Running a Pilot

How to demonstrate value, build confidence, and set up a successful rollout

A well-designed pilot is the fastest way to demonstrate the value of Squadify, build internal confidence, and create advocates for wider rollout.

The goal of a Squadify pilot is to:

• Prove impact in a small, credible sample
• Build familiarity and confidence among leaders and teams
• Generate evidence to inform deployment decisions
• Identify what support model works best for your organisation

Most successful pilots are intentionally small, diverse, and well-supported.

What makes a successful pilot

A strong pilot includes a small number of well-chosen teams, is supported by clear sponsorship, focuses on learning (not perfection), and is aligned to an existing organisational priority.

The pilot is not about testing the technology — it is about understanding how Squadify works in your organisational context.

Selecting teams for the pilot

Team selection is one of the biggest determinants of pilot success. We recommend including a mix of team types, such as:

• Mission-critical or high-visibility teams
• A mix of high, medium, and lower-performing teams
• Teams led by both new and experienced leaders
• A mix of established teams and teams with new leaders
• A range of functions, including cross-functional teams

This diversity helps demonstrate that Squadify works across contexts and avoids the pilot being dismissed as "unrepresentative".

Engaging key stakeholders early

Successful pilots typically involve early engagement with stakeholders who will later influence rollout decisions, including:

• Resources — e.g. L&D, HR, internal coaches, budget holders
• Impact owners — e.g. business or functional leaders
• Data & security — e.g. IT, InfoSec, Legal

Early visibility builds trust and reduces friction when moving beyond the pilot.

Choosing support models for the pilot

Pilots are often used to test different deployment options, such as Power Bundle, Cohort (SquadBot-led), and Internal Coach-supported. Using different support models within a pilot can help you understand what works best for different team types, build internal coaching capability, and make informed decisions about scale-up.

What to measure during a pilot

Squadify pilots are typically evaluated across three dimensions:

1. Participation & engagement

• Completion rates
• Willingness to provide honest input
• Repeat participation across cycles

2. Progress over time

• Changes in team scores across cycles
• Movement in Clarity, Climate, and Competence
• Emerging patterns across teams

3. Organisational insight

• Common strengths and challenges across teams
• "Hot spots" that indicate development priorities
• Evidence to inform leadership and L&D strategy

Enterprise-level reporting enables this analysis without exposing individual team data.

Common pilot pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

• Choosing only "safe" or high-performing teams
• Under-supporting team leaders during the first cycle
• Treating the pilot as a one-off event
• Using pilot data to judge teams rather than learn

Clear positioning, appropriate support, and strong sponsorship help avoid these pitfalls.

What a pilot typically produces

By the end of a pilot, organisations typically have clear evidence of impact at team and cohort level, a shared understanding of how Squadify fits their context, identified exemplar teams and leaders, informed decisions about deployment models and scale, and increased internal confidence and demand.

At this point, organisations are well-placed to move from pilot to rollout.