TOOL 1: Transfer planning exercise: F*ck it

Trainees brainstorm implementation ideas and then reduce them to 2-3 simple, realistic, rewarding and easy-to-implement plans.

Implementation

Brainstorm Implementation Ideas

Trainees make a note of specific ideas and plans they would like to implement in their day-to-day work.

Reduce the Number of Implementation Plans

By the end of the training, trainees will have jotted down a variety of possible implementation plans.

1. Now, ask the trainees to cross off some of the plans until only two, to a maximum of three, simple, realistic, easy to implement and rewarding plans remain.

The following questions can be used to help you: Which plans are ...

• ... difficult to implement?
• ... time and labor intensive?
• ... not entirely sensible and/or useful?
• ... not enjoyable?
• ... not simple or could not be implemented straight away?
  

Effect

1. Counteracts the planning fallacy
   The F*ck It exercise counteracts the planning fallacy: People tend to take on too much and massively underestimate the amount of effort we need to put into our plans.This exercise keeps trainees focused on a few, simple plans.
2. Prevents procrastination
   The F*ck It exercise prevents procrastination: People tend to put off big and unpleasant tasks and not start them in the first place (= procrastination). By choosing only two to three small tasks that can be implemented immediately, the chances of trainees actually getting started increase.
3. Reduces perceived effort
   The F*ck It exercise changes the mindset from "Now I have two more things to do - how annoying" to "Now I only have two things to do - that's a relief"(anchoring effect). By crossing out so many implementation tasks, trainees feel there is not much they have to do. This increases their commitment to actually doing these few things.
4. Brings a quick sense of achievement
   The F*ck It exercise ensures we experience success quickly: Selecting very simple and quickly implementable plans increases the likelihood that they will actually be taken on and implemented. Quick feelings of success nourish motivation, which gives trainees the strength to tackle other (larger) plans as well.

Tips

1. A number of specific plans are a prerequisite
   This transfer planning exercise only makes sense if there have been a lot of implementation ideas developed over the course of the training, so make sure that each trainee has plenty of ideas in front of them.You can allow time for writing down implementation ideas during the training, get them to collect implementation ideas together with a partner, or as a whole group toward the end of the training, etc.
2. Explain the point
   The F*ck It exercise is surprising and sometimes irritating for many trainees. And that is what makes it so effective. It is important to explain the meaning of the exercise: "You may well have now written down a number of ingenious ideas for implementation. And, in addition to these projects, you probably have 15 other things you would like to get done in your professional and private lives. The more things we have on our to-do list, the higher the probability that we will not do any of them - this is something we know from research and our own experience. The following exercise will surprise and may well irritate you, but I invite you to engage with it simply as an experiment. As this exercise ensures that:
   1. You will be successful in your implementation;
   2. You will find the implementation easy; and
   3. You will have fun doing it. Now, grab a pencil..."
3. Emphasize the "enjoyment"

Point out that the crossing out of some of the plans should be "enjoyable". As they are confidently and decisively crossing out all the things they are NOT going to do as a first step, it is important they experience the positive feeling of "I have just gained some freedom and some time".