The time to experiment is now. Don't miss an opportunity to learn.
I'm hearing from clients about all that’s changing and in flux. The pandemic is fading from the front of people’s consciousness. We're in a collective transition from the pandemic into what's emerging on the other side. This transition, like any, is ripe for experimentation. Our known territory is receding and what’s ahead is full of possibility. You’ll need confidence that you’ll learn from the experiments you run.
My own career journey included working with agile development practices. I launched alpha and beta products with multi-million dollar strategic partnerships. That period, like now, was full of experimentation and learning. We moved fast to launch things. We felt comfortable doing that because of our post-launch process. A key part of our process was retroactive sessions: dedicated time as a team to reflect on a completed project. We’d engage in conversation about what worked and what didn’t. We didn’t expect everything to work on launch. We did expect to have a conversation about what didn’t work and to build upon successes.
It's been on my mind, zooming out to this period of change, because we need to be experimental. Reflective practices make those experiments ripe for learning.
A reflective practice for experimentation
Design thinking offers an easy framework for constructive conversations that extract learning. Using this framework, it's important to stick to statements that start with “I…”. Centering yourself, instead of pointing to another person (“you”) or the group as a whole (“we”), keeps defenses down. Your experience is true independent of whether others share it. Speaking in "I" statements kills the tendency to argue about reality. It keeps the conversation generative and constructive.
The questions each member of the group can ask themselves and share are:
I like… — What worked for you? You can also include why that worked for you.
I wish… — What do you wish were different? And what do you imagine would result from that difference?
What if… — Offer an idea or suggestion. Be creative here. Far-reaching ideas can shake up stuck perspectives.
The goal of this framework is to aim for quantity. Each participant can offer dozens of thoughts within each of these prompts.
At the close of this discussion, look for themes as a group that capture key items, and collectively decide which learnings you want to weave into your next set of experiments.
There are multiple use cases that benefit from this framework
You can use this framework in many situations. It's great for evaluating ways of working or improving what's already in place. It's also great when you weave new members into a working group to expand processes to include their view. Or when working groups are coming together for the first time. You can also apply it to feedback conversations with your boss or employees.
I’ve used this several ways in my life and business:
At the close of initial sessions with a client to set our working norms.
In the early stages of parenting with my partner to redesign our life with a kid.
After collaborative projects with others in my business.
Lastly, you can use it as an individual evaluating any part of your world. Doing so will ignite fresh perspective about what's working and what you want to change.
Call for reflection:
What is one place you could bring this reflective practice to?
Shine On,
Alicia
(Image by Kindel Media via Pexels)