020: Highways are for idiots, Forcing functions, Knowing your people
It'll all make sense.
Hello from Bengaluru!
✋In case we haven’t met - my name is Narayan Kamath. I am an Executive and Leadership Coach, helping Engineering/Technology leaders multiply their impact, enjoy greater career success and feel more fulfilled
Deepa and I celebrated 30 years of our marriage this past week.
The kids planned a family get-together at a nearby resort.
The day arrived and we got ready to leave but the minibus arrived an hour late.
And then as we were on the way, the driver did not take the expressway, taking a different route instead.
That upset me. I hate it when people can’t or don’t follow simple instructions - such as navigation prompts.
My daughter was upset because she had planned the day meticulously and the delayed departure and longer route were putting her program at risk.
And then we looked out.
It was a very scenic route.
The landscape was enchanting - a green carpet spreading out as far as the eye could see, interrupted by glistening ponds and streams.
Even the huge boulders and quarried out hillocks added to the beauty by contrast.
And the weather was marvelous. Clear skies. The sun, out in its full glory, but not at all warm.
The scenery and the weather worked together to calm all of us down, as we looked out in awe.
Our two-year-old grandson spotted lots of monkeys and goats (and some non-existent animals too!) and his excitement and squeals of joy melted away any remaining anxieties.
The rest of the ride actually seemed a tad short
Things rarely go as planned.
We usually take that to be a bad thing.
However, if we put aside our obsession with getting somewhere and start enjoying the journey instead, every unplanned detour becomes an opportunity to experience something new. To learn something new, or just enjoy what is unfolding in front of us.
We soon arrived at our destination and had a wonderful time with family.
But that was a given.
Nature and natural beauty had worked their magic on us.
And our young fellow-traveler had infected each of us with his joy and enthusiasm.
We had a great time even before the party began!
How to Use Forcing Functions to Change Behavior
A forcing function is a behavior, person or tool that forces you to do something you want to start/do more of, or not do something you want to stop/do less of.
The concept of a forcing function is widely used in several disciplines including math, engineering, design etc. In behavioral science, it is something that disrupts the normal or default behavior and encourages the adoption of another behavior.
This makes it very useful in the domain of change management.
Here are 5 examples of how you can use forcing functions to make adopting a change (typically a new habit) easier.
1️⃣ Eliminate discretion.
Reduce or eliminate the need to choose one behavior or the other by pre-selecting or automating the decision. You adopt the new behavior by surrendering the ability to choose the alternate behavior. An example of this is an app that forces you to take a micro-break by not allowing you to work on your device at a set interval for a certain duration.
2️⃣ Set Deadlines.
We have a bias to attend to the urgent. This keeps us from focusing on what is important - until it becomes urgent. Setting (artificial) deadlines evokes a sense of urgency, and makes it more likely that we do the things that are important, but not urgent.
3️⃣ Engage an Accountability Partner.
When you work with an accountability partner, you commit to share your wins and fails with them on a regular basis. The support that the accountability partner provides, and the fear of letting them down help you stay on track.
4️⃣ Use Incentives.
You can use incentives to encourage/reinforce a behavior or penalties to discourage a certain behavior. Behavior science shows that negative incentives (penalties) work better - at least in the short term. Imposing a fine (or alternately donating to charity) when you don’t keep your commitment is a good example of how this is practiced.
5️⃣ Commit in Public.
By publicly announcing your intention to do (or not do) something, you make yourself vulnerable and accountable to others. Because multiple others are involved, you wish to avoid the shame and loss of credibility that ensues when you don’t meet your commitment.
Eliminating discretion, setting deadlines, engaging an accountability partner, using incentives (or penalties) and making public commitments are all examples of forcing functions that help you change your behavior.
By being strategic in the use of forcing functions, you improve the likelihood of changing behavior.
Use forcing functions to make it easier to do the right thing.
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What Every Good Leader Should Know About Their People
Leadership is a relationship.
Great leaders seem to instinctively know how to have an excellent relationship with their people.
An acquaintance, who was one of the early employees at Infosys, speaks glowingly about Mr NR Narayana Murthy’s connection with people. Even though he was a junior member of the staff, Mr Murthy would often ask about his family - remembering their names and what they were doing. NRN also attended his daughter’s wedding - several years after he had left Infosys
Legendary American football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant is said to have once introduced each player from a group of 80, without having to look up their names.
These and other examples tell us that good leaders show they know and care for their people by knowing things that matter to them.
Here are some examples of details that you might wish to know about each of your team members.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Barriers
What they excel at, what they find challenging, and what holds them back from doing even better.
What motivates them
Are they intrinsically motivated, or do they respond better to rewards, recognition and other external motivators?
Working Styles and Communication Preferences.
Do they work best by themselves, or as part of a team? What mode of communication do they prefer?
Career Aspirations.
What are their mid to long term development goals? What kind of opportunities would they be interested in for their next assignment?
Personal Life.
What would they appreciate you knowing about their personal lives? Family members? Significant life events? Hobbies and interests?
While there is a lot you could know, this is a relatively short list of the things that you should know about your people.
People don’t care about leaders who don’t care for them.
Show them you do.
End Quote
The experience of the driver not taking the highway and taking a slower but more scenic route reminded me of a quote I’d come across a while ago:
“All the highway is good for is to tell you to keep moving, there's nothing to see. That's for idiots who want to go as fast as possible from one point to another. We're not doing geometry here, we're traveling. Find me. some pretty little roads that show us all there is to see.” ― Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
That's all this week! Thanks for your time.
👋
Narayan
PS: When you are ready, here are some ways we can work together to amplify your impact:
1. Grab a free copy of my Deliver Through Others Checklist - It’s a useful summary of the key principles to working better with and through others— Click Here
2. Work with me privately - If you are an Engineering/Technology leader aspiring to evolve into an inspiring and impactful Business Leader, let’s talk! Set up a no-obligation exploratory call with me - Click Here
I loved the story about your grandson. The Stoics would say that all events are, in some sense, neutral, and that we give them meaning.
Commitment: A public commitment is a powerful tool for sticking to one's goals. Take a look at:https://www.stickk.com/tour/1
(No, I'm not on a commission :) )
Slide 3 states, "Financial stakes increase your chances of success by up to 3x."