The Near Zero Sum Game

Money I give to you, I no longer have. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Your loss is my gain. These are different ways to describe a zero sum gain where benefits to one party automatically detriment the other party. This describes all competitive sports and many business situations. (For an example of a near zero sum game in a business situation see http://blog.inc.com/the-breakthrough-company/2008/01/the_right_kind_of_conflict.html.)

Zero sum games intrinsically create conflict. Although business presenters seem to love to use sports analogies, business situations are usually near zero sum games not complete zero sum games. If we look at ways to balance positives and negatives amongst the involved parties, not all of our gains will be someone else’s losses. Look for ways to come up with win win or both win ideas. The only limit to finding these possibilities is your imagination and ability to openly communicate your ideas.

The Impasse

Two projects need the same person. Two groups need the same physical space. Two departments compete for the same funds. On the surface, impasses appear to have either no way out or no way around.

Nine times out of ten*, impasses are caused by a communication problem that needs to be resolved. That explains why impasses are so hard to overcome. We often don’t view communication as real work. The impasse itself may actually be relatively minor in surmounting once we are truly on the same page with the other person. Put effort into the true work of communication and the impasse will look like an opportunity to deepen a relationship instead of appearing to be an obstacle.


* - feel free to make up your own statistic that means most of the time.

Emotional Sunk Costs

A common negotiation technique is to get someone emotionally involved in an agreement and then make slight adjustments just before agreement closure. The negotiating "victim" hasn't lost anything yet, but since his or her emotions have become involved, pulling out of the deal becomes considerably harder.

In Project Management terms, this would be called a sunk cost. You may have no reason whatsoever to continue along a certain path, but because you have already spent some sum of money (your sunk cost), you feel the path still needs to be followed. A similar phenomena occurs with owning a stock you bought at a certain price. You may be unable to sell it until some profit has been realized even though there are far better places for your investment dollars.

Emotional sunk costs are harder to quantify which often makes them easier to justify. This can be particularly true of work related arguments. The real organizational benefit may now be marginal, but because you've already expended large amounts of emotion and energy, you can't stop. Learning to let go at the right time will reap you large benefits.

Analysis Paralysis

Johann Friedrich von Schiller (not one of my ancestors) said, "He who considers too much will perform little." While it is certainly true that facts are our friends (see http://blog.fastcompany.com/experts/dkarlin/2008/01/leadership_combined_forces_of.html?partner=rss), too much reliance on fact analysis becomes equivalent to lack of decisiveness. A true leader needs the ability to quickly ascertain the pertinent facts and then move on.

You may find yourself questioning decisions because you feel the facts were ignored. This may even be true of decisions that you made. Keep in mind that decisions are made in the gut and not the head. We make decisions first and then think of reasons afterward. This is being smart. If we sifted through all facts and reasonings first, we would never get anything done.

The Zeignarick Effect

The Zeigarnick Effect states that once you've truly made a decision on something, your active memory on the issue shuts down and all creative thinking regarding the matter stops. Therefore, you need to be balanced in your decision making. If you decide too soon, you will not have allowed enough time for creativity. If you wait too long to decide, you will never get anything done.

This highlights another reason that work is more like walking a tightrope than digging a ditch. You need to be balanced in setting the timetable for making decisions. Executive types tend to force decisions as soon as possible. Analytical types tend to put off decisions for as long as possible. You need to strike a balance.

Is the Deadline Real?

Douglas Adams said, “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” (See http://www.pimpyourwork.com/deadlines/) To quote myself, “A deadline becomes truly real when there is a clear commitment on the part of the service provider and a clear expectation on the part of the service recipient.” (See http://www.lulu.com/content/1178752) Although Adams’ comment has more zing to it than mine, are whooshing deadlines real?

If you don’t sacrifice anything when a deadline is missed (including something important like your dignity), the deadline is just a date about as important as keeping track of the anniversary of the third time you took your dog to the vet. Likewise, if the person waiting on your work only gave you the date because they wanted to make sure you’re doing something, the deadline is also arbitrary.

