Sometimes, you have to go down the wrong path for a while to give others time to come around to new ideas. While a direct approach may work in some scenarios, there are instances where a more nuanced, gradual approach, termed here as the “slow burn,” proves to be more effective. The essence of the slow burn lies in planting the seeds of new ideas and allowing them to grow within the team over time until a collective realization emerges. Recently, we’ve used this strategy with our clients. We wanted to share our experiences as a case study for the slow burn approach.
Case 1: Shifting Away From Global State In Redux
In a project centered around React/Redux, a common practice was the extensive use of global data facilitated by Redux. While this practice had its merits, it also had its challenges, particularly around the predictability of logic. The idea was not to push for abandoning Redux, but to foster a change in how we use the tool to avoid the “miscellaneous bucket of state” anti-pattern.
By sharing thoughts on the potential downsides of the global state during casual discussions, the seed of thought was planted. We continued following the same pattern for several months without pushing hard against it. Over time, as the team navigated through various coding challenges, the discussions around state management organically resurfaced, allowing us to offer clear alternatives to a more captive audience.
Case 2: Nurturing a Shift in Testing Approaches
In another project with a strong emphasis on testing, Snapshot Testing was a conventional practice throughout the organization. While this method served its purpose, there were discussions around its cost/value trade-off, especially when testing UI views.
Instead of pushing for an immediate shift in testing practices, the approach was to share insights on alternative testing methods during team discussions / code reviews. Once again, we didn’t push hard for the alternatives. We merely wanted to introduce the ideas. As the team encountered the limitations of Snapshot Testing in their own work over time, the conversations around alternative testing approaches naturally evolved. The slow burn here allowed the team to gradually explore and warm up to other testing techniques that could potentially offer better value.
The Slow Burn
In both of the cases above, there was a strong dose of hesitation around changing how things were done. Pushing hard against those forces would have surely created entrenched interests and delayed progress.
The slow burn approach is about nurturing a conducive environment for change rather than enforcing it. It’s about fostering a culture of open discussion, sharing insights, and letting new ideas simmer within the team until they are ready to explore them further. Through subtle mentorship, sharing experiences, and keeping the channels of communication open, teams can organically move towards adopting practices that align better with the evolving challenges of the project.
This gentle, patient approach respects the learning curve and the inherent resistance to change, ensuring that when the shift happens, it’s well-understood and embraced by the team. The slow burn is not just a method but a mindset that values the process of collective realization, making the journey towards change as enriching as the destination.