Learn by Doing
if you don’t make mistakes, you make nothing at allAt school we are told ‘you learn from your mistakes’. Adults are too often fearful of getting things wrong. Yet it is only by getting lost that you can find a new route. At Toffee Hammer we don’t set out to get things wrong, but we are always open to experimenting - and sometimes this means accepting, and learning from, what doesn't work.
“I am always doing things I can’t do—that’s how I get to do them.”
Picasso
We strive to develop ‘work with’ not ‘work for’ relationships with our clients to fully become part of their team when working on projects. However, in one respect, we maintain the advantage of an ‘outsider’: we don’t have to pretend to know what people are talking about. We can ask the stupid question. Often we are thanked for being bold enough to ask for clarification. Hierarchy can mean everyone nods sagely as their leader speaks, but leave with no idea what the meeting was even about. It seems a lot of people would rather remain ignorant than risk sounding thick.
Doing something new always involves taking risks. We enjoy collaborating with people who share our desire to push at boundaries and not stick with the ‘safe option’. Effective learning and communications need to stand out to cut through the information overload - you can’t afford to be bland. We quickly prototype ideas. This way we can fail fast, learn and refine what works. Failure is just a starting point for success, if it is viewed in the right way.
