Scaling is one of the hardest things to do in a business. It sounds much easier than it is. Bob Sutton, Standford Professor, has taught me that scaling has a few core principles when adhered to will make it much easier to find success in scaling one’s efforts.
One of the lessons Bob has learned in his research has to do with removing the extra.
The best leaders and teams play a never-ending game of subtraction
Bob Sutton
I work on a team that is a Center of Excellence for Microsoft. We have tremendous talent, expertise, and intelligence on our team. What I have observed in my time on the team is that we are exceptionally good at adding things to our portfolio and horrendous at subtraction. This is called addition sickness.
Addition sickness is not limited to the workplace. The toilet is leaking, I create a solution. I spend too much time on my phone, I come up with a solution. I put on weight and my clothes do not fit the same, I search for a solution. These are a few minor annoyances. Add in all the heavy ones and you can quickly see addition sickness in action at home and personal life.
If we want to scale our impact at work, our leadership in the community, or our parenting at home we must practice subtraction.
Subtraction forces prioritization and helps you focus on the things that matter most.
Today write down one thing you will subtract from your life for at least one week. Tell a friend or loved one that you are doing it and then do it. When you are done write down how you feel.
