Working in Layers
Discover more from Fixed to Flow
👋 Hey there,
We all know that linearity doesn't work in the uncertain world we live in, but many leaders keep enforcing it. Well, it's not even leadership; it's bad management.
The only way to adapt to the current pace of change, both as individuals and as organizations, is to adopt a fluid mindset that allows us to flow through continuous challenges.
We can and should plan for the future, but we need to stay nimble. We need to be ready for endless waves of innovation.
Imagine this scenario: You've just stepped into a new leadership position, and you're working with a team of talented professionals but who lack the proper foundations to work as a team. You've identified x key areas for improvement, from day-to-day tasks to professional development and strategy. You also know that your core business can change from one day to another.
In the old way of doing things, you would assess the situation, grade the key areas and address them one by one. Maybe a couple of them at a time.
Nowadays, you're preparing people for constant change at all levels, which is exactly how you should act as a leader. You need to alternate between many key areas, improving them incrementally. You need to work in layers.
It's like trying to juggle a bunch of balls simultaneously — instead of going all out with one ball, you give each of them a little push. It is as hard as it seems, but the benefits speak for themselves:
Continuity. Focusing on multiple aspects ensures any setback doesn't significantly affect the whole.
Adaptability. Working in increments lets you easily adjust and pivot while moving the needle.
Productivity. Improving the different moving parts in parallel will result in immediate gains.
Efficiency. Experimenting constantly allows you to build highly efficient and interconnect teams and processes.
Tangibility: Optimizing on multiple fronts makes the improvements highly visible and gets you buy-in.
This approach triggers a continuous adaptation mindset and allows people to chip in at any moment to contribute to the momentum you have started. It increases motivation, enhances collaboration, and prepares the team to face any challenge.
Soon the team will "steal" initiatives from you and create better solutions than you envisioned. Be grateful for it; your mission as a leader is to empower people and organizations, not to feed your ego.
In other words, you're helping to fix the engine without stopping the car. And who knows, you may end up working on a "spaceship" without even noticing.
Stay strong, Gus