Small Wins

What are Small Wins?

Small wins are small but profound changes with tangible and visible results for salient stakeholders, new practices involving radically different models, insights and values. Examples include a policy tool, a technology, a revenue model or chain collaboration. Small wins have a ‘disruptive’ effect and thus show that barriers can be broken, such as ingrained routines or existing regulations. Small wins are those that contribute to a shared ambition or desired system change.

The Small Wins approach is an answer to the issue of how to address so-called wicked problems without becoming immobilised by the size and complexity of the issue or, on the contrary, becoming too overconfident by greatly simplifying the problem. Wicked problems are complex social problems involving many actors with conflicting values and goals – problems that cannot always be narrowly formulated and are also constantly changing, which makes it difficult to state that the problem has been solved, and where there is actually always room for improvement. To rise above the reflex of apathy or over-simplification, a guiding perspective for transitions has been developed through accumulating small wins. This guiding perspective takes the view that small incremental changes can be transformative: small but profound steps can eventually lead to large-scale change. This does not necessarily mean this method is inherently slower than large-scale change; in fact, incremental steps often lead to fundamental change faster because, unlike large-scale change, they elicit less resistance. Focusing on small steps also prevents procrastination; parties do not have to wait for all the information and discuss the issue at length but can already take action to see what that achieves.

How do you use Small Wins?
Because small wins often evolve spontaneously at a local, small-scale level, strategic planning of small wins is difficult. Nonetheless, a three-phase approach has been developed for small wins to identify, instigate and ensure large-scale breakthroughs.

Identify and assign value to small wins

Small wins are not always recognised, so their strength is not reflected in evaluations. Small wins can be identified by four crucial characteristics.

1. They are tangible results as opposed to promises and creative ideas.
2. Small wins involve a profound, radical change in routines, practices, beliefs or values. They are therefore not low-hanging fruit, easy-to-achieve results. Small wins are ‘disruptive’.
3. They often take place at a local or micro level because that is where the complexity of the issue can be turned into action. Small wins should not be confused with best practices, as there is always room for improvement in wicked problems.
4. They contribute positively to change from a shared ambition.

Small wins have different manifestations, not only pilots and experiments, but also citizens’ initiatives or local approaches on issues such as sustainability.

Deploy the right mechanisms to achieve transformative change

There are five mechanisms to spread small wins, make them stronger and in turn drive other small wins:

1. Energising: making the result of the small win visible so that people are energised by it, become inspired, and see that change is within reach. This creates a self-reinforcing process of commitment, optimism and confidence. This positive energy lies in the technical aspect (it was a success) as well as the social aspect (we succeeded in doing it).
2. Learning by doing/experimenting: because a small win has a tangible payoff, it becomes clear what can and cannot be achieved. This leads not only to a learning effect but also to reflection on what you imagine is possible and your own actions towards achieving it. The local and small-scale nature of small wins also makes participants more willing to take risks to try things out.
3. Logic of attraction: winners have appeal, a small win attracts attention and resources, allowing slightly ‘bigger’ wins to be pursued or newer small wins to be initiated. Because of the ‘smallness’, there is generally no opposition and no barriers are put up that make it harder to achieve the next small win.
4. Bandwagon effect/oil-spot effect: the small win can be emulated by other people because it serves as an example and conveys the idea that change is possible. This can also generate critical mass that eventually triggers a broader transformation.
5. Coupling: connecting multiple small wins, especially where they intersect with problem areas that are normally separate, e.g. climate, urban environment and wellbeing.

These mechanisms can create a quality of irreversibility that is able to absorb resistance as small wins become more visible. This robustness stems from the number of (coherent) small wins and the fact that certain behaviours have already been internalised. This can provide a firmer foundation than gunning for one big solution that more often than not elicits firm resistance.

The accumulation of small wins to large-scale deep transformations can occur through three transition paths:

1. Expanding: scale up or roll out the innovation by applying it elsewhere. For example, from 1 to 1650 repair cafés in 35 countries.
2. Broadening: applying an innovation to other areas and connecting it to other issues. For example, linking repair cafés to thrift shops, learning kits for schools, social meeting places in deprived neighbourhoods, and so on.
3. Deepening: making innovation even more radical. For example, repair cafés keep lists of repairs that provide input for re-design production processes.

Ensure that results influence policy so that new small wins are incentivised

The starting point in the Small Wins approach is that evaluation is a continuous process and not episodic. That does, however, require attention to those small wins in policy. This can be done by highlighting inspiring examples and a reflective attitude among stakeholders on how the insights in the small win translate into breaking barriers and influencing policy, from agenda-setting to implementation.

For the purpose of such reflection, a collaborative conversation on the success of small wins can be initiated based on the following questions:

• What is the tangible result and to whom is it visible?
• To what extent is it a small step towards transition and why?
• What mindset shift has been achieved and what is the story behind this?
• What tensions with existing beliefs, rules, technology, resources and financial models were encountered, what barriers were overcome and how was this done?
• Which government interventions have helped, intentionally or unintentionally?
• How are social and technical innovations connected?
• What examples or ideas are there for expanding, broadening and deepening?
• What is needed for this?

What is the origin of the Small Wins approach?
Katrien Vermeer, key author of the Small Wins approach, puts it as follows “The Small Wins approach is based on three theories. Organisational psychologist Karl Weick’s research shows that what you want to achieve becomes more sharply defined when you take practical action. If you try to solve the world food problem all at once, you become overwhelmed. People are unable to think logically and tend to use abstract words. The second theory is appreciative enquiry. By focusing too much on the problem, you mostly create additional problems. But if you focus on ambitions and opportunities, that is precisely where the possibilities will grow. And finally, Lindblom’s muddling through theory that proposes that in politically sensitive environments, you will ultimately achieve more by moving forward in small steps” (see link for interview).