6 Principles to Work Differently // Test and Shape

Repeatedly learning and refining to improve solutionsTEST and SHAPE

6 principles to WORKdifferentlyWORKdifferently Copyright © 2015 gravitytank.com

WORKdifferently Copyright © 2015 gravitytank.com 3

Test and Shape

WORKdifferently Copyright © 2015 gravitytank.com


How do you select a paint color for a wall?


No solution starts out perfect



It’s easier to start small



Why don’t we approach work like our walls?


Organizations don’t encourage “experimentation”

We want to get it perfect

We’re trying to maintain competitive advantage

Short on resources



But, the stakes get higher the longer we wait

JUSTIFY THE INVESTMENT

The need to reconcile the resource investments increases pressure and clouds judgement.

GO/NO GO DECISIONS

If we wait until it’s “finished” we don’t have the time or openness for adjustments.

By H

igh C

ontra

st (O

wn w

ork)

[CC

BY 3

.0 de

(http

://cr

eativ

ecom

mon

s.org

/lice

nses

/by/

3.0/

de/d

eed.e

n)],

via W

ikim

edia

Com

mon

s


Creating something new is easier when we

learn along the way IDENTIFY UNKNOWNS

We are better able to identify unknowns and develop solid answers to questions when we engage others

ADDRESS ASSUMPTIONS

Predicting people’s behavior is hard, and often leads to inaccurate assumptions or missed opportunities

BUILD CONVICTION

Learning about how new ideas resonate helps build conviction and momentum for an idea


Successful businesses try out many solutions before

they get it right



Test + ShapeUse feedback to iterate

and improve ideasShare ideas to gather

feedback and understand assumptions


Test and Shape is about learning and improving, NOT validating

ACT QUICKLY AND OFTEN

Actively seeking opportunities to practice and try out a skill or idea leads to natural experimentation and improvement.

FROM ‘FAILURE’ TO LEARNING

Pixar made a cultural shift to reimagine ‘failure’ and focus on the growth that comes with candid feedback

It’s a mindset for how to approach the ongoing development and refinement of ideas versus waiting until the end to either fail or succeed.

Babin

eaux

, Rya

n an

d Joh

n Kr

umbo

ltz. “

Fail F

ast,

Fail O

ften:

How

Losin

g Can

Help

You W

in.” C

over

Art

© 2

013


Use feedback and information to inform development

WORKdifferently Copyright © 2015 gravitytank.com By Rs1421 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons


Test early, test often

Sharing idea with co-workers

Sharing a draft of a pitch deck Isolated

experiment on 1 hypothesis

Simulated trials for feedback

Conduct many ‘experiments’ along the way, continually learning throughout development


Lightweight tests are most effective

Be creative! Keep the production level as low as possible for what you need to learn.

When the fidelity level increases people have a hard time giving constructive feedback.



…without trying on

…without seeing it in person

Women will rent a dress for a single occasion

Identify your questions and concerns as early as possible. Set out to learn something specific. Each test should focus on a limited number of hypothesis or variables.

A clear and targeted purpose is required



Great execution

Great concept

Poor concept

Poor execution

Understand aspects of the solution independentlyWe often lump idea and execution together and view a solution as “complete,” which limits our ability to understand what is resonating and can lead to missed opportunities.

Der

ived f

rom

imag

e by H

aywo

odU

(Own

wor

k) [P

ublic

dom

ain],

via W

ikim

edia

Com

mon

s

Der

ived f

rom

imag

e by L

ars C

urfs

[CC

BY-S

A 3.

0 nl

(http

://cr

eativ

ecom

mon

s.org

/lice

nses

/by-

sa/3

.0/n

l/de

ed.en

)], vi

a Wiki

med

ia Co

mm

ons

Der

ived f

rom

imag

e by T

omkin

sc at

the E

nglis

h lan

guag

e Wiki

pedia

[CC-

BY-S

A-3.

0 (c

reat

iveco

mm

ons.o

rg/li

cens

es/b

y-sa

/3.0

/)], v

ia W

ikim

edia

Com

mon

s

Der

ived f

rom

imag

e by D

ave P

roffe

r (D

SCN

4448

Uplo

aded

by ru

ssav

ia) [C

C BY

2.0

(c

reat

iveco

mm

ons.o

rg/li

cens

es/b

y/2.

0)],

via W

ikim

edia

Com

mon

s


What about the idea resonates?What do people like about the idea? What isn’t appealing? What “buts” or “onlys” do people have? How do people project using it?



Be open

What is confusing about how it works? What frustrates people? What do people figure out naturally?

What is working in the execution?

Screen Images from kickstarter.com

http://kickstarter.com


and letting go of old ones

Be open to new ideas…


WORKdifferently Copyright © 2015 gravitytank.com 22WORKdifferently Copyright © 2015 gravitytank.com

View an example of one Test & Shape method

Backseat Vending: A Micro Pilot https://vimeo.com/128627088

https://vimeo.com/128627088

https://vimeo.com/128627088

WORKdifferently Copyright © 2015 gravitytank.com WORKdifferently Copyright © 2015 gravitytank.com

For method cards, video tutorials and other resources:

gravitytank.com/workdifferently@gravitytankinc #workdifferently

http://www.gravitytank.com/workdifferently

6 Principles to Work Differently // Test and Shape

Business

Transcript of 6 Principles to Work Differently // Test and Shape