Sunday Pick: Friction 101: How to make the right things easier and wrong things harder | Fixable
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What is the main focus of Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao's work in 'The Friction Project'?
Their work focuses on reducing bad friction in organizations and increasing good friction to make the right things easier and the wrong things harder.
How do Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao define friction in the workplace?
Friction is defined as obstacles that make it harder for employees or teams to do what they want to do, potentially infuriating or exhausting them.
What is an example of bad friction in the workplace?
An example of bad friction is when employees feel overwhelmed by trivial tasks, such as excessive Slack messages, leading to frustration and exhaustion.
What is the 'subtraction mindset' advocated by Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao?
The subtraction mindset involves eliminating unnecessary activities and negative feelings associated with being overwhelmed at work, giving employees the gift of time.
What is the 'rule of halves' mentioned in the conversation?
The rule of halves suggests cutting work burdens by 50%, such as reducing the number of standing meetings or the length of emails, to improve efficiency and employee well-being.
How does the concept of 'love' apply to organizational design according to Todd Park?
Todd Park argues that starting with the notion of love, imagining the person you're helping as a loved one, can lead to better design of interactions and software, improving both efficiency and mental health.
What is 'jargon monoxide' and why is it problematic?
Jargon monoxide refers to language that bores, confuses, and overwhelms people, often because a word means different things to different people, leading to noise and inefficiency.
What is an example of good friction in the workplace?
Good friction includes processes that are intentionally slow because they are hard and need careful attention, such as creativity or solving complex problems, which should not be hurried.
How does the concept of 'savoring' relate to good friction?
Savoring involves slowing down to enjoy good moments, which is beneficial for mental health. For example, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands introduced a slow lane for elderly customers to chat with clerks, enhancing the shopping experience.
What is the biggest takeaway from the conversation about friction in organizations?
The biggest takeaway is the importance of being a trustee of others' time, eliminating bad friction, and introducing good friction to create conditions that foster curiosity and generosity in employees.
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