Greg Kihlström advises on CX and Digital Transformation at GK5A, hosts The Agile Brand Podcast, and is a best-selling author.
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Initiatives that require large changes to people, processes and technology can be difficult to do well, but taking small steps can be a good way to get started for many reasons.
We often talk about doing pilot projects in order to gain quicker learnings and have greater opportunities for long-term success. Despite this, there isn’t nearly as much written about exactly how to approach those pilot projects.
In this article, I’m going to talk through three key things to keep in mind as you plan and execute a pilot project for your next large initiative.
Keep Your Scope Limited But Meaningful
Let’s start with a concept that is deceptively simple. We need to limit the scope of a pilot project to be able to be accomplished in a relatively short amount of time, yet of high enough priority that its results are significant to key stakeholders. Oh, and also wrapped up in that is the inherent idea that the results of the pilot must be measurable and align with KPIs that are meaningful to the executive(s) who sponsored it. Let’s unpack this a little bit more.
Ensure that you create a hypothesis of what you intend to prove and the results that a successful pilot should garner. This will help you not only get the buy-in you need but serve as your guide as you build your minimal requirements of only what is needed to achieve this goal and nothing more. Ultimately, it will allow you to compare your final results to your original hypothesis to see where you went right and where it needs improvement.
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While much more can be said about this point alone, it is critical to do this well or else you may not get an opportunity to extend your pilot.
Remember Your Pilot Team
Much of the talk around pilot projects revolves around scope, budget, results and, of course, the all-important leadership buy-in. While all of those are critical, don’t forget another extremely important aspect: the team(s) that will be creating, implementing and initially using the pilot initiative.
Organizational change is never simple, but getting the people part of the equation right must never be overlooked. If you are asked to build a solution, make sure you get the team who will end up using that solution to be involved in the planning, requirements gathering and implementation to at least some degree.
Being part of the process of creating the pilot initiative means that it isn’t simply a change that will happen to them once it’s launched. Instead, they are part of an advanced team that was there from the ground up. It is their pilot just as much as it is yours. This is absolutely the way it should be, too. Successful pilots have egos checked at the door and are a team effort through and through.
Plan For Success (And The Next Steps)
Going from initial planning to pitching your idea internally, to designing, building and launching your pilot project is a lot of work. If it is successful, however, your work is just beginning.
When you achieve success, make sure you have a follow-up plan of what to do as a fast follow. Momentum is important, and having a prioritized fast-follow list will help save time and effort, reducing the feeling that you have to start from scratch. Don’t forget to have a retrospective to learn from what worked well and what didn’t, but be organized in how to embrace your success so you can quickly move to the next phase.
Bringing a pilot project to successful completion is no small feat. It takes buy-in from the top as well as from those who will live with the output. It takes a focus on only the scope needed to achieve the necessary results, and when it succeeds, it requires solid next steps. I wish you much success as you proceed with your next pilot!
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Author: Greg Kihlstrom, Forbes Councils Member
