Small experiments can lead to really big changes.

For one thing, they get us unstuck from “analysis paralysis.” As part of the typical coaching process, clients come to meetings with an issue where they feel “stuck.” By the end of the meeting, they agree to an action item to help them move out of that “stuck” place. In effect, they commit to regular small experiments.

It’s been said that “we overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can do in six months.” That statement is at the heart of what makes small experiments so powerful. We take small actions that don’t seem like much, yet they inch us closer and closer to the goals that matter most. Like the Kaizen Method, they help us improve 1% daily - at a rate of compounding interest. At the end of 365 days, that is a HUGE return.

Key Principles for Small Experiments

Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating a small experiment.

• Choose to take a small action that gets you one step closer to a larger goal. At the end of the day this is about a focused action - not just activity for activity’s sake.

• Don’t risk more than you are comfortable with losing. There are no guarantees with small experiments. They may or may not work. So if you are nervous about that, don’t risk anything (money, relationships, time, etc.) that you aren’t willing to give up for the sake of learning. The focus of a small experiment is on learning how to get closer to your goal, not “getting it right.”

• Focus on (a) what you learn and (b) how you can apply that knowledge. Notice the focus here is not “success or failure” (which should also take some of the anxiety out of the process). Also, notice that no matter what happens, you gain knowledge that can help you get closer to your goal. Sometimes that knowledge is “don’t try that approach again!”

• Deepen the learning. Forward the action. I love this phrase. It’s the heart of what makes coaching so powerful, and it’s the engine that runs those 1% daily improvements.

The ability to run small experiments shows that you have a “growth mindset” that values learning, taking risks, and receiving feedback.

The Process for Running Small Experiments

• Determine your goal. What’s the bigger thing you want to achieve? Start a new business? Create a new sales process? Develop a new rhythm for your family’s schedule? Regain your physical strength and stamina?

• Choose one focused action that you think will get you closer to that goal. They key word here is “focused.” Pick something so specific that there is no excuse for not doing it. If there is something that will keep you from taking that action, then either redesign the action. Otherwise, focus on addressing the obstacle as your first small experiment. Here are some questions to help you with that (adapted from The Handbook of Knowledge Based Coaching):

  • What small steps would show that you were inching toward the goal?

  • What do you need to do first before the big goal is possible?

  • What are one or two small changes that would help you know you are making progress?

  • If you were giving a friend advice about what to do next, what would you suggest?

  • What would prevent you from achieving your goal? What action would help you address that?

• Determine what “success” would look like here. You need some way of taking a measurement. The measurement will help you with the “learning” part. Again, here are some questions to help with that (also adapted from The Handbook of Knowledge Based Coaching):

  • What would be the first sign that you are making progress?

  • What could you observe about your specific goals?

  • What difference will your small experiment make?

• Take the action. “Just do it.” Here is where we “forward the action.” Huzzah!

• Reflect on the results. This is the part where we deepen the learning. To do this ask yourself three questions:

  • What? What did you do?

  • So What? What results did you see? What made those results important in light of the bigger goal you want to accomplish? What did you learn?

  • Now What? How do you apply what you’ve learned here? How can you make that into your next small experiment and get one step closer to the bigger goal?

An Example of a Small Experiment

Years ago I had significant health issues and was not able to eat solid food for months. As a consequence, I lost a lot of weight - both fat and muscle. My strength and stamina really suffered. This was bad news because I was still working, and it was getting harder and harder to get through the day. I knew that I needed to get my strength back.

Given my limited strength and stamina, what options did I have? Because I knew the power of tying a new behavior to an existing habit, I made a slight change to my morning shower routine.

Before taking my shower, I would do just 10 pushups. It didn’t take long, and it didn’t take a lot of stamina. As far as I could tell, there wouldn’t be any reason that I couldn’t do just 10 pushups.

At first that was all I could do. However, after a few weeks of this new routine, I was able to increase my daily pushup count. At one point, I did 40 every morning.

Had I just focused on the early results of 10 pushups a day, I would have felt defeated. It took all the energy I had just to accomplish that. The real value early on was what I learned. By tying a small exercise to my daily routine, I was more likely to do it. And, over time, I could increase that routine so that it did make a noticeable difference. (I still come back to this routine today when I’m having trouble being consistent with exercise.)

So how about you?

What are your big goals? What obstacles are getting in the way? How could small experiments help you with that?

• If you’d like help designing a small experiment, schedule a free discovery call. When the contact form asks for more information, type “small experiment.”

• For more on Small Experiments, listen to the audio for chapter three from my book, How to Beat Burnout for Yourself, Your Family, and Your Team.