Perhaps the best way to work on something big is to take small steps. Honestly the steps cannot be small enough. The smaller the better.
Intimately connected to these small steps are the feedback loops. The things you learn by doing the small steps, incorporating it into your process, and improving again. If there is a single way to optimize the learning rate it is to take small steps. Big enough that you do something new, but small enough to limit the newness of the things you’ll be doing. When learning something new take a small break, and think about the smallest thing you can possibly do. Then do it, take a step back, reflect, and continue.
Knowing a thing is one thing; doing it is something completely different. Time and time again I have to learn this lesson again, take the smallest step you can possibly make and reassess. Oftentimes I’m taking a bite much larger than I can chew on, grind to a halt, have to spit it out and start all over again.
As it happens this is something kids need a little help with. To approach problems in byte sized chunks, not having to choke on life. Some among us never had this sort of guidance, and it shows in the workplace. Yes, I know you are able to, yes you are competent, but no, we’re still going to approach this project in the smallest steps possible. Baby steps.
Being able to work in small iterations is a delight. It makes life simpler, and we do not have to choke. Through it we’re able to make sense of a highly unpredictable world. We’re able to share the burden / responsibility of sensemaking, and fail together, fast.