# Try vs Do By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-05-24 Within the Star Wars universe, to _try_ is held in low esteem. In _The Empire Strikes Back_, Yoda admonished Luke, “Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.” That perspective reflects that to try is to set the stage for eventual failure. There is something to that position. But, like nearly any advice one receives from a Muppet, there are likely limits to its rational application. In many human endeavors, it is beneficial to try rather than commit fully to doing. This is perhaps especially the case within organizations. Often, we don’t know what we are doing, and we don’t know that changes based on implicit theories will make things better in practice. To _do_ is a commitment. To _try_ is an experiment. There are important differences between those in power declaring, “we are going to do this,” as opposed to “we are going to try this.” To try something is to explore together the potential of something new. It allows one to attempt progress without burning the bridge to the past. To try is to admit we don’t know if we can, or even if we would want to sustain doing so if we are capable. But to try also indicates that we want to find out. There is a time for commitment. When that time is at hand, _do_. There is a time for exploration. When it is that time, _try_. It is possible to try and do amazing things in solidarity. Analysis can help inform organizational understanding of these attempts. #### Related Items [[Analytics]] [[Organization]] [[Try]] [[Action]] [[Experiments]]