Flow, not force

Flow, not force is about understanding how the system you are working with creates value, and working with the existing patterns rather than against them. Systems have constraints, habits, and established ways of working, and it is far easier to progress with a tailwind than to try to forge a path against the flow.

If no one’s asking for that document, then it might not be required. If that workshop would pull people away from critical work, then it should wait. If someone’s becoming a bottleneck, then look for ways to help.

Ask yourself: What does the system need to keep moving?

• Timing matters. A good solution at the right moment beats a perfect solution that arrives too late or disrupts the team’s work. When you work with the system’s flow, your contributions land when they’re most valuable — you’ll be seen as more effective and you’ll gain respect.
• Teams that hum are more fun. When information and decisions move smoothly, people spend less time wrestling with process and more time delivering value. Everyone can focus on their part while trusting others to handle theirs. You’ll attract and retain good people and get a lot more done.
• Influence. When you work with the flow, you build allies and influence because you’re helping make things easier. This will help you when you need to push against the flow.

1. When choosing where to focus your efforts, use flow, not force to identify where your energy would have the most impact with the least effort.
2. When deciding how to approach a task, keep yourself grounded in the needs of the system, not your best practice or preferred process. Use flow, not force to remind yourself that the outcome is what matters, not your output.
3. When managing delivery, use flow, not force to help you schedule the work in a way that optimises the system rather than individual performance.

But remember that sometimes flow is not what matters. When the CEO requests a specific output and you’re not in a position to push back, then it’s not the time to argue about "flow". Even if it will disrupt the team, sometimes the choice is out of your hands and you just need to roll with it.

• Match your outputs to the flow. Don’t create documentation just because "that’s the next step". Watch what information actually helps keep work moving, then focus your energy there. If quick updates in chat keep things flowing better than formal documents, then that’s your answer.
• Get curious. When you’re getting pushback or things start to feel hard, pause and ask: What’s causing this? Just like broken water is telling you there are rocks underneath, resistance is the system telling you something important.
• Map what is happening. Take time to understand how work actually moves through your system. How is information handled? Where does it slow down? Who are the key enablers? Where are decisions being made? What are the common bottlenecks? Map out the interactions.
• Pay attention. Don’t assume that you understand your system. Test your understanding of the flow with low-risk changes. Adjust the timing of a meeting. Change how you share information. Stop doing that report. Notice what works. Refine your mental model.

1. Becoming too passive. Working with the flow doesn’t mean just accepting everything or becoming an order-taker. Everyone has a role in shaping the system and if you’re not creating even a ripple, you’re probably not going to engineer any outcomes.
2. All reacting, all the time. If everything is becoming urgent and you’re starting to get stuck in fire-fighting mode, you might be over-applying this method. Take a break, step back, and focus your efforts.
3. Failing to validate. Just because someone is loud doesn’t mean that they represent the true flow and the team prefers email might just mean I prefer email. Take everything people say with a grain of salt and take the time to validate your assumptions about how the system really works. If you don’t, you might be working off an incorrect map.
4. Analysis paralysis. Understanding the system is important, but don’t get trapped in endless analysis. Start with a rough picture and refine your understanding as you go.
5. Not all resistance is bad. Sometimes resistance is telling you something important about risks or dependencies that you’ve missed. Other times, it’s just the growing pains of change or due to the work itself. Learn to filter the signals from the noise.

• Scribbles are your friend. Getting it out of your head and on to paper is a great start. Very few people can mentally model something and actively refine it from there. The rest of us need a pen and paper (or a Miro board).
• Phone a friend! Finding a buddy who is also interested in how the system works is an excellent way to improve your understanding, gain different perspectives, and validate your insights. Delivery managers, agile coaches, and managers all should have an interest how things flow, so they are a good place to start.
• Practice everyday. Use daily meetings such as stand-ups as a reminder to ask yourself: What does the system need right now? The more you practice spotting flow in small moments, the better you’ll get at seeing the larger patterns.
• Set a reminder. It’s easy to get caught up in the work, so block 15 minutes in your calendar each week to stand back and look at the whole system. Use this time to identify what’s flowing well and what isn’t. Think of it as a one-on-one with the system!

• Nothing is sacred (method)
• Right-size the rigour (method)
• The Map

• Eliyahu M. Goldratt’s The Goal (I really enjoyed the graphic novel version!)