Safe-to-Fail Experiment Planner

Step 1: Name the Adaptive Challenge (3 minutes)

Write one clear sentence:
What recurring problem or stuck situation needs testing?

Good examples:
• "Team meetings feel like performance as opposed to generative".
• "Colleagues avoid giving me honest feedback".
• "Decisions get revisited constantly".

Bad examples (these are technical but not adaptive):
• "We need new project management software".
• "Reports are submitted late".

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Step 2: Diagnose the Adaptive Element (5 minutes)

Ask yourself:
• Does this need people (including me) to change habits, assumptions or relationships?
• Is there a known solution that's already failed?
• Would fixing this create discomfort or resistance?

If you answered yes to any of these, it's adaptive.

Now write:
The behaviour that would need to shift is: ________
The assumption that would need to change is: ________

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Step 3: Design Your Experiment (8 minutes)

Choose ONE small change to test for a fixed time period.

Your experiment should be:
• Small (maximum 2 to 4 weeks)
• Reversible (can be stopped without damage)
• Observable (you'll know if something changes)

Examples:
• "For two weeks, I'll end meetings 5 minutes early and ask one person to name what we avoided discussing".
• "For three weeks, I won't rescue colleagues who haven't prepared for meetings."
• "For four weeks, I'll hold a 15-minute decision debrief the day after major choices."

My experiment:
I will ________ for ________ weeks.

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Step 4: Define Success and Failure (7 minutes)

This is crucial, as you need to be aware what you're looking for BEFORE starting.

Success would look like:
(Observable behaviour changes, and not feelings)
Example: "Three people bring up previously avoided topics"

Failure would look like:
(What would tell you this didn't work?)
Example: "No change in meeting dynamics after 4 sessions"

Interesting failure would look like:
(What would reveal something unexpected?)
Example: "People bring up topics but only in private afterwards"

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Step 5: Identify Your Hypothesis (5 minutes)

What are you actually testing? Be specific.

I believe that if I ________ (the experiment),
then ________ (predicted outcome),
because ________ (your theory about what's blocking change).

Example:
"I believe that if I stop filling every silence, then others will start contributing ideas, because my pace doesn't leave space for those who process more slowly."

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Step 6: Plan Your Review Points (5 minutes)

Decide when you'll pause and assess:

Mid-point check (after _____ weeks):
• What am I noticing?
• What's harder than expected?
• What's easier?

End-point review (after _____ weeks):
• Did behaviour shift?
• What did resistance reveal?
• Do I continue, adjust or simply stop?

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Step 7: Name Your One Hardest Part (3 minutes)

What will be hardest about this experiment for YOU?
(Not for others - for you)

Examples:
• Tolerating silence.
• Not rescuing people.
• Allowing short-term confusion.
• Letting someone fail.
• Holding the boundary.

The hardest part for me will be: ________ .

This is what you're REALLY testing..... your own capacity, and not just the system.

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Operating Principles

Harden:
• Commit to the time period. Don't quit early just because it feels uncomfortable.
• Record what you observe and not what you hoped would happen.
• Treat resistance as information, and not opposition.

Soften:
• This is a test, not a solution. Failure is useful data.
• You're learning about the system, not proving you're right.
• If the experiment reveals something unexpected, then that's a success... even if it's not what you wanted.

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Reflection Question

What did this experiment reveal about the real constraint - and was it in the system, in others, or in your own patterns?