A while ago I got to know a close relative of the CEO of Waffle House and also interacted with one of their store managers. Of course, I was familiar with their restaurants, but through these discussions really came to appreciate the company and became fascinated with its culture. An example of a noteworthy aspect of this culture is the perspective on “constraints,” especially as it applies to its employees.

Many employees come to Waffle House from difficult backgrounds – constrained resources, challenging relational circumstances, transitional phases of career, limited access to transportation, etc. Rather than trying to change these realities, or resenting them, the company has accepted and even embraced these constraints. This comes to life in fascinating ways – examples…managers prepared to “jump-in” in case of absences, teaching classes on how to “create a budget on a Waffle House income,” providing transportation for employees in need (…example: bikes for those who live close by and may not have a driver’s license, pick up of employees during inclement weather, etc.).

Unfortunately, in my practice of coaching leaders I often find a lopsided amount of management-energy spent doing exactly the opposite – instead of embracing constraints…trying to avoid or fight them. While “constraint-busting” definitely has its place as a management-responsibility, what would it look like to identify those we can’t change…and not only accept them, but decide to use them to our advantage?

Here are a few principles I’d propose:

1. Identify them – what are things you perceive as “limitations”?… perhaps chafe under? … “genetically” hard-wired in your reality? – location, job, finances, customers, employees…
2. Mentally embrace them – instead of fighting them…”welcome them.” This change of mindset from “rejection” to “acceptance” is a necessary and vital turning point. It changes your perspective from negativity & “resentment” to positivity and an open mind. Could you imagine thinking of constraints as a “pleasure”?
3. Get creative – how might you turn these constraints to your advantage…not despite them…but because of them? Chances are that many of your peers or competitors face similar challenges but have written them off, so an opportunity for competitive-advantage may be in plain view, though invisible to others. Remember…”necessity is the mother of invention!”

As you turn the page on 2019, take a step back and look at the constraints you consider “fixed.” Rather than resent or ignore them, why don’t you begin the process of thinking about how they can go from a “threat to fear” to a “reason to thrive” in the new year?

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One of the challenges I find facing rapidly scaling teams & organizations is the speed at which they outgrow their current approach, and the subsequent need to constantly overhaul their strategy and processes to fit the next stage of growth –  ex more volume, new offers, changing customer expectations, new locations, clearer policies, higher level of accountability, new metrics & targets, new organizational roles and structure, etc…

How do you overcome this challenge? How do you come up with the right model for an “unknown journey ahead?…not to mention doing it fast enough to keep pace with an ever-changing business environment & needs. It certainly seems daunting and the risk of paralysis is high – either because leaders don’t know what to do (continuing the status quo), or get lost in a painstaking quest to create the “perfectly tailored solution” because they think “their situation is so unique” (trust me, it’s not!).

One of my professors at Stanford University, Dr. Huggy Roa, coauthored a book (“Scaling Up Excellence”) with Dr. Robert Sutton in which they share their learnings from studying and working with high-growth companies. In reference to the question above, they give the following valuable advice:

Finding the right blend of “standard” and “custom” when you are scaling up an organization often requires a messy, time-consuming, and costly process of trial and error. But some strategies speed such learning. If you aren’t sure, a good general rule is to start with a complete model or template that works elsewhere and watch for signs that certain aspects of the model aren’t working and need to be rebuilt, replaced, or removed. We recommend resisting the temptation to roll out an unproven mishmash of best practices if you can avoid it.

I love this guidance and think it’s extremely powerful. Why? First, using “someone else’s model” gives teams a place to start with a certain level of confidence, based on real-life references and examples. Second, it allows for intentional adaptation “as you go,” based on your own learnings and unique needs of your business model. Third, and most importantly, it’s a shortcut to action, creating momentum to keep the organization moving forward.

So where are you stuck? Who else is doing something similar? What’s a possible “starter model” you can begin to adapt and move forward?

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Have you ever noticed how easy it is for organizations to fall in love with their own ideas? It doesn’t take much:…a statement by the right leader…forming a committee…a technological gizmo…a line item in an annual plan…beginning to spend money………..and ta-da it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that perpetuates, grows, consuming more and more energy, resources….and causing everyone to become even more committed because “we’ve already sunk so much effort into it…we can’t possibly stop now!” The saddest part, however, is that this cycle often creates tunnel-vision in leadership, blinding them to potentially fatal flaws of the idea, or better alternatives.

I’ve now seen this phenomenon so many times that I’ve named it the “kitten principle.” It’s simple, and based on my experience with my own children who love animals – “the longer they hold the kitten (or any animal, for that matter), the more exponential the chance we’ll take it home.” Can you relate?

So how do you avoid “taking it home?” Here are a few principles that I’ve seen work:

• Have lots of ideas – resist the temptation of falling in love with an idea by forcing yourself to come up with a lot of them, keeping a lot of possibilities open for consideration as long as possible. It’s a proven fact that great ideation is fueled by quantity, not quality. It takes courage to allow for sufficient divergence, and not prematurely push for convergence.
• Root ideas in need – ideas typically come to life when they’re rooted in first-hand interaction and experience with people who’ve “been there, done that” and felt the need “in their own skin” (immersive empathy). The ideas are colorful, tangible, have names, faces and emotions attached to them. Resist the urge to imagine, abstract, or conceptualize in areas where you haven’t taken time to really understand or experience.
• Expose ideas early – as illustrated by the “kitten principle,” a key problem is the length of time “holding the idea.” Therefore, one of the most powerful things you can do is to show a “rough idea” to a potential “user/customer” early…before its fully formed…while it still has lots of holes…while you’re still embarrassed about it. You’ll get invaluable feedback, your next idea will be much better, and you’ll be a lot less defensive then if you coddle it longer.

So, where do you need to stop petting your favorite kitten? Do you see signs that you may be falling in love with your own ideas? What courageous step do you need to take to step outside your own box?

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