You’d never buy a car without taking it for a test drive. It’s a big purchase and you’ll likely have it for several years. Never mind that it’s guaranteed to work as advertised and get you from Point A to Point B, you’ll still get in, poke around, see how it feels, count the cup holders, and take it out on the road.

I’m a big fan of test drives and here are two situations where they should be used.

Process Changes

When you want to change the way lots of people work together (e.g., establish new practices, create a new form, shift responsibilities), it’s not unlike buying a new car. It’s a big investment and you’ll likely be stuck with the changes for several years. But unlike a car, your changes are not even guaranteed to work as advertised. 

Before you finalize decisions on process changes, let some people climb in, poke around, and see if the planned changes actually get them from Point A to Point B. Let them test drive the new approach and see if it feels right.

Problem Solving

The test drive is important for problem solving as well. When a light doesn’t work and you replace the light bulb, you don’t just walk away; you flip the switch to see if your solution worked. A burned out bulb may not have been the cause of the problem.

When you are trying to solve problems at work (e.g., performance, process, and product problems), especially when lots of people, money, or delays are involved, the sooner you can test drive your proposed solution, the better.

Put more emphasis on test drives and you will avoid implementing a lot of “improvements” and “solutions” that are neither!