EVP & GM, Security and Collaboration Business Units at Cisco
Growth is one thing that we all should be obsessed with. One of the most dangerous mindsets (as you pursue growth) that a leader can get trapped into is thinking that your biggest problem is resource scarcity. Most failures that occur don’t happen due to resource scarcity, but an inaccurate understanding of the problem to solve. Oddly, I have worked at 4 companies in my life of the following sizes. 17 people, 60,000 people, 2000 people and 85,000 people. Without exception, every company felt they had resource scarcity. The reality is that none of them did. Convincing yourself that you are short on resources leads to intellectual laziness. Dig deeper when you find yourself falling into the “Scarcity Illusion Trap”. Instead force yourself to think how to unlock by first pursuing “Problem Diagnosis Rigor”. Are you focused on solving the most important problem that is impeding growth. How do you know that? Validate that the problem you think you are solving is in fact the right problem. Then figure out the most efficient way to solve that problem as expediently as possible. Are there instances where there is genuinely a resource scarcity issue. Of course. But those tend to be 10% occurrences, not 90%. It’s seldom a resource issue. If you feel like I am wrong, there is a 90% chance you are falling into the Scarcity Illusion Trap.
I think resource scarcity is a bit more nuanced, as it's the "type" of resources you need to get you to identify the "right problem" and then "solve it elegantly." Many companies tend to have people who haven't adapted and thwart innovation. I met a senior person from Sun Microsystems (or SGI) long ago and asked him what happened to Sun and why it didn't survive. He mentioned that when a company's employees who want to work for a successful company exceed the number of employees who want to make the company successful, the problem arises. This is the resource asymmetry problem, and counting all employees in one pool is the issue, IMO.
Jeetu, intriguing take on 'Scarcity Illusion'. I'd add that sometimes resource constraints spur innovation, compelling teams to think creatively. It's about balancing resources and innovation.
I think your observation is correct but the positioning may be a bit different. Are you willing to be more selective on what you’re working on? If yes, then map priorities to current resources with room for a little stretch always. But are you unwilling to be more selective regarding scope? Then you really might have a resource problem. In many cases, as you pointed out, unwillingness to be laser focused on the best drivers for growth are what result in a sentiment of resource scarcity. But if as a leader you refuse to compromise on the scope of ongoing activity, there probably is a legimate resource gap, and an underlying lack of agility in the progression of growth- driving activities.
A leader can get trapped into is thinking that your biggest problem is resource scarcity. Dig deeper when you find yourself falling into the “Scarcity Illusion Trap”.Jeetu Patel
“Most failures that occur don’t happen due to resource scarcity, but an inaccurate understanding of the problem to solve.” My experience is similar except the bulk of failures I have witnessed are more than an inaccurate understanding of the problem, but a fundamental inability to perceive accurately. Our biggest illusion is that we experience reality accurately, but we actually filter reality through hundreds of cognitive biases.
Jeetu, in addition to the resource scarcity illusion trap, the other aspect I think that has influence on growth is ‘tapping into the full potential’ of existing resources by understanding their core skills and areas of their interest. This drives resource’s enthusiasm, curiosity, and contributions towards the company’s growth too. Since humans have capability of ‘deep thinking’ i.e., where machine intelligence ends and human creativity commences. And ofcourse changing our (resource) mindset… As I say this, I am constantly thinking how I can utilise my potential to it’s fullest and make it a win-win situation for myself (employee) and the company…unlocking potential with a ‘growth mindset’. As every drop (contribution) in the ocean (large company) matters for an upward trajectory!
An interesting topic and potentially the biggest area of debate in large organizations for sure. My experience says that people tend to get lost into taks that were once created to get them out of a particular situation. It is important to do a periodic review of where you and your teams and spending time, find tasks that are redundant, wasteful and manual. Eliminate them, consolidate them or simply automate them. This starts to free up time for that additional thing you wanna do. Prioritization does not mean you do one and leave another, it means you optimize time to do one and get started on other. A useful method of getting the snowball effect. BTW, to sustain this you need motivation, a strong support system and time for self reflection. You will get 10x of what you invest.
“Dig deeper when you find yourself falling into the “Scarcity Illusion Trap”. Instead force yourself to think how to unlock by first pursuing “Problem Diagnosis Rigor”. Are you focused on solving the most important problem that is impeding growth. How do you know that? Validate that the problem you think you are solving is in fact the right problem. Then figure out the most efficient way to solve that problem as expediently as possible. “!!!! Unfortunately I have seen millions of dollars wasted due to inefficient spending on resources. Why can’t organizations build frameworks to reinforce the fundamental principles.
Hello Jeetu, I must say I have immense respect for you. Thank you for sharing. However, I have a distinct viewpoint. Given the focus on prioritisation, it is crucial to thoroughly evaluate the scope and duration of responsibilities to maintain a positive work-life balance for the team. This may require careful consideration to determine the best use of resources. Few executives have a habit of including desserts with every meal, which can ultimately lead to an unhealthy obsession on indulgence of team.
Retired from full-time work but available for EHS training and consultancy
3moMy observations from the 40+ years spent in the world of work in companies of varying complexity and size is that these days there are less people in work doing a hell of a lot more. I have personally had 2 jobs in the last 10 years where they had to replace me with more than 1 if not 3 others in one case, so you aren’t going to be able to leverage your case against me. One of my last companies openly admitted to loading up its employees (“saturating the resource”) but not necessarily expecting everything to be done. At least not until appraisal time anyway. I’m glad that I’m semi-retired, working for myself on things that make a real difference and well out of the way of this mindset.