9 Thought Experiments for Individual and Team Coaching

I’m Pavel, an Engineering Manager at Wrike, and I’m responsible for people, product, and processes in a dedicated unit of three cross-functional teams focused on product growth. Since I work closely with these teams and other Engineering Managers, I often find myself in a coaching role.

How can I explain a complex problem in simple words? How do I approach a stubborn person while challenging their decisions? How can I help people see and understand the bigger picture and empower them to make a decision?

I came up with several thought experiments for individual or team coaching that you might find inspiring, as well. Give them a try even during your next 1:1 or team retrospective to explore yourself and your teams a bit further.

1. The Candy Test: Do you know your true relationships with your colleagues? When you see an unread message from a colleague, what is your emotion before you open it? With some, I feel good — they need me, and I need them. With others, I worry — they only message me if something has happened. With some others, I feel nothing, because I feel they don’t care about me. With my mentor, I feel like I’m going to open a piece of candy — there’s always something interesting inside, and it’s just for me.
2. The Mall Test: How much exploration do you have in life or at work? When you have a goal, how do you approach it? In a shopping mall, if you have 30 minutes and need to get new jeans, you head straight to the map and then to a store. If you have a few hours, you can walk around and explore, but your focus remains on finding those jeans. However, if you have an eternity, you can follow your heart. You explore the environment, you listen to yourself, you might start at the cinema, or you might begin with something small, knowing that eternity will guide you through the entire mall and that there is no need to worry.
3. The Joystick Test: Do you have the appropriate tools? You wouldn’t use a joystick to drive a car — it’s challenging because you lack feedback. Similarly, you wouldn’t use a large steering wheel to play with small RC cars — it’s difficult because it’s too slow. Running a company or a project with micro-level tools will not work, just as managing a team or a task with a high-level vision alone will not suffice.
4. The Tram Test: Which direction do you look? In a tram, you don’t choose the direction it moves, but you can choose where to direct your gaze. If you look only forward, everything rushes towards you and quickly disappears behind, but you constantly encounter new sights. Additionally, you can anticipate the next stop in advance. On the other hand, if you look only backward, you see everything you have passed, allowing you to observe details and witness new things being added along the way. However, you may miss your stop since you can only see it after you have already passed it.
5. The Cash Desk Test: Do you deal with tech or process debt? In a supermarket, when a cashier doesn’t sort the coins from a customer immediately, they risk getting lost when looking for change for the next customer. This could result in spending extra time off the clock sorting the coins later on. Instead, the cashier does it right away, even if there are 40 customers in line. Somehow, everyone still manages to purchase what they need before the supermarket closes.
6. The World Map Test: Do you use appropriate abstractions? The world map was never intended for finding a specific route from one point to another; its purpose is to explain the picture of the world. To navigate and find a specific route, people use maps with smaller scales. When designing a solution, it is essential to consider whether your abstractions are at the appropriate level. Are you capturing the right level of detail and granularity for the problem at hand?
7. The Students Test: Do you trust people’s choices? In the past, students had the freedom to choose any discipline they wanted to study at university. Theoretically, they could combine seemingly unrelated subjects, such as the physiology of frogs and jurisprudence. However, in practice, they were still committed by their time and effort, so they made choices that made sense. Why would people choose nonsense now when they are committed, as well?
8. The Emperor Test: What’s your definition of success? Throughout history, conquerors have been renowned for building vast empires and achieving victories often without considering the costs associated with their conquests. In contrast, Egypt’s pharaohs were considered successful when their rule brought about an absence of war and hunger. How do you personally define success? Is it primarily based on tangible results, or do you also consider the environment you create and the impact on others?
9. The Dentist Test: Do you remember to address your bigger problems? When you lose a tooth, the remaining teeth endure a higher workload and can become damaged. Additionally, they may shift out of their proper positions. Neglecting the care of the missing tooth puts the others at risk. Merely eating less is not sufficient. This applies to teamwork, as well. It’s not just about balancing the workload but also about addressing the gaps.

These tests are based on my observations and have helped me challenge certain decisions, explore my teams and myself, and create development plans by explaining complex concepts from a simpler perspective.

I was curious to try the Candy Test and to gain insights into who my “candies” are. I felt relieved when I found the World Map Test as a simpler tool to negotiate scope complexity. And I started using the Emperor Test for self-reflection, aiming to align my guiding principles with it.

I’d like to encourage you to explore your role and your teams, so give these tests a try during your next 1:1 or team retrospectives. Share your feedback and provide your own examples!