[Experiment] If I learn 'Theory U', will it lead to innovation in my career?

I have decided to participate in the designated project for the 4th term of the New Way of Working LAB: 'Business Philosophy: If I learn business philosophy, will my career improve?'!

(I am also working on a book-themed project as an independent initiative.)

I am someone who has a truly overwhelming amount of unread books... Even when I do manage to read them, I struggle with how to apply what I've learned to my daily life (in fact, there are some books I've read but have already forgotten the content of), so this project was a theme I really wanted to tackle.

Purpose and Background of the Experiment

I struggled quite a bit when choosing the assigned reading, but I decided to choose 'Theory U' (hereinafter referred to as 'this book'), which I had tried to read in 2016 after a former boss recommended it to me, but hadn't been able to finish.

As for my current situation,

・In terms of freelance revenue, I have 'Client Work ↔ In-house Services'
・In client work, I have 'Client ↔ Staff' and 'President ↔ Member' relationships
・In my private life, I have 'Childcare ↔ Work'

It feels like I am in a state where I am managing resources for multiple human relationships and multiple tasks simultaneously every single day. In a situation where I tend to be chased and pushed around by time, I am hoping that 'Theory U' might provide some hints on how to control these things well and achieve everything rather than choosing between A or B!

What I want to verify

'Theory U' is defined as follows:

Therefore, the theme for this project is to apply what I have learned from this book to my surrounding circumstances (achieving revenue through the two axes of client work and in-house services, balancing childcare and work, etc.) with the goal of creating innovation that is not an extension of the past, and I will record those changes.

Overview of Activities

I will proceed with the activities in the following two stages.

• Read the book

• At the monthly review meeting, present: 1) what I learned from the book, and 2) the current issues and solutions I identified through that learning.

Outputs and Results

I will mainly share the status of the experiment through monthly reports on note.

• After each monthly review meeting, write about what I learned and practiced on note.

• Looking back over the five months until November, what kind of innovation was I able to spark? (What changes occurred that would not have happened if I hadn't read Theory U?)

How to measure the experiment

I will look at the following changes over the six-month period.

• How has my situation as a freelancer changed?

• How has my situation regarding client work changed?

• How has my private life situation changed?

Schedule and approach

I am thinking of the following approach for the six-month activity period (June to November).

• June: Start reading (grasp the overview of what the theory is)

• July-October: Recall and practice the theory in daily life & present at reflection meetings

• November: Verify results (verify how much innovation actually occurred in my career over the six months)

Summary

As a career consultant, I provide career counseling for freelancers and working moms. Among them, I feel that many people, such as moms and dads overwhelmed by balancing childcare and work, or parallel workers like freelancers and those with side jobs, have the common struggle of 'being chased by multiple daily routines and lacking time and mental resources...!!'

What should you do to feel fulfilled in your work and work with less stress? If you would like to take a step back and assess your situation, please join a trial session (60 minutes, free) 💁

I hope to use myself as an experimental subject and share the insights I gain through coaching as well. Look forward to future developments!