If works feels like a treadmill, here's why—and what to do about it
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Reader, Last month, I had the opportunity to talk strategy with a leader, and my head began to spin listening to him describe his work environment.
The reason behind these patterns is much bigger than this one company. A machine. You’ve probably said or heard statements like: “I don’t have the bandwidth for that.” “We’ve got to dial that in.” “We want to move the needle on this project.” Ever wonder where all these machine metaphors came from? Optimizing for performance. It started in the 1800s when Frederick Winslow Taylor, the creator of Scientific Management, began working in factories. His goal? Monitor every aspect of work and optimize every task. If every minute detail could be performed with maximum efficiency—and done the same way every time—he could predict the factory’s output. It didn’t matter if people understood the how or why of their work. It only mattered that they did it the one right way. From this, the ever-important role of Manager emerged—to tweak, dial things in, and keep everything working like a well-oiled machine. (If you're curious, General Stanley McChrystal does a brilliant job explaining this—and how he transformed teams—in his book, Team of Teams.) Efficient, predictable results. Since the Industrial Revolution, the name of the game has been this: maximize performance to produce efficient, predictable results. So what’s wrong with that? For starters, people don’t like being optimized as if they’re parts in a machine. And more importantly—the world is no longer simple. The speed of change today is staggering. It’s no longer possible to control all the variables in order to produce predictable outcomes. What’s needed now? This world requires a fundamental rewriting of the rules. Instead of trying to control everything, you must:
In short, you need to produce results in the moment:
The magic word: Agency. Agency is the ability to know what to do, why it matters, and take (responsive, aligned) action as a team. Think Navy SEALs. Nimble, quick-acting, effective teams—operating in complete sync with one another—responding to real-time conditions. Making peace. To become a responsive, adaptive leader, you may first need to make peace with the pressure to perform. Many leaders connect their value and identity to one thing: their ability to perform and deliver results. The more predictable, the better. (Like bringing home straight A’s every year, no matter what.) How does that pressure show up for you? Does it ever make you:
I’ve experienced all of these—and more. Every time I obsessed over a goal, I failed to see what I actually needed to do to adapt and respond to the change I faced. A learning metabolism. The leaders of the future—the ones who rise, make an impact, and experience success and meaning—will:
It’s worth noting: Those aligned results may not be the ones that were planned for. The companies of the future will stop obsessing over planning—and spend far more time and energy teaching people how to get results that weren’t planned but were aligned. Equip yourself. You get to decide how you will operate. Start by stepping off the treadmill. Then, commit to becoming a responsive, adaptive, effective leader. One who knows how to make yourself, your team, and your organization successful. Together. Enjoy! Like this content? Please consider sharing it with a Millennial or Gen Z leader you know, and give them the gift of perspective. Follow me on LinkedIn |