EXPERIMENT!

Trial balloon, improv, pilot, testing the waters, use the words that feel right. 

Too often when we are at the helm or even in a new role and feel all eyes on us---we are hamstrung by the belief that we have to get it "right". No room for error. Mistakes will not be forgiven. 

Or...we tell everyone we are in learning mode. We give ourselves permission to hold off on any big moves and just take stuff in. 

The truth is the only way to learn is by doing. Rolling up ourselves and getting a little dirty. The only way kids learn is by making their own mistakes and figuring out how to fix them. The only way couples learn to develop a truly deep and lasting relationship is by accidentally triggering each other's vulnerabilities and working through more supportive and productive ways to navigate them in the future. 

What we need is a personal stance that embraces the "experiment". The "let's try this and see how it turns out" attitude.

Did you ever take a class in clay sculpture? Or charcoal drawing? Do you remember how in the begining we got to just "play" with the medium? Do you remember how freeing that was? 

Play with the variables at your disposal. Get into the spirit of discovery and possibility. Expect failure. Set the expectation that these are experiments. As long as you are collecting data that you can all look at and consider--there will be learning. 

An organization that can play, that can experiment, that can learn from mistakes is a resilient organization. It is an engaged organization. It is a compassionate organization.