Experimenting with new ways of working: what you need to know

Hi there,

Are you keen to experiment with new ways of doing things at work? But maybe there's something holding you back?

This is exactly why I coach teams to think like entrepreneurs.?

Start-up founders are always operating on limited resources.?They HAVE to get comfortable with experimenting: taking risks, testing and adapting as they go.

And adopting this experimental mindset – whether you’re in a startup or a huge corporation – can have lots of benefits:

It’s empowering -?

• You get to feel ownership of finding better ways of working.

It can boost resilience -

• You won't worry so much if an experiment doesn't work. It's all part of the process of learning what does work.

It drives innovation -?

• By testing and adapting your ways of working, you’ll be more likely to stay open to new ideas.

Sounds good, right? But, there’s just one glitch.??

If you're keen to try new ways of working, you might have to disrupt some long-held norms on your team. And that's not easy.

When we’re part of a group, our instinct drives us to want to belong there (Baumeister and Leary, 1995). And disrupting our team comfort zone is directly at odds with that instinct to fit in.

BUT,?we don’t need to conform to belong.?

Entrepreneurial thinkers have a strong drive to belong, just like the rest of us. They just don’t choose conformity as their method of achieving this. They focus on human connection instead – like helping others when they need it, and even bringing much needed light-heartedness to relieve a tense group situation. They recognise that, at times, they are going to bring discomfort to a group by challenging norms. So they counteract that by creating trust and goodwill with their colleagues.?

Here are three ways you can focus on connection; prioritising innovation without burning bridges in your team.

1.??Openly share learnings from mistakes. Talking openly about mistakes creates a space for others to share their vulnerabilities too – and it’s in this space that trust and a mutual sense of ‘we’re in this together’ is formed.

2.??Tune into the perspective of others.?Do your groundwork on what motivates your colleagues & what’s important to them. This will help you understand why they might be fixed to certain ways of doing things. But it also helps you find common ground – where you can build a shared sense of belonging.

3.??Build and share your networks.?Invest time?connecting to wide networks across the organisation and beyond (even to competitors or teams operating in different industries or sectors).?And then share that network by making connections wherever you can see them. This will open minds to new ways of doing things. And, by inviting others into your shared network, you are?creating?a space for everyone to belong.

So, experimenting in organisations - without compromising your need to belong there -?takes an intentional approach to building human connection.?

How are you striking the balance of experimenting and belonging on your team? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below.

Bye for now,

Erin

PS: My newest LinkedIn Learning Course - Leading with Stability through times of Change and Disruption - has just launched. You can watch it here:

And if you don't have access to LinkedIn Learning, check out this post - which gives free access to the course for 24 hours.

This newsletter is a part of a series to help you find ways to change your experience of?work?for the?better. Subscribe and you'll find it in your inbox each month.