Doom Loops that Stall Growth | LSW#48
Watch out for these when stuck
Hey! It’s Sheril from Leading Sapiens. Welcome to my newsletter, where I share strategies for getting savvier at the game of work.
Today, I highlight five common patterns that stall growth. If you’re not making progress on a project, check which of these you’re stuck in. How can you break out of them?
Recent editions:
Stuck patterns
One common theme in coaching engagements is breaking out of ruts that clients might be stuck in. The first step, of course, is to recognize that you are in fact in a rut.
There are two fundamental processes in how we get things done and learn: THINKING & DOING.
If you’re going “well duh”, stay with me. Most of us have a tendency to do one more than the other. Some of us overanalyze, while others will just get on with it without enough reflection.
Reg Revans, David Kolb, & others added nuances to this process in what’s known as the Learning Cycle. The fastest learners have a good balance and seamlessly go between 4 phases: thinking, planning, doing and reviewing.
When things are going smoothly, we go effortlessly back and forth between the 4 stages based on what the project needs, and things keep humming along.
Inevitably, when we get stuck it’s usually in what Peter Hawkins calls “learning short-circuits”.
I call these doom loops as they are vicious downward cycles that build on themselves, and you get the false sense of movement from activity but not necessarily moving you in the direction you want. Although counter-productive, paradoxically they’re also rooted in our strengths, making it ever harder to break out of them.
If you’re not making progress you’re probably spending too much time in one of these cycles.
Let’s look at each of the five doom loops and ways to counter them.
(1) Navel-gazing theorizing
Motto:
‘Philosophize on how things could be better, but never risk putting the theories to the test.’
What the pattern looks like:
Reflect-theorize-reflect-theorize
Stuck in excessive planning and analysis without ever taking action
Overly contemplative and paralyzed by hypotheticals
Avoids implementation
How to counter it:
Set deadlines for decisions and taking action
Test theories empirically
Focus on next incremental actions
(2) Paralysis by Analysis
Motto:
‘Think before we jump, plan how to do it and think a bit more.’
What the pattern looks like:
Analyse-plan-analyse some more
Driven by fear of failure, and minimizing risk & disapproval
Perfectionistic tendencies
Seeking confidence from others
How to counter it:
Set a limit for analysis time
Take small steps and course correct as you go instead of trying to get it all right before you start
Limit and focus analysis on a few pivotal questions
(3) Firefighting & Compulsive Pragmatism
Motto:
‘If what we plan does not work, let’s plan to do something different’.
What the pattern looks like:
Plan-do-plan-do trap
Learning is only by trial & error
Focused on action, and not enough reflection
Lacks bigger picture perspective
Repeats similar mistakes
More short-term tactical and limited to problem-solving
How to counter it:
Schedule time for structured reflection
Identify lessons learned from experience
Connect tactics to larger strategy
Use the systems-thinking iceberg model
(4) Post-Mortemizing
Motto:
‘Reflect on what went wrong and correct it.’
What the pattern looks like:
Do-reflect-do-reflect trap
Learning limited to error correction & backward-looking analysis
Reactionary rather than proactive
Focus more on what went wrong in the recent past
How to counter it:
Apply lessons learned to future efforts
Turn analysis into plans for improvement
(5) Totalitarianism
Motto:
‘Work it out in theory and then tell them what we have decided.’
What the pattern looks like:
Theorize-do trap
Privately deciding on a solution & imposing it without consultation
Closed-minded, unilateral approach
Lacks feedback and engagement with the wider system creating resistance in the process
Leaders & executive teams commonly fall for this one
How to counter it:
Seek divergent perspectives
Co-create solutions
Test out assumptions to get feedback
Involve stakeholders early and throughout the entire cycle
Some pointers
Pay attention to your calendar and see where most of your time is going. If it’s exclusively on a certain type of action, that’s a red flag.
To break patterns, do the opposite of what you would usually do or are comfortable with.
Different stages of projects will require differing focus. Check to see if your actions match what the project actually needs at a given stage.
If you default towards taking action, build skilled reflection into your schedule. If thinking is your jam, learn how to improve thinking through action.
That’s a wrap for this edition! Also, a reminder that my course on organizational savvy starts April 2nd. Reach out with any questions.