Why Are We Hooked on Speed?
Issue 187, November 21, 2024
Why are we always in such a hurry? We launched 5,481,437 startups in 2023. We introduce 91.9 million new websites every year: that’s 252,000 new websites each day. We debut 30,000 CPG products annually to add to the bewildering choice of favorite brands and 30 to 40 new domestic car models every year. It’s no different in the business world; in 2023 the retail trade had the majority of new business applications with over 978,000 followed by professional services with 686,000. And they are all in a hurry to become profitable.
As a side note, while we’re on the topic of speed, New Yorkers are accused as fast talkers and fast walkers; maybe it’s because they have 24 seconds to cross a four-lane boulevard before the walk sign turns red. The walk signs in Washington DC are set for 60 seconds; we’ll you draw your own conclusions. That said, we are here to explore why we are addicted to fast and furious disruption in terms of transformational change.
Disruptor-in-Chief
We’ve been led to believe that blowing things up and then restructuring is a fast track to disruption and productive change. Not so fast. The practice of “let’s change everything and see what happens” is the updated version of throwing pasta on a wall and seeing what sticks. This is not an intelligent business strategy. Uninformed action or dramatic disruption is more likely to result in resistance, not a move forward. Even worse, the consequences could come full circle, and you’ll end up where you started with the addition of an unhappy, uncooperative workforce, dissatisfied customers or a complete loss of customers.
We’ll use our favorite example of disruptor-in-chief, Ron Johnson former CEO of JC Penney. His ideas were innovative and ultimately what would save the retailer from obscurity, but the execution was shortsighted. His forward-thinking strategy was to blow the model apart and build a new value proposition. It was a heady, exciting move. Unfortunately, it was too much, too fast without buy-in from any stakeholders (outside of the board). His conceptual blow-up became a literal blow-up for the retailer which is still in recovery mode and remains a shadow of its former self. In a fast-moving dynamic marketplace, with countless new competitors vying for attention and customer dollars, its recovery is questionable even under the leadership of its new CEO Marc Rosen.
Disruption has its place, but without paving the way, communicating the strategy and clearly articulating the goal, the plan can implode. Transformation and change require context, systems thinking and most importantly clear and deep understanding of the capacities and capabilities of the organization. The lone visionary may otherwise be faced with reactionary, not proactive support. No disruptor wants to be dismissed or resisted; systems need infrastructure to transform, and people need reasons to change. Imposed disruption will surely lead to the proverbial trainwreck where any progress is derailed and an organization can lose ground, even move backward.
Change for Change’s Sake
Too much change too quickly, without informed urgency, can result in chaos and failure. We have written often about the challenges resulting from being uninformed. Want a primer on the risk of uniformed urgency? Take a dive into a past issue of this newsletter.
Not understanding the complexity, tactics or human systems in place can thwart a disruptor’s intent and goals. Rapid change can often overlook subtle or unrecognized dependencies across an organizational system. However, those interconnected dependencies are critical for sustainable change. They must be addressed, recognized and accounted for if change, at whatever speed, is to be successful.
All too often leaders use a broad brushstroke to envision change. They see a big picture and want to frame it out quickly. However, leaders must dive into the underpinnings of change and understand the details and mechanics for successful execution. It’s tempting to run with the competition believing that speed to market is the defining differentiation.
Many believe ignorance is bliss and lack of knowledge offers freedom in setting any goal and pathway forward. That may have the optics of bravery and admirable vision … or the recognition of foolishness.
Slow and steady in context of major change and transformation initiatives have longer-term results. Short-term rapid change can undermine the best of intentions, and without a solid infrastructure, a house of cards can collapse.
The Thrill of Rapid Change
We’ve all experienced the heart-pumping, thrilling rush while driving fast in a car or boat even though we know it’s unsafe. The acceleration creates a rush of pleasure, with the dangerous result of pushing people to speed more often to repeat the sensation.
Beyond the dopamine rush, there are other psychological and factors of rapid change that have a deeper outcome. According to Ed Brenegar, “Increasing the speed of change forces us to simplify our life and work. We have to focus. Squeeze out the nonessentials and seek for singular results.” He adds, “What we once thought of as stability, consistency, and continuity in life was just our experience of the slowness of change. There has always been change, but it just never reached the level of a hurricane storm surge. Until now.”
