SixT60 Tactics: Embracing Magic Over Logic

I’m a bit obsessed with Rory Sutherland on YouTube at the minute.? I recently heard him say, "the problem with logic is that it kills magic." It struck me, that’s what’s often missing in building a great culture and creating a hiring experience—magic.?

So I put together some thoughts on some tactics that, on the surface, may seem illogical, but create an intangible magic that, done well, could drive a better experience for your people—and better results for you.

1. Hire for Personality, Not Just Skills

Logic says you should hire the most qualified person on paper. But some of the most successful teams are built by hiring for mindset, drive, potential, and creativity. Someone who doesn't tick every box on the skills list may bring a fresh perspective, or a creative spark that can't be taught.?

2. Celebrate Mistakes

Historically we’ve been taught that mistakes should be avoided at all costs. But high-performing teams often embrace failure as a learning tool, and some even celebrate it. It’s an unconventional tactic—rewarding (calculated) risk-taking and experimentation, but it opens the door to innovation and unexpected breakthroughs. If your people fear failure, they don’t have room to experiment. The caveat of course is that it can’t be applied across the business.?

3. Spontaneous Recognition

Instead of solely relying on planned performance reviews or rigid recognition structures, embrace spontaneity. When recognition comes unexpectedly—from peers, leaders, or even clients—it carries more weight. The magic of surprise in appreciation often drives higher engagement and boosts morale in ways that rigid systems can’t.?

5. Loosen the Rules

Some of the most vibrant, successful cultures exist in environments where the rules are intentionally flexible. Netflix, for example, has famously implemented a “no rules” culture—no annual leave policy, no expense policy, and no rigid performance reviews. While this approach might seem illogical at first, it empowers employees to act like owners and trust them to use their best judgement. This helps to create a culture of freedom, accountability, and high performance. Magic over logic.

6. The Power of Play

Play sometimes feels counterintuitive to a professional environment—after all, business is serious work—we’re told. But introducing play can relieve pressure, spark innovation, and fuel creativity. Some of the most innovative companies have built play into their cultures with great results.

Pixar integrates play into their office environment and encourages playful collaboration to foster creativity and storytelling.?

LEGO has made play a central pillar of its corporate ethos. Inside LEGO, play is part of the job. Employees are encouraged to be curious, imaginative, and use play to learn and grow.?

Google has also recognised the power of play, famously giving employees 20% of their time to work on personal projects—essentially encouraging exploration and experimentation outside their usual tasks. This freedom to "play" with ideas has led to some of Google’s most successful innovations, including Gmail and Google News.

But we don’t all have Pixar, LEGO and Google budgets. Here are a few ideas that you could implement to move beyond logic and create some magic in your organisation—no matter your budget.

1. Implement a “random act of recognition” program where employees or leaders can surprise a colleague with an unexpected thank-you, shoutout, or small reward. Make it spontaneous and heartfelt, rather than structured and predictable.
2. Replace traditional feedback sessions with “feedforward” conversations, where employees focus on what they can do in the future to improve, grow, and innovate. This creates a more positive, forward-thinking environment.
3. Similarly, you could hold regular “vision sessions” where employees brainstorm and set goals based on future possibilities rather than past performance.

Sometimes, it’s the unplanned, the unexpected, or the seemingly illogical choices that create the magic a business needs to thrive. Culture and hiring aren’t just about clear processes and box ticking—they’re about people, relationships, and real engagement. Bring a bit of that magic into your business, and watch it move from good to great.

Where can you start adding the magic today?

If you want help bringing some of these ideas to life in your team or need support bringing in the right people into your team to achieve your 2025 goals , book a free discovery call here.