Field-tested three-step rollout process

After 10+ years helping thousands of companies successfully roll out Suggestion Ox within their organizations, here’s the process we recommend. It lets you gradually test with a widening circle of people, gaining confidence in the tool and making refinements before your full launch:

Step 1: Test a box with a closed circle of HR colleagues

Goal: get comfortable using a box yourself and managing replies.

Audience: a closed circle of colleagues in your HR department.

Topic: use a fun question to test the box mechanics. As a byproduct, you’ll have a good time and learn a few interesting things about your colleagues. Examples of questions to ask:

• What’s one thing about present-day you that would make a five-year-old you proud?
• What’s your favorite (work-appropriate) joke?
• What food could you eat every day for the rest of your life?

Steps:

1. Set up your suggestion box. Add custom fields for your questions.
2. Distribute the box link to your team, while giving them context that you’re trying out a new suggestion box.
3. Review the responses. Send at least one direct anonymous reply. Try using AI Assist as you do that — our customers love this feature 🔥
4. Make one of the submissions public to see how it works. (Maybe share the best jokes.)
5. Debrief with your team to reveal any hiccups.

Pro tip: want to learn a hidden AI Assist command that will make you laugh? Message us and we’ll tell you the secret.

Step 2: Test a box with a trusted department

Goal: use a box for real issues in a real team. Gather feedback from the participants.

Audience: a trusted department or team (minimum of 10-20 people).

Topic: use a real subject that a department leader wants to hear about. Ask for suggestions on specific issues going on at the workplace. 

Try gauging the satisfaction level on a recent process improvement, new system, or a recently finished campaign. Avoid controversial or heated topics (for now).

Steps:

1. Connect with the department leader, explain the cause.
2. Pick a topic together for their first run.
3. The leader distributes the box link to their department (while giving them context that you’re trying out a new suggestion box) and asks their team to submit responses.
4. Sit down with the leader to review submissions and watch them reply to some of them. Introduce them to AI Assist. Suggest to make some submissions public.
5. Debrief with the leader to reveal any potential hiccups.

Pro tip: to increase engagement, let the team know that they’ve been specially chosen to help test and give feedback on the new tool.

Step 3: Roll out to the entire company

Goal: watch the entire company use their new suggestion box. Gather anonymous feedback on the process.

Audience: the entire company.

Topic: use a real subject, but avoid controversial or heated topics.

Steps:

1. Connect with the company leader, explain the cause, get their consent.
2. Pick a topic together.
3. Distribute the box link to the team, explain that you’re trying out a new suggestion box, and ask everyone to submit responses.
4. Sit down with the company leadership to close the feedback loop: review the responses, reply, analyze.
5. Ask the team for feedback on the Suggestion Ox process (tip: you can even do this anonymously through Suggestion Ox, if you like).
6. Iron out any problems.
7. Make the final announcement. Explain that the new suggestion box is available at all times and they can use it from now on.

Pro tip: one of the most powerful ways to prove feedback value is by implementing their ideas. Choose 1-2 winning ideas, and implement them. Share the outcomes with the company, and credit the anonymous author for a helpful suggestion.