I love the idea of "tiny experiments" and just ordered my copy! Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Also, I couldn’t help but laugh at the image with "experts" circled and your handwritten note saying "me." Gave me a chuckle. Excellent read. Thanks again!
Thanks so much, Katie! It's a great book and Anne-Laure has fabulous newsletter community (although sadly not on Substack). (and glad someone appreciated my attempts at humor!)
Thank you, Dr Collin Fisher, for sharing your insights regarding tiny experiments. I really like this insight: "Tiny experiments help us bridge the gap between ideas and actions. So the question is not just whether you should experiment at work - it's whether you can afford not to." I couldn't agree more. The question is, I know I can afford to take that plunge. But then, what's next?
This path is definitely going to be full of small triumphs, but also countless setbacks. While small successes indeed fuel our motivation to pursue greater creativity as Professor Teresa Amabile wisely commented above, the ability to learn from what might seem like "failures" is equally, if not more, crucial. This skill of learning from setbacks is what will keep us persistent throughout the journey from turning an idea into action. In my experience, every setback contains valuable lessons. They teach us to adapt, refine our approaches, and not give up easily. Without this capacity, we might be deterred by the first sign of trouble and never fully realize the potential of our ideas. That's why I believe we really need to work on developing our ability to learn from what might seem like "failures". I'm not even sure if it's right to label them as failures, because I like to think of them as really valuable growth experiences. Once again, thank you for your insights! Look forward to your next post!
These are great points, Yiwen! Thank you so much for sharing them - learning to reframe seeming "failures" as valuable sources of learning is one of the most important things people can do!
Once again, Colin has packed a post with interesting insights, useful advice, and plenty of citations to sound science. Thanks, Colin, and keep those packed posts popping!
Just one additional note, which may well appear in Anne-Laure's book: Tiny experiments can lead to the "small wins" that will motivate further creativity, even in the face of the setbacks that experimentation inevitably entails. See:
Thank you for the kind words and adding this, Teresa! Of course I should have thought to mention this work on the power of small wins - it is one of the huge points I use in my own teaching on how managers can help employees make progress (especially in creative and ambiguous work). And your and Steve's book The Progress Principle is one of the best statements of this I know! https://www.amazon.com/Progress-Principle-Ignite-Engagement-Creativity-ebook/dp/B0054KBLBI
I love the idea of "tiny experiments" and just ordered my copy! Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Also, I couldn’t help but laugh at the image with "experts" circled and your handwritten note saying "me." Gave me a chuckle. Excellent read. Thanks again!
Thanks so much, Katie! It's a great book and Anne-Laure has fabulous newsletter community (although sadly not on Substack). (and glad someone appreciated my attempts at humor!)
Thank you, Dr Collin Fisher, for sharing your insights regarding tiny experiments. I really like this insight: "Tiny experiments help us bridge the gap between ideas and actions. So the question is not just whether you should experiment at work - it's whether you can afford not to." I couldn't agree more. The question is, I know I can afford to take that plunge. But then, what's next?
This path is definitely going to be full of small triumphs, but also countless setbacks. While small successes indeed fuel our motivation to pursue greater creativity as Professor Teresa Amabile wisely commented above, the ability to learn from what might seem like "failures" is equally, if not more, crucial. This skill of learning from setbacks is what will keep us persistent throughout the journey from turning an idea into action. In my experience, every setback contains valuable lessons. They teach us to adapt, refine our approaches, and not give up easily. Without this capacity, we might be deterred by the first sign of trouble and never fully realize the potential of our ideas. That's why I believe we really need to work on developing our ability to learn from what might seem like "failures". I'm not even sure if it's right to label them as failures, because I like to think of them as really valuable growth experiences. Once again, thank you for your insights! Look forward to your next post!
These are great points, Yiwen! Thank you so much for sharing them - learning to reframe seeming "failures" as valuable sources of learning is one of the most important things people can do!
Once again, Colin has packed a post with interesting insights, useful advice, and plenty of citations to sound science. Thanks, Colin, and keep those packed posts popping!
Just one additional note, which may well appear in Anne-Laure's book: Tiny experiments can lead to the "small wins" that will motivate further creativity, even in the face of the setbacks that experimentation inevitably entails. See:
Weick, K. E. (1984). Small wins: Redefining the scale of social problems. American Psychologist, 39(1), 40–49. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.39.1.40
Amabile, T. M. & Kramer, S. J. (May 2011). The power of small wins. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2011/05/the-power-of-small-wins
Thank you for the kind words and adding this, Teresa! Of course I should have thought to mention this work on the power of small wins - it is one of the huge points I use in my own teaching on how managers can help employees make progress (especially in creative and ambiguous work). And your and Steve's book The Progress Principle is one of the best statements of this I know! https://www.amazon.com/Progress-Principle-Ignite-Engagement-Creativity-ebook/dp/B0054KBLBI