1️⃣ Get curious, like really curious about how you do things.
Okay, what a loaded piece of advice I know but how often do we stop and think about our work? Like really think? And ask ourselves “should I even be doing this like this?”
Sometimes it feels like I’m running from process to process and barely have anytime to actually process.
When you’re on autopilot it leaves little room to be curious about how you’re operating.
I want you to sit with these 3 questions:
- Why do we actually do this the way we've always done it?
- What's the thing that annoys me most about how we work right now?
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If I could change one thing tomorrow with zero pushback, what would it be?
Being curious about everything (and everyone) will help you open your mind up to new things.
2️⃣ Get comfy with failure.
When was the last time you failed at something? I’ll be honest for me, it’s been a minute. I’m at a point in my career where failure can feel very high risk and have serious consequences. Sometimes that fear of failure can make it harder to try something new.
So, let’s de-risk failure.
Here are places to try something new where the blast radius of failure is small:
- In a 1:1: you can test a new question, a new approach, even a new framework with one person before it scales. I usually bring these ideas to my trusted folks like the company’s co-founders and my direct report. There I can pitch the new thing and get direct feedback before I scale anything.
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Pilot with 1 team before the whole org: Not every new thing needs a splashy launch, sometimes you can mini-test with an entire team before rolling it out.
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Name it as an experiment: Tell everyone you’re trying something new as an experiment and you’re all going to experience it together for the first time. This takes the pressure off and brings everyone along for the ride.
And if your work place ISN’T SAFE for you to experiment with failure, look for opportunities in your personal life. Every year I try to learn 1 new thing to remind me to stay comfy with failure. Last year it was tennis. I thought I was going to instantly pick up the ball and be the next Serena. Yes, that is delulu. But the practice of learning something new reminded me that I’m not going to be successful at every single thing I do. It’s humbling and I try to bring that energy to applying new things at work.
3️⃣ Make a list.
Wow, what a revolutionary piece of advice I know. 🙂 But in all seriousness, what’s on your wish list of things to try at work? It’s okay if you don’t have one yet, we’re sometimes too busy to dream.
Most of us have some sort of mental graveyard of ideas that we never acted on. Instead of those living rent free in your head or something you randomly reference in convos, I want you to write them down.
To be clear this isn’t a to-do list because I don't want you to feel the pressure to act on everything. This is inventory.
The list can just be new things you want to try at work from new processes to new tools even new benefits. ANYTHING can go on the list. And if you’re feeling like you want to be held accountable, reply and tell me one thing that’s on your list.
I’ll go first: I want to explore ICHRAs.
There, see? Easy peasy.
📣 Here's what I want you to take away from this: a mindset shift doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. There’s no sprinting at the airport with flowers and declarations of love. It’s not a resolution or a dramatic rebrand.
A real mindset shift will look like a series of small, quiet decisions to see things a tiny bit differently than you did before. Things don’t have to be all figured out, you don’t have to be bold or fearless. You just have to want to TRY.
Be willing to try is the key to everything.