On an organizational level, the tech community has been a forerunner in celebrating rapid change. Tech tools become outdated quickly and new iterations become a perceived must-have. Witness the lines around Apple stores with the introduction of the iPhone 16 Pro. And even more dramatically, we have significantly changed globally with the rapid escalation of AI/LLMs and their penetration into so many aspects of our professional and personal lives.
The Seduction of Fast Change
Most of us have become convinced that new and faster is better. We don’t want to become irrelevant with outdated technology or solutions. But that doesn’t have to make us slaves to disruptive change. Marketers have been brilliant in selling fast product changes and consultants are highly paid to help clients devise products to appeal to consumers’ insatiable desire for something new. Yet we often introduce products and services without checking in with customers first to make sure they want them.
Many organizations find rapid change appealing for the thrill of novelty, sense of excitement, and potential for personal growth (think of the acceleration of self-help influencers on social media). The thrill comes with adrenaline and in the context of work, it offers a diversion from the day-to-day where we spend one-third of our lives.
The cosmetics industry may be the leader in fast change. Even though the research to launch new age-defying products may have taken years, the rapid-fire explosion of similar products on the market from competitors is mind-boggling. The new provides that rush of dopamine and hope that life will be better. Although we are not advocates of change for change’s sake, organizations can take a page from the beauty business playbook in how new is marketed as a life-transforming possibility.
Rapid-change organizations are perceived to be progressive and innovative. They embrace change as a prerequisite to anticipate the trends and remain competitive. Their leaders are viewed as visionaries in achieving goals quickly by envisioning tangible results. What we argue against is the perception that rapid change is the principal operational tool of a successful organization.
Rapid advancements in technology are a major shift that affects organizations with specific challenges. What systems, platforms, enterprise solutions, CRM software and a multitude of other tech tools are the right ones to invest in? Then, who is qualified in the organization to use them? Often imposed change occurs faster than our infrastructure and workforce’s capability to accept and manage it.
The Traps of Rapid Change
At 2040 one of our mantras is that speed kills with uninformed urgency. Forcing new situations, fast-paced transformation, and radical change can push a workforce outside of its comfort zone. Individuals can experience anxiety and stress, uncertainty about their roles and become overwhelmed by trying to adapt. Employees who are trying to keep up with a rapid pace can become exhausted and productivity is decreased. Perhaps the most defining resistance to disruption is the forced redefinition of established habits and routines, which causes a sense of not belonging or having a shared purpose.
Proponents of Informed Urgency
Brenegar explains the macro benefits of rapid change, “Change forces us to simplify. We simplify by being clear about our values, and clear about the impact we want to have. Too many of us are more committed to the processes of our work than we are to the impact.” Processes beget routine, produce comfort, reduce anxiety and focus on rinse and repeat. We operate in a groove of “we can do this; we know how to do this and know what to expect.”
Brenegar adds, “When process takes precedence, we become disconnected from the outcome of the process. The speed of change magnifies the problem because an overly process-centric organization cannot maintain former process levels when things speed up. The wave of change crushes processes. Instead, we need to know how to trim back the process and move to know how to create impact in the moment as the opportunity presents itself. That is how to ride the wave of change.”
Change is essential to survival, addiction to change is a dead end. We’re big fans of self-reflection and understanding group dynamics. Brenegar says, “The speed of change requires us to think fast, decide fast, act fast and move on fast. It means that we need to have more than tactical skills for change, and, more than a long-range strategy for impact. This means that we have to simplify our lives, become clearer about who we are, who we are not, and what we want on the other side of every door.”
Mediating Rapid Change
If we learn from recent history, now is the time to take a pause and lean out, not lean in. Are we reading the room right? Do we really understand what our customers want? Are we making too many assumptions either from unconscious bias or confirmation bias among those who think like we do. Are we speeding ahead with uninformed urgency?
We have written about the increasing polarization of our global society and marketplaces; these sentiments are too often based on overgeneralization and convenience in creating a perceived need for a desired goal. We suggest that we all take a pause to reevaluate the risks and rewards of rapid change with a focus on being attuned to our stakeholders.
Get “The Truth about Transformation”
The 2040 construct to change and transformation. What’s the biggest reason organizations fail? They don’t honor, respect, and acknowledge the human factor. We have compiled a playbook for organizations of all sizes to consider all the elements that comprise change and we have included some provocative case studies that illustrate how transformation can quickly derail.
