining a PDCA mindset, the members of the SAT frequently monitor implemented changes to see how effective they are, and pivot if a better solution presents itself or if the implemented change does not work as intended.

Study-Action Teams can be used to accomplish several different things, including:

1. Fixing a Problem

One common use for Study-Action Teams is to solve a problem that has come up on a project or within an organization. The SAT members get together to compile an A3 document to address the issue.

2. Specific Process Improvement

Relatedly, SATs can come together to improve a specific process that the group has noticed needs updating. The team works together to come up with a more streamlined, standardized process and implement it throughout the project team or organization.

3. Continuous Improvement

No process is ever perfect. SATs can meet regularly to tackle new problems or processes to ensure the project team or organization is always looking for ways to remove waste and increase value generation.