Force Multipliers: A Key Resource for Achieving More

Have you every thrown a tennis ball so many times that your arm hurts? The ball is so light that ?your arm moves quickly without the weight resistance of say, a baseball. Dogs who love to play fetch just can’t get enough of chasing the ball you throw, repeatedly bringing it back for another turn. After a few minutes, the muscles in your arm become overstretched and sore.?

Charlie the Dog (who lives in New York State with my parents) does not care one bit about my father’s arm: his demand exceeds the supply of Dad’s shoulder. What to do? Sometimes other people can throw the ball, it can be thrown a shorter distance, or Dad can just quit throwing. Of this, Charlie does not approve.?

You may have seen various “tennis ball throwers”, either automated or manual, but my favorite is the long stick with a cupped end that allows you to slot in the ball and throw it a greater distance?with minimal effort. It essentially extends the lever (Dad’s arm) by 2-3 feet, increasing the output speed. This is a “Force Multiplier” - a tool that multiplies the affect of physical force beyond what you’d be able to generate in a normal circumstance. With the tool, Dad can throw long enough to satisfy Charlie, and without pain or soreness.?

According to the United States Department of Defense, a Force Multiplier is “a capability that, when added to and employed by a combat force, significantly increases the combat potential of that force and thus enhances the probability of successful mission accomplishment.” A great military example of this is mid-air refueling tankers. With them, the effective range of aircraft is extended; a strategic advantage.?

Force Multipliers are all around us. We see them in sports, vehicles, and tools. We use them around our houses to automate tasks (washing machines and dishwashers) and in professional settings to improve workflow.?For you, a force multiplier might be a process, a tool, a software, a person, or a strategy.?

The most effective tools multiply the forces involves to the greatest magnitude.

Examples of Professional Force Multipliers

Let’s consider a few Force Multipliers in the professional world:

1. Effective Meetings

Sounds simple, right? Take a hard look at the next routine meeting you attend and think about how much much time is wasted in bloated agendas and side-talk. Next, consider how much more could be done with that time, or the time saved. When our company started, there was so much to do that we only ever had time for 30 minute meetings before another one started. This led to a culture of super-focused meetings, driven by powerhouse project managers. It makes a huge difference with what we’re able to get done.?

2. Customer Feedback and Iteration

Consider how successful companies 100 years ago engaged with their customers, let alone acted on customer feedback and insights. Now, organizations are able to leverage unimaginable amounts of data to tweak their product and service offerings, and rapidly. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has dramatically changed the landscape. Not surprisingly, companies that engage their customers actively and develop relationships with them perform better and last longer.?

3. Waste Into Revenue

The examples are everywhere. Breweries sell the by-products of the beer-making process to farmers. Bakeries sell over-cooked treats as unique creations instead of pitching them. Jimmy Johns sells day-old bread at a discount. A private school allows parent volunteers (who need service hours) to clean its bathrooms instead of hiring a cleaning company Instead of paying someone to deal with an “undesirable” by-product of your business, monetize it.?

4. Location

Food trucks have this one figured out. Next time you fly into a major airport, take a look at how many shipping warehouses and fulfillment centers are clustered nearby. It’s not an accident. Bail bond shops litter the landscape near large jails. Bars and restaurants position themselves near sports venues and parks. Does your organization have an opportunity to leverage its operations through location?

People as Force Multipliers

Have you worked in an environment where someone was added to the team, and by their sheer presence, greatly increased the morale, productivity, and capacity of the team on the whole? On paper, that person is just another team member, but their output and contributions multiply the effectiveness and value add of the team.?

Edwin Friedman discusses this idea in his book “A Failure of Nerve.” He suggests that electricity and voltage are good ways to think about the effects of a transformative person. Most people know that the voltage of electricity coming into their home is 110 volts. However, to carry the electricity to their front door, the power lines are energized at 11,000 volts to increase range and decrease cost. One hundred times less is a significant reduction in voltage. It requires the use of a “step-down” transformer. It works the other way too, in the form of a “step up” transformer.?

Transformative people are similar to transformers: For “Step Up” people, energy goes into them at 110 volts and out of them at 11,000. They have the same inputs as everyone else, but their output is orders of magnitude above the norm. Perhaps you’ve been fortunate to work with people like this. They make everything (and everyone) around them that much better.?

There is a place for step-down transformative people as well. That same transformer on your house that protects your light bulbs from 11,000 volts has a human corollary. A leader insulate a team from the 11,000 volts flowing from the C-suite and divide that power into safe portions.?

What about you? How can you be a force multiplier in your organization? Will you be the step-up transformer who energizes your team? Can you insulate them from power surges of upper management? Will you significantly increase the potential of your team and greatly increase the chances of mission success??

Charlie thanks you for reading. Please like, comment, share, and subscribe.?