Workplace Friction: How to Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder

<p>Welcome to Grit &amp; Growth’s masterclass on friction — the good, the bad, and the ugly. Robert Sutton, Stanford professor in the School of Engineering and best-selling author, has stories and strategies to help you identify the causes of friction,&nbsp;eliminate it, and even learn how to use friction intentionally to create more space for success.&nbsp;</p><p>Friction, according to Bob Sutton, “ is simply putting obstacles in front of people that slow them down, that make their jobs more difficult and maybe a little bit more frustrating.” Sutton has written multiple <em>New York Times</em> bestsellers, including <em>The No Asshole Rule,</em> and <em>Scaling Up Excellence</em> with coauthor and Stanford colleague Huggy Rao. His upcoming book with Rao is all about the friction that typically arises after companies scale, and it is appropriately titled <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Friction-Project-Leaders-Things-Easier/dp/1250284414" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder</em></a>.</p><p>Sutton’s research shows that friction often starts at the top. Luckily, he has lots of advice for how to become more aware of the power and influence leaders wield and tips for eliminating unwanted friction in your organization.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Seven Masterclass Takeaways</strong></p><p><strong>Adopt a trustee mindset.&nbsp;</strong></p><p>According to Sutton, “Leaders should be trustees of other people’s time.” This means not just trying to find ways of saving people's time, but also being aware of how you’re&nbsp;imposing on their time.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Don’t be oblivious.&nbsp;</strong></p><p>“Leaders need to be aware of the power and influence they have,” says Sutton, because an offhand comment can send employees on a wild goose chase that costs time, energy, and money. “That’s what happens when people in positions of power…are unaware of their cone of friction.” Leaders also need to acknowledge th