What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

How To Be a Friction Fixer with Bob Sutton

Apr 4, 2024

Organizational psychologist Bob Sutton discusses the importance of addressing friction in organizations, highlighting how being a 'friction fixer' at any level can make a difference. He emphasizes the balance between good and bad friction, using examples like the DMV's greeter to show how inefficiencies can be reduced. Sutton also explores how positive friction can drive innovation and team dynamics, while incorporating love and compassion into organizational growth.

27:28

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Episode guests

Bob Sutton

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Quick takeaways

Smart leaders can reduce inefficiencies by making the right things easier and the wrong things harder.

Individuals at any level can be 'friction fixers' by proactively simplifying processes and providing feedback for improvement.

Deep dives

Effectively Addressing Friction in Organizations

Bob Sutton, an organizational psychologist, discusses the friction project in his latest book, emphasizing how smart leaders can make the right things easier and the wrong things harder. He highlights the importance of slowing down in decision-making processes, especially in big companies facing increased complexities. Sutton advocates for fixing frictions in business operations optimistically, pointing out that not all aspects should be easy, like creativity that requires effort and time to foster.

Introduction

3min

The Role of Friction in Organizational Efficiency

14min

Embracing Good Friction for Innovation

7min

Adding Love and Compassion: A Reflection on Scaling Up Excellence and the No Asshole Rule

2min

Book Feedback Reflection and Additions

2min

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.

This week I have the honor and privilege of welcoming Bob Sutton to the show. We’ve been social media buddies for many, many years and I thought it was about time that Bob would join me on the podcast.

Bob is an organizational psychologist and professor of Management Science and Engineering at the Stanford Engineering School. He has written eight books, including his latest, The Friction Project, which is what we're going to talk about today. He also wrote other bestselling books, including The No Asshole Rule; Good Boss, Bad Boss, and Scaling Up Excellence.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… any leader or individual contributor who wants to become a friction fixer in their sphere of influence.

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… there’s friction in every organization. Some friction is good and fosters creativity and innovation but bad friction can seriously impede progress. Often, areas of friction are unresolved for long periods of time and if they get attention, it’s often by addition, which just piles on layers of complexity. Bob strips things back and describes how anybody at any level can make a difference in reducing inefficiencies.

WHAT I LOVE MOST… Bob’s example of how the DMV has reduced friction through a single person, a greeter, who helps cut down the dreaded time that people spend waiting. As Bob says, “If the DMV can do it, so you can you!”.

Running Time: 27:27

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