131. Friction Fixing: How to Use Obstacles to Your Advantage

Why resistance isn’t always a bad thing.
Friction - that’s Professor Huggy Rao (www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-... metaphor for the forces that hamper workplace efficiency. But as he says, some friction can be helpful - if you know how to use it.
In his book, The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder (www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-..., Rao and coauthor Robert I. Sutton (www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-...) explore how operational obstacles show up in the workplace and, more importantly, what we can do about them. Through what Rao calls “friction fixing,” leaders can “take out the bad friction to make the right things easy to do [and] put in good friction to make the wrong things harder [to do].”
As Rao discusses with host Matt Abrahams (www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-...) on this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, leaders can eliminate bad friction through good communication. “Communication matters a lot,” he says. “The simple rule is, make sure a 10-year-old can understand it on the first try.”
Episode Reference Links:
Huggy Rao: Website (huggyrao.com/about/) Huggy’s Books: The Friction Project (www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-...) , Scaling Up Excellence (huggyrao.com/books/scaling-up...) , & Market Rebels (huggyrao.com/books/357-2/) Huggy’s Successful Communication Recipe - “Ah! Aha! Haha!” by Ramji Raghavan (yourstory.com/2018/03/innovat...) Ep.14: Be Better at Work: How to Communicate Better with Coworkers and Employees: Website (www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights...) / KZbin ( • 14. Be Better At Work:... )
Connect:
Email Questions & Feedback [e-mail] Episode Transcripts Think Fast Talk Smart Website (www.gsb.stanford.edu/business...) Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning FasterSmarter.io (fastersmarter.io/) Think Fast Talk Smart LinkedIn Page ( / 77761391 ) , Instagram ( / thinkfasttalksmart ) , KZbin ( • Think Fast, Talk Smart... ) Matt Abrahams LinkedIn ( / maabrahams ) Stanford GSB LinkedIn ( / stanford-graduate-scho... ) & Twitter ( / stanfordgsb )
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Host Matt Abrahams introduces guest, Huggy Rao, and his latest book on the importance of focusing on friction to become our best selves.
(00:01:24) Scaling Mindsets and Communication
Insights on scaling excellence and the critical role of simple communication in fostering the right mindset.
(00:04:28) AstraZeneca: Scaling Simplification
A case study on simplification efforts at AstraZeneca & the gift of time that they gave their employees.
(00:08:49) Understanding Friction: Terrible and Wonderful
The dual nature of friction, highlighting its role as both a hindrance and a catalyst for decision-making.
(00:11:05) Jargon Monoxide
Complicated jargon’s impact on organizations, and the need for simplicity in communication.
(00:13:03) The Art of Storytelling
The benefits & goals of storytelling, creating moral elevation & emotional connection.
(00:15:12) Job Titles and Accountability
An experiment on the impact of personalized job titles on team performance and accountability in tech startups and the introduction of “good friction”.
(00:17:57) The Final Three Questions
Huggy shares his strategy for reducing friction in his life, a story about the communicator he most admires, Saul Alinsky, and his three ingredients for a successful communication recipe, Aah! Aha! Ha-Ha!

[@skisptmbr9135]

Looking back at my past proposals for communication projects the jargon-monoxide was overwhelming. As a Tanzanian storyteller for social impact who has been in the comms space for 3 years with out any formal training or education am learning alot from your podcasts Matt. Most of what I know is through trial and error on campaigns that have real world implications in my country. Striving to be a better communicator its only now that im solidifying my foundation in strategic communication and this podcast along with your amazing guests will be key to growth in my journey and hopefully bring positive change to my community. Keep them coming 🙏🏿

[@brunoaziza]

Great podcast Matt! Huggy is not just a great communicator, he is excellent at creating imagery through language. This is really something quite unique and it makes it really fun to listen to (and RE-listen to!). I'm reading the "Friction Project" book he wrote with Bob Sutton and it's a really good one!

[@IslamNusantaraku2023]

What a great podcast. Nice 👍🙂

[@alvinsoon3564]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:57 *🗣️ Confidence in Communication* - Confidence in communication is essential for effective interaction. - Confidence equals competence, portraying credibility to the audience. - Overconfidence or arrogance should be avoided, aiming for a balanced demeanor. 01:55 *😓 Effective Anxiety Management Techniques* - Anxiety in communication is prevalent, affecting about 75% of individuals. - Techniques such as mindfulness and reframing negative thoughts can help manage anxiety effectively. - Acknowledging anxiety signals and practicing mindfulness fosters a sense of agency. 05:18 *💨 Behavioral Strategies to Address Anxiety* - Behavioral symptoms like rapid heart rate and sweating can be managed through deep breathing. - Utilizing big gestures or holding a cold bottle of water can alleviate physical symptoms of anxiety. - Various techniques, such as gum chewing or physical warm-ups, help in managing behavioral manifestations of anxiety. 08:42 *🧠 Cognitive Approaches to Anxiety Relief* - Cognitive symptoms, like forgetting what to say or negative self-talk, can be mitigated through mindset shifts. - Viewing stress as enhancing rather than debilitating can alter how we respond to anxiety-inducing situations. - Reframing anxious feelings as excitement and adopting positive affirmations can redirect negative self-talk. 13:02 *📝 Creating an Anxiety Management Plan* - Developing a personalized anxiety management plan, covering effective, behavioral, and cognitive techniques, aids in handling anxiety during high-stakes communication. - Testing and iterating the plan helps refine strategies tailored to individual needs. - Sharing anxiety management plans fosters learning and encourages others to create effective plans for themselves. Made with HARPA AI

[@shrikantpawar8269]

Good morning sir

[@KatherineGarzon-eb7mv]

Whats the name of the communicator that he admires?

[@IslamNusantaraku2023]

I think you can check the transkrip

[@J35Y1]

​@IslamNusantaraku2023 hello fellow Muslim, how are you doing brother

[@lucianasalles7272]

🎧

[@Zain_Model_School]

www.youtube.com/@Zain_Model_School