I love games. For as far back as I can recall (admittedly not a great skill of mine), when I was growing up, almost everything was made into a game. Not a competition, or a test. More like a constant stream of experiments.
'If we do this, like this, what happens? And if we keep doing that, then what?’
One lesson among many involved inquiring into what happens with certain things, usually made of china or other fragile materials, when they are brought together with varying force. Apparently, I tested that one out several times, developing a catalogue of learning around what does and does not break, dependent on force and with varying delight and dismay. Nevertheless, the resultant conversations around these events only furthered, rather than dampened my curiosity and desire to ‘experiment’ and play.
This approach to games or experiments offers arguably the single most powerful tenet of psychological safety in the work environment, itself a fundamental pillar for creating an inclusive culture. At work, as in life, making targets and goals the primary focus invariably amplifies the risk of failure for all involved, with the likelihood of individuals being blamed, subsequently stinting their development. Make it an experiment, and everything changes.
How we deal with and hold onto blame differs from one mind to the next. If you and I were ever to try and resolve something conflictual, you’d almost certainly hear me say, ‘what if we threw blame out the window on this one right now, and instead asked what has unfolded, what can we learn, and what would we like to change’. It’s not just a tactic to get me out of trouble. It’s an important stance to take because, for neurodivergent people especially, blame can become highly personal and ‘sticky’ (“what’s wrong with me?!”), leading to painful rumination and the resultant weakening of their ability to do good work the next time around.
However, when work and life are constantly framed as a series of experiments, the primary outcome becomes knowledge, leaving little or no room for blame. The purpose of the work becomes learning how to do it better each time. Delivery still matters, of course, but it’s the learning that is seen to deliver the long-term value. The team still executes to the best of their abilities, but from the start they’re setting up an infrastructure to ensure that, whatever happens, success, failure (or more often somewhere in between), they’re always learning, improving every time. This is a fundamental aspect of agile project management.
So, what behaviours can we adopt as managers to cultivate an experimental environment at work, helping our team develop and deliver with a lot less shame?
Here are five ideas that I think drive this thinking in an accessible, yet powerful way.
a. Reward bravery
Reward speaking up, especially if it’s to admit possible errors, always thanking people for their input, whether you agree or not. Appreciation always has a profound mental and physical impact, and besides, their actions could well be a key part of a journey towards the end goal and broader development; a serendipitous error, if you like. By acknowledging their bravery, you cultivate a culture of transparency and a desire in everyone to learn and grow.
b. Disarm blame
When someone bravely points out the role they played in a mistake being made, take time to explore the wider contextual factors that contributed to the mistake. Focus on what has been learned, and the alternative approaches or changes you’d like to trial as a group. Blame typically just ends in shame, with very little impetus to move forward. Experimentation on the other hand, does entirely the opposite, applying all energy to development without losing the lesson. Often, even when you adopt this stance, many will have already fostered a life-long habit of blaming themselves for things that don’t go according to plan around them. Rather than seeking to heroically and kindly reject their statement, simply ask ‘how might we look at this if nobody was to blame?’
c. Drop right and wrong
The truth is, there is no right or wrong. Only preference, opinion and ultimately, a chosen way forward. Whilst we all have varying strengths as managers, we remain fallible human beings, with all that comes along with that, including our own emotions and biases. We do not know everything, and we never will. Since everyone is unique, there are no golden rules applicable across the board. By admitting our own fallibility, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and flexible. Yes, ultimately decisions need to be made, and actions taken, but none of them are right and wrong. They’re simply the choices we make (hopefully collaboratively) in the moment. Every choice is a learning opportunity to help inform future choices. Instead of trying to get it right, focus on defining the next experiment and the learning you all took from the last experiment. Chances are this loop will go on for some time, but so long as you’re learning, you’re winning.
d. Depersonalise language
By focusing on actions and events, rather than individuals, we start to realise the influence we have beyond only the things we claim personal ownership over. Far from undermining ownership, depersonalising extends the ownership to all involved, with everyone sharing the responsibility to develop and learn. It’s not about who did what, but rather, what happened and what changes could be trialled in the next iteration.
e. Take time
The right infrastructure of experiments can be found in thorough group retrospectives and ‘future-spectives’. By that, I mean both reviews of what happened as well as assessments of what could happen and what the possible outcomes and lessons might be. Both offer the ability to discuss learning, whether from failure, success or simply daily work. What’s more, the more often they are done, the better the team gets at doing them. By demonstrating that they can have powerful conversations about the outcomes of work experiments without destructive conflict, blame, or embarrassment, solidifies and fosters greater psychological safety in the group, leading to better discussions, better engagement and better work - it’s a virtuous cycle. Yes it takes time, but it's an investment, and the return on that investment is huge.
I’m fully aware as I write this that there still looms this doom and gloom of the self-appointed ‘realist’, highlighting how ‘actions have consequences, often grave ones, and some experiments can prove impressively costly’. I think the realist here is missing the point, and also attributing very little sense and understanding, perhaps even a lack of respect to those around them.
Most human beings typically understand that experiments have risks, and that risk is an essential part of business and the experimental process, which includes doing the necessary research, considering the various pitfalls and then mitigating against them. To do the required work to control the experiment, knowing full well that not everything is inside of our control. There is always risk to be mitigated, but often, this is not what is missed. Usually, the less visible yet arguably costlier risk resides in having disengaged teams living in fear because the focus was all on targets and goals, and they missed. So disengaged indeed, that they then become susceptible to not seeing the very risks that they’re seeking to mitigate, nor communicating with others through fear of retribution, leading to a breakdown of communication and subsequent risk-inducing blind spots. Ironically, it’s the hard stick of targets and goals, not the tasty carrot of experimentation and ‘games’, that introduces the greatest amount of risk, as well as severely stinting development.
Yes, a few things may get broken in the process of experimentation, but those losses pale into insignificance when compared to working in a morally destructive way that ends up breaking the very people you’re seeking to grow. Much like the ‘Toby jugs’ I suppose. Sorry Mum!
Quick digestive
What do we miss if we obsess over goals and targets?
What do we gain if we treat everything like a game?
Wise words
“I love fools' experiments. I am always making them!”
Charles Darwin
Want to develop a management culture of experimentation? Let's talk!
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