Friction or Flow

Here's a good self evaluation for work: are you generating friction or promoting flow?

A lot of times, as organizations adapt and grow and change, people introduce process. Then more. Then even more. Until eventually, people or teams of people become blockers and not facilitators. Often, it's a matter of an imbalance between what someone might need and what the team or person feels they want in place to faciliate that request. Checks. Balances.

It's Not All or Nothing, Obviously

When we implemented our new budgeting and spending policies at work, people reacted with frustration. "We used to be able to buy whatever we needed, as long as it made sense." Well sure. That works reasonably okay at a 100 person or smaller company. Once you grow, you need some processes in place.

The way I look at that, if you have 100% flow in those circumstances, people will crash (in my example, spend money they shouldn't and put some part of the company's efforts at risk.)

So there has to be some friction.

But there also has to be some flow. One huge problem companies get into as they grow is they "corporatize" things to a level that becomes unwieldy. Suddenly, nothing can get done. People lock up. Analysis paralysis becomes something we do on days that end in "y." (This joke works better in English.)

Without flow, everything's a slog. It's like learning to ride a bike on a lawn. It's like air travel. It's like Brazil . (The movie. Don't fight me.)

Be the Enemy of Friction - But With Intent

Want to know a way to weed out friction? Ask how many hands have to touch something before it is considered "done?" And then, ask how critical that thing is compared to how many hands had to touch it? Is it something small and trivial? Let two people or fewer decide. Is it acquiring another company? I suspect we do even that act with fewer people than some of our processes at present.

Everywhere you see this, chop it down. Find a faster way. A flow-ier way. A smooth way through.

Make the intent to make the best possible version of a process. If you have to do it more than twice, a process is probably important. But if you have to do it more than ten or so times, make it the best version of that process ever.

Don't Complain - Recommend

Sometimes, something dumb goes on, and it's really dumb. But no one exactly knows. The person who was impacted knows, and maybe they go off and complain to someone else. And it's okay to complain more or less. But if you want to change anything, you've got to recommend.

"Hey, this process is really dumb to me. It takes five steps for something tiny. I dunno. Maybe it's just me? Can you explain it?"

That's where magic happens.

I tell people at work that I love Coupa. Coupa is our expense management system (whatever they call it - I went to their website, and it made even less sense). I didn't love Coupa when it launched. There were a few things that didn't work well for people. For me, anyway.

But now, I LOVE Coupa. It's fixed. It works amazingly. By the way, I didn't recommend anything. Smarter people than me figured out the fixes. But you know what? That's a friction process that actually flows. It's crazy to say, "I love filling out my expense reports." NO ONE SAYS THAT.

It's because we made the process work super well.

Are you Here to Promote Flow?

I don't think people aim to be the brakes on work. But some people end up that way. Some teams. Some processes.

The title of this letter to you is all you have to talk through: are you promoting friction or flow?

Can you maintain the balance?

Because you know what sucks? Teams led and driven by friction and roadblocks. Know what's awesome? Teams that work together and make work flow.

Chris...