I’m often asked, “How do we adopt the PRFAQ framework in our organization?” Product and tech leaders, executives, and other professionals have heard of the PRFAQ. They think it’ll help them and their initiatives. However, when they live in a world of PowerPoint or in an organization that fires first and aims later they don't know where to start. Changing the culture and adopting PRFAQs seems like too tall of a mountain to climb.

Change is never easy, and it won’t happen overnight. It requires intentional dedication from a few committed individuals who will deal with resistance, skepticism, and a team that keeps pushing back to do it “how we've always done it.”

There is no one-size fits all for change, but here are three approaches to help you adopt the PRFAQ framework.

#1 — Start small

For everything in life, it’s better to start small and achieve a small level of success. It keeps you and your team motivated. My first piece of advice is to not adopt the PRFAQ across your entire organization or for the most critical project. Pick a small and manageable project with a limited scope and timeline—call it a “Pilot.” You are learning how to crawl before you walk and run. Pick the people who are likely to engage in productive exploration and will read a book, and learn the framework—your early adopters!

#2 — Treat as an experiment

You must allow room for trial and error. A PRFAQ is not a magic bullet. A big challenge related to change—such as moving from a PowerPoint to a narrative culture—is the ambiguity that’s involved in a new format. No framework or method can be so specific as to eliminate ambiguity. When we are familiar with a system, we don’t realize the ambiguity is there because we learned how to navigate around it. When a new thing comes along, it’s too easy to dismiss it because of the things that are not clear and direct. As you adopt the PRFAQ in a small project, let everybody know the process won’t be smooth. Be realistic and don’t paint a rosy picture. It takes iterating to make it work. Use success stories from other organizations to motivate and engage your team.

#3 — Accept setbacks

Your first half-marathon won’t be your best. You didn’t nail your first job interview. And, the first project that you owned wasn’t a smooth ride. After we get good at something, we look back and clearly see the stepping stones and false starts that took us to where we are. We rarely give ourselves the same grace when looking forward. Adopting the PRFAQ requires patience. It’ll likely take two or three projects before you and your team “get it.” If you abandon it after the first disappointing result, you’ll never reap the benefits of what it will be. It’s important to separate underlying issues at your organization from the issues you are having with the framework. Don’t forget to celebrate the small wins along the way.

Final thoughts

You and your team need to have a curious mindset to benefit from PRFAQs. It takes persistence and iteration to make it work. Set the tone early and often, and ensure people are focusing on the prize, which is discovering, debating, and deciding a project vision and strategy.

If you have questions or ideas on how to get your organization to adopt the PRFAQ, let me know. I’m curious about what you want to try and what you have tried, regardless if it worked or not.

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