In 30 seconds
Most of us have one thing at work we really want to do differently, and somehow don't. Not because we can't, but because something quietly holds us back. Release the handbrake is a 10-workday practice in the People Readiness App™ that helps you find out what that is, and then test it in a small, safe way in your real work. You get one short message each workday, copy a template into your private journal and fill it in. About 5 minutes a day. No new skill to learn: you learn to reach the ones you already have when work gets demanding.
What you get
A clearer picture of what holds you back on one goal that really matters to you
One small, safe test in your daily work that shows whether your worry is justified
A journal of your own observations that you can come back to
The idea behind it
Athletes know the difference between having a skill and being able to use it under pressure. At work it is the same. When change puts people under pressure, capable people often hold back without noticing. They wait, double-check, stay quiet or keep the old way running in parallel. From the outside it can look like reluctance. From the inside it usually feels like caution.
The practice is based on a well-known method by Harvard researchers Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey, called Immunity to Change. Their observation: when we don't do something we genuinely want to do, we are usually protecting something else that matters to us. For example being seen as competent, being needed, or avoiding blame. That protection rests on an assumption we treat as true, such as: "If I let my team decide, I lose my value."
As long as the assumption stays unexamined, the handbrake stays on. You can push harder on the goal, but something keeps pulling back. Once you test the assumption in a small, safe way, it often turns out to be less true than it felt. That is when the handbrake comes off.
How it works
Sign up in the Messenger in the People Readiness App.
Every workday at 8:30 you get one short message with the focus for the day and a text template.
Copy the template into your Daily Journal in the People Readiness App (My Activities, on the right) and fill it in. 5 minutes is enough. On day 5 and day 10, plan 10 to 15 minutes.
After 10 workdays you get a short feedback survey with five questions.
Week 1: uncover what holds you back
Day 1 · Your goal. Choose one thing you want to do more of, or better, that depends on you. For example: let my team decide more, speak up earlier in meetings, try the new tool without a safety net.
Day 2 · What you do instead. Watch yourself honestly for a day. What do you do, or not do, that works against your goal? No judgement, just notice.
Day 3 · What you are protecting. Imagine doing the opposite. What worry or uncomfortable feeling shows up? That worry is useful: it shows what you are protecting.
Day 4 · Your hidden commitment. Turn the worry into a commitment: "I am also committed to …". If you worry about looking incompetent, you are also committed to not looking incompetent. That is not bad. It has simply been working quietly against your goal.
Day 5 · The assumption behind it. Complete the sentence "If I …, then …" and rate how sure you are, from 0 to 10. Then read your week back.
Week 2: test it in your real work
Day 6 · Notice it in action. Catch one moment when your assumption steered what you did.
Day 7 · Look for counter-evidence. Find times when it wasn't true, or people you respect who act differently and are fine.
Day 8 · Design the smallest test. Plan one small, safe test in your normal work within the next two days. Write down what your assumption predicts and what you will watch for.
Day 9 · Run it. Do the test and write down what actually happened, not what you expected.
Day 10 · What you learned. Re-rate your assumption, compare it with day 5 and choose your next step.
An example
Anna leads a team during a system rollout. Her goal: let her team make more decisions instead of checking everything herself. In week one she notices that she steps in on almost every order. On day 3 she writes: "If something goes wrong in the new system, it's on me." On day 5 the assumption becomes clear: "If my team can do this without me, I lose my value." She rates it 8 out of 10.
In week two she designs a small test: for three days, the team approves standard orders without her, and she steps in only on exceptions. Errors stay flat, the team gets faster, and her manager asks her to help design the next phase. On day 10 she rates her assumption 3 out of 10. The handbrake is off.
Tips for doing it well
Choose a goal you really care about. If it is something you only "should" do, the practice has little to work with.
Keep it about you. "My team should communicate better" doesn't work. "I want to raise problems earlier" does.
Be honest in your journal. Nobody else reads it.
Keep the test small. Small enough that nothing serious happens if it goes wrong.
Missed a day? Just continue with the next message. You can pause in the Messenger at any time.
Use the People Readiness App. Add your test from day 8 as an activity, give it one of your tags and mark it with a heart, flame or line afterwards.
Your privacy
What you write stays in your private Daily Journal in the People Readiness App. Please don't send your goal, worries or assumption via the Messenger: it only carries the daily prompts and the final survey. Your journal entries never appear in team reports or in the People Readiness Score. People with team access only see how many hearts, flames and lines a team gave per tag, never anything at individual level and never anything you write. From the practice itself, we only count how many people took part, and only for teams of 5 or more.
Taking it to your team
The same method works for teams. If your team is stuck on a goal everyone agrees on, try this 20-minute version in your next team meeting or People Readiness Huddle:
Goal (3 min): write the shared goal on top: "We want to …"
What we do instead (4 min): collect behaviours that work against it. Behaviour only, no names, no blame.
Worry box (5 min): ask "If we did the opposite, what would worry us?" Collect answers anonymously if needed.
Our assumption (4 min): turn the strongest worry into one sentence: "We assume that if we …, then …"
Smallest test (4 min): agree one safe test for the next three weeks, with an owner, a date and what counts as evidence.
Start the next meeting with the result of the test. Two rules: work only with worries the team shares, and never record individual statements. If a worry points to a real risk, such as a known conflict, don't treat it as an assumption to disprove. Name it and take it to the right person.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to finish all 10 days? No. Week one alone often brings useful clarity. You can pause and pick up again later.
What if I can't find an assumption? That is common. Go back to day 3 and ask yourself: "What would be the worst thing about doing the opposite?" The assumption usually sits right behind that answer.
Can my manager see what I write? No. Your journal is private.
What comes after day 10? Run your next test, bring it to your next People Readiness Huddle, or start a new round with another goal.
Is this therapy? No. It is a practical tool for work. If something comes up that feels heavy, talk to your coach or use your company's support offer.