Understanding Organizational Friction
Friction can be beneficial in the right situation; in the wrong situation, it can be detrimental. Understanding the difference between the two is essential.
- Constructive friction is friction purposely designed into the process to support organizational goals. It helps slow down the process to aid decision-making, prevent errors, or lead to better outcomes.
- Destructive friction is an unnecessary obstacle that slows down and frustrates people who are trying to achieve the proper outcomes. Examples include operational inefficiencies that have never been appropriately addressed or dealt with.
Bob Sutton, an organizational psychologist, describes the goal as making the right things easy and the wrong things hard. We need to simplify processes for legitimate, productive activities and introduce obstacles to harmful or unethical activities. He talks about the diagnostic skills required for what he calls a Friction Fixer.
It starts with two questions,
- Do I know what I'm doing? This question is designed to help you decide whether you need to act quickly or slow down and be more deliberate.
- Is this decision reversible? This question helps you identify the consequences of your decision. If it's easily reversible, you can work quickly and iterate as you gather more information. If it is not, you should use caution and do your due diligence before making a decision.
It's important to examine how decisions are made within an organization, determine whether the friction we introduce through the development of new processes will create beneficial or destructive friction, and then make those decisions accordingly. It's also important to respect the complexities of human and organizational dynamics.