“Trust The Process”
When I'm guiding newer teams through human centered design, I'll invariably push them beyond their comfort zone. Sometimes it's when we nudge them to embrace a bit TOO much ambiguity, challenge them to make decisions with TOO little information, and ask them to create and share prototypes that are a little TOO rough for comfort.
Embracing ambiguity, deciding with not enough information, and learning with rough prototypes are hallmark behaviors of HCD. They can feel really HARD to teams who haven't tried this problem-solving approach. I get why they would be apprehensive about sprinting towards potential failure while under scrutiny from their bosses!
Asking them to "trust the process" doesn't help them *actually* trust the process.
I've gone through enough design cycles to know that *I* can trust the process. I can trust my ability to navigate unexpected twists and turns because I've seen clarity emerge on the foggiest and hardest projects. Experience has proven that I can figure it out or find folks to help me do so. My toolkit is large and my support bench is deep.
When I'm engaging in a process I DON'T know, it's hard to trust THAT process. Then, I trust my ability to learn, to fail, to connect with others for support, and to ultimately figure it out. And THAT only works because I've tried enough new things to know that I will find a way through.
Lack of experience with a given process yields to experience with successfully navigating unknown processes.
Lots of reps and sets have built my confidence in my ability to learn.
I'm in the fog right now in coaching certification. I can see aspects of this particular approach that I haven't yet mastered or just don't agree with, but I can't yet see the other side. The fog is uncomfortable and at times disorienting. But I'm also only 1/3 of the way in. I have plenty of time to find my way through.
I don't know the answer, but I trust my ability to figure it out. I'm also the one setting the bar so high for myself, so if my efforts begin to fall short, I know to show myself compassion.
I've been reaching out to my support community. I'm speaking up about what isn't landing for me. When your job is to learn, it helps to be transparent about your struggles. When you link arms with others (some in the fog and some standing outside of it), you can't really get that lost. It's an empowering place to grow from.
How do YOU get through the fog when you're not sure whether there are lighthouses to keep you away from the rocks? What gives you confidence in unfamiliar waters?