You need true commitment on your part and clear acceptance on your customer’s part for a deadline to be valid. When these valid deadlines go by, there isn’t a whooshing sound, but more of a dull thud.

Appreciate the River

Taking advantage of greater external forces can help achieve momentum. Once you get into a state of momentum, your natural inclination is to continue down that path. It takes effort and willpower to get momentum going in a different direction.

Carmine Coyote wrote an interesting blog entitled "Stop Pushing the River" (http://www.slowleadership.org/blog/?p=363). I'm going to differ from that view slightly. A river (or speaking more dramatically - The River) is one example of a greater external force that we can use advantageously to pick up momentum. A river has a natural ebb and flow to it causing stretches of rapid movement and periods of doldrum. Markets work in a similar fashion. Instead of using that as an excuse for dishonest or unethical activity, you need to appreciate that different action is necessary depending on where you are in the market life cycle. You may recognize the need for training, product development, or change in focus.

Clearly we want to stop pushing The River, however, a more subtle point is to appreciate the River.

PS - Just saw a quote from Dolly Parton that succinctly sums this up: "We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." (See http://selfhelpdaily.com/motivation-from-the-mouths-of-country-legends-and-legends-in-the-making/)

Balancing the Three P's of Labor

A recent post about childbirth at home (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/onbalance/2008/01/birth_business.html) made me think of the three P's of labor: power, passenger, passageway. The three P's originally describe the attributes of giving birth, however, they apply to all labor. Although over fifty percent of the U.S. workforce does professional / clerical work instead of physical labor, the three P's still apply to all work (at least in a conceptual sense).

When you have two resources (passenger and passageway) negotiating for the same space at the same time, balance is needed. Using power (or effort or money) before the passageway (or infrastructure or process) is large enough or the passenger (or people) is ready will lead to avoidable conflict. Here is a clear case for ergolibrium.

Beginner Stuff

Beginners are not stupid, backward, or slow. Beginners do, however, lack knowledge and wisdom. Therefore, while it is vital to ultimately decrease the importance of methodologies (see Pawel Brodzinski's blog that explains why --> http://blog.brodzinski.com/2007/12/clue-of-project-management.html), the beginner requires strict orders to follow.

Ken Blanchard calls this the directive stage of situational leadership. You need to tell the beginner exactly what to do and when to do it. The beginner only wants to hear what they need to know and not endless rhetoric about the background of a problem. The stricter and tighter you make the instructions to the beginner, the faster they will get to the point where they want and need to know more.

Work/Life Balance Versus Ergolibrium (revisited)

On the surface, ergolibrium may sound the same as work/life balance, but it isn't. Ergolibrium focus on keeping our work in balance which is only a subset of work / life balance. It's important to maintain a healthy work/life balance, but keeping each aspect of our lives balanced leads to overall balance. Taken as a discrete unit, our work itself should be balanced. I refer to this as the law of the rubber band. People are like rubber bands; if you leave them lying around, they will go limp; if you challenge them, they will perform; if you stretch them too far, they will break.For a good blog important aspects of work/life balance go to http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-signs-of-work-life-balance-blow-out-and-10-inquiries-for-getting-it-back.html

Note: This corrects the earlier blog on this topic which had an invalid link.

The Benefits of Pain

Ouch! Accidently banging your arm against the sharp corner of a desk stings. Ouch! Being told your presentation lacks zest hurts. Ouch! Finding out your water leak will cost $500 in wasted water alone (not to mention the pipe repair bills) causes pain.

If you consider the real reason for pain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain), you will discover a two fold purpose. Physical pain informs us that some damage has already occurred or that damage may occur in the future. On a physical level, our bodies give us no choice. Our pain receptors immediately inform us of damage or potential damage. On emotional, financial, and other levels, the pain realization may not occur until well after the damage is done.

Therefore, when life (or our work or our current project) gives us a lesson, we need to listen. Since we normally only feel physical pain instantaneously, other forms of pain require us to look further back in time for the right root cause. So while the arm on the sharp corner can easily be remedied, the unenthusiastic presentation, water leak, or work problem may require greater proactivity on our part and more effort to determine the real problem.