How To Lead A Quest

Summary

Part IV

• Experiments allow us to establish the viability of alternative strategic options. They are a means by which we can scout out potential new pathways, and learn about any potential issues we may encounter.
• It is important that we focus on learning — and not simply the generation of novel ideas. Ideas are an important element of leading a quest — they are the by-product of good thinking. But one of the quickest ways to kill strategic innovation is to create a competition for the ‘best ideas'. This only serves to gloss over the important process of thorough thinking and exploration, and at best only generates tactical ideas to serve our current context.
• The least-flawed approach we can take is a science-based one. Here, we start with a hypothesis — a supposition made on the basis of limited evidence that serves as our starting point for investigation. This takes the form of a testable statement.
• Once our hypothesis is formed, we craft a series of iterative experiments in an attempt to disprove our stated hypothesis. Our starting premise is always small, safe, smart, cheap and fast.
• From an initial set of rapid prototypes, we can get a grasp on the most important elements of our experiment, our measures and our methodology.
• Our hypothesis might be disproven. This could be due to a flaw within our methodology, or an issue with our hypothetical stance. In either case, through experimentation we have now obtained new insight that can be used to enhance the experiment, ...