We Let Our Good Experience Get in the Way of Our Better Experience
It’s easy to get trapped by what we know works. But in transport, familiarity can become a constraint.
Coventry’s Very Light Rail team faced this when their innovation clashed with the standard process. As Angus Brummitt-Brown put it: “We let our good experience get in the way of better experience.”
It’s a quietly brilliant line - and a common trap. If your rulebook assumes heavy rail or 1990s-style tram construction, you’ll never imagine a system that costs less and builds faster.
Take Action
If you’re a leader:
Next time you’re reviewing a business case, pilot proposal or procurement plan, ask: “What assumption here might no longer be true?” Insert the challenge early, while change is still cheap.
If you’re a team member:
Spot the moment when someone says “we’ve done it before.” That’s your cue to ask: “What would we do if we hadn’t?