"Experimentation" has become a buzzword for managers and business owners. Everyone wants their employees to think outside the box, develop creative ideas and be innovative. However, few organizations actually take the steps necessary to make that happen.
Since the beginning of times, experimentation has served as a critical tool for challenging the status quo business models and driving radical changes. For organizations, it typically means the potential to take bold steps and decisions to improve the customer experience while minimizing business risks. It also provides an organization with endless opportunities to learn more about their customers by means of testing.
1. Be Data Driven
Don’t make the mistake of not measuring your data for better results. Data is what confirms results, validates change, and fuels growth.
Don’t ignore even the seeming negative data, or opinions of users. Use these to fuel your next innovative move. Your consumers and users may have completely different ideas of what could work better. Listen to their feedback and study the data. Then, trust in that data enough to be driven by it.
2. Be Open to Ideas and Creativity
It is easy to get stuck in your ways. Instead, adopt a company approach whereby you are all open to ideas and creativity.
Don’t be afraid to take a different path, to try different software, or just to do something completely different. Sometimes the biggest anomalies or most outlandish suggestions can produce the best results. After all, if you aren’t changing you aren’t growing. And if you aren’t growing, your business cannot progress.
3. Break Down Silos
For a company hoping to evolve, nothing will kill progress like silos. In a culture that values experimentation, collaboration and sharing is imperative. This is why it’s so important that all team members, regardless of position or department, are given the opportunity to present ideas and pursue new innovative opportunities.
Oftentimes, the team members who are closest to the customer possess the greatest ideas for growth, yet they’re too afraid to come forward. By offering these individuals a platform to express their ideas, morale will be boosted and a sense of entrepreneurialism will be instilled across all levels.
4. Integrate Experimentation Into Day-to-Day Life
To make experimenting a habit in your business, it needs to be intertwined into your employees’ day-to-day life. Impending deadlines, on-going projects, endless meetings – it’s hard to find time to experiment. It’s the number one reason why employees feel held back from learning. If you’re part of an organization, developing a experimenting culture, you have to be an advocate for time. The concept of experimentation should be ingrained in your employees from the moment they join your organization.
5. Learn from Failure
My last tip: don’t be afraid of failure. Strive to grow from past mistakes, think outside the box, and embrace experimentation, even if it means you don’t get everything right from the beginning. Stagnation is one of the dangers of companies that start well but end up resisting growth.
A culture of experimentation and risk taking is great for any organization. It keeps fresh ideas and opportunities flowing through the organization, helping the organization to optimize operations and maintain their competitive edge.
With the tips shared above, you will be able to effectively push your team to take risks and create a culture where experimentation is the norm rather than the exception.
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