Experiments at work: 7 ways to try something new in your work life
When was the last time you tried something new in your business or work life? Experimentation has been a constant theme in my career — recently I’ve been ‘tinkering in my lab’ with some new ideas, developing my Fuel Safari coaching programme and working with the BBC on a pilot storytelling workshop for TV journalists.
Experiments are a great way to test your ideas in front of your audience and get feedback on what works and what doesn’t, and then adapt accordingly. Bringing new approaches to what I do and how I do it keeps my offering fresh and relevant.
Fancy trying something new? Here are seven ways to inject experimentation into your work life:
- Walk in other people’s shoes. Sometimes we get stuck in a ‘bubble’ — our fixed way of doing things. So when was the last time you looked at your business, brand or product through a different lens? Whether you’re a marketing director for a brand or a freelance web designer, I recommend walking in other people’s shoes. Read about my experiences getting my shoes dirty.
- Re-frame your work life around YOU. It can feel a luxury to stop and focus on what fulfills us, but answering the big questions is vital to our personal and professional success. Questions such as: “how can I do the work I really want to be doing?”, “how can I re-frame my working life so it’s more Me?” or “how can I up my game to make more of an impact in the organisation?” The last few weeks I’ve been continuing with my walk and talk coaching sessions. I’ve worked with an executive who wants to pursue a new path, a consultant looking to take his career up a notch and a senior marketing executive transitioning to a new role. One common theme is the opportunity to re-frame a work life around You. Make some changes in your work life, take some inspiration from what I discovered on my walk n’talks.
- Fix things that suck at work. If you’re wanting to experiment in your organisation or workplace, a great place to start is by looking at those things around you that feel broken, and think about what you’d do to fix them. Whether your organisation has too many meetings or the office around you is uninspiring, what would you do to change it? Check out my post of what I think is broken in the world of work, and my prescription for change.
- Shine a light on your thinking. Many people miss a trick by hiding away their opinion and stories. But to stand out in your industry, organisation or job market, you need to share what you’re thinking. Find the digital medium that works for you — whether Twitter, LinkedIn, Medium — and let us know what’s under your bonnet. See what gets traction and how it changes perceptions. If you need help to get started on Medium, check out my ten tips.
- Test an idea on the side. If you want to try out an idea without taking a huge “should I actually quit my job?” risk, why not test it on the side? From Tina Roth Eisenberg’s temporary tattoo company Tattly to Matt Lane’s beer subscription club Beerbods, there is plenty of inspiration out there for brands and businesses that started out ‘on the side’. Whether it’s testing an online business idea or starting a meetup group in your community, if you’ve got an itch to scratch, do it!
- Celebrate your point of difference. If you’re stuck in a job where you struggle to stand out, or worse, feel like you have to put on a mask each time you walk into the office, how you could celebrate what makes you different? Being YOU gives you the authenticity and courage to stick to your guns. To be confident with that different point of view, to be happy zigging when everyone else zags. Sometimes easier said than done, see if my post helps: Having the courage to be different when everyone around you screams “fit in!”
- Read something different. One of the things I like about Twitter is that I’m able to discover interesting articles in publications that I don’t regularly read. From the New Scientist to The New Yorker, it’s great extending your world view. I love to the do same offline — browsing a magazine stand or bookstore to discover new journals. One of my favourite newsstands is Athenaeum Nieuwscentrum in Amsterdam — when I was there recently, I stumbled across a great magazine called ‘Nous’. If you don’t have a magazine store near by, consider a subscription to Stack (they send you a different independent magazine every month).
So try something new tomorrow. Write a blog post. Turn a boring meeting into a reinvigorating walk and talk. Shake things up. Let me know how you get on!
And if you need a hand, I’m here to help. Want a workshop or presentation to give your team a boost? Need a fresh perspective on your business or career? Get in touch hello@iansanders.com.
