Chapter 3
Team habits
“If you don’t like change, you will like irrelevance even less.”
– General Eric Shinseki
Low-risk pilot mindset
Encourage teams to test new ideas in small, safe-to-fail experiments before rolling out major changes.
This habit reduces fear of failure, nurturing a culture of curiosity and learning.
Regular hack days or sprints
Tech giants often run 24- to 48-hour “hackathons.”
Even non-tech teams can adopt focused, time-boxed creativity sessions to innovate on processes or products.
This habit fosters collective excitement around new ideas.
Rotation of ‘devil’s advocate’
Appoint one rotating team member to challenge assumptions or highlight risks each week.
This formalized practice prevents groupthink and hones strategic thinking.
“Why-stacking” to uncover root causes
Inspired by Toyota’s “Five Whys” technique, keep asking why to trace superficial issues to deeper root causes.
This habit cements a problem-solving mindset rather than band-aid fixes.
Celebrate micro-innovations
Instead of waiting for major breakthroughs, recognize small creative tweaks that save time or improve morale.
This habitual spotlight encourages consistent, grassroots innovation.
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