Hoops

If you have to jump through hoops to accomplish something, you're less likely to do it. Hoops are a kind of friction that slows you down. This doesn't mean that hoops are bad; some things should be hard. If a company is struggling, though, the balance might be off; things that should be easy are hard, and things that should be hard are easy.

For example, sscheduling meetings and hiring should be hard. Unnecessary meetings are a quick way to slow, yet scheduling a meeting with as many people as you like is largely frictionless. When hiring doesn't have enough friction, it's easy to start hiring for roles that aren't essential and let standards drop.

On the other hand, sharing information and asking questions should be easy. When co-workers or users bring up things that aren't working, they are often hear a littany of questions: Did you check the known issues list? Can you share it again, but in a different tool or format? The takeaway is "Don't bother us." The next time they notice something that doesn't seem right, they'll be less likely to bother sharing.

There are good counter arguments to these sxamples. The point is to take a fresh look at your company. What are your company's essential values and priorities? What do the people who use your product care about? Are you encouraging those things and making them as easy as possible? Are there hoops that are getting in the way?

Are the right things easy and the right things hard?