Too big, might fail!
A few weeks ago, I asked a client if they wanted to be seen as innovative in their respective organizations. I offered that they were free to position themselves in a variety of ways–if they wanted to be perceived as the innovators of the group, then they may need to adopt a fail-fast mentality. The client is in the midst of transforming their internal operations, which translates into complex projects requiring significant change management. Right as I was about to explain that this referred to a more experimental approach to doing–learning and then using those learning to inform the next iteration of a project, I was interrupted.
FAIL = First Attempt in Learning
Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go.
That phrase, “fail-fast”, caused one person to stop my attempt to explain. He had a reaction to the use of the word, ‘fail’.
And that is understandable, our propensity towards competition has created only two possible outcomes when doing something-passing or failing. A better frame might have been one that was more experimentally oriented–conducting trials that move you closer to a goal, tracking learnings along the way.
This type of experimental learning is a critical component of innovation. Though the etymology of innovation suggests that it was once a dangerous term referring to change, in the late 20th century it became associated with making value-added changes to your business or operational model. I like to think of it resulting from a process that translates knowledge to value to customers, growth or social well being.
The healthier way of thinking is to reframe failure into learning because it then becomes more actionable. It further improves feelings of psychological safety on your team, thus driving improved belonging and more idea generation.
So the next time you need to execute an idea with lots of uncertainty surrounding it, frame it as a pilot, structure it to generate quick results and iterate for improvement. Don’t forget to communicate, communicate and communicate more!
Schedule an advisory call if you need help driving a big, hairy project forward.
