Brutal facts, barriers and other obstacles

07 Oct Brutal facts, barriers and other obstacles

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Ambling towards the faculty club at Stanford University, Jim Stockdale paused to answer Jim Collins’ question, “Who didn’t make it out?” He answered,

“The optimists”, continuing, “they were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come and Christmas would go. Then they’d say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter would come and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.” After another long pause, he continued, “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be… We’re not getting out by Christmas; deal with it!”

Capturing the story in his book Good to Great, Collins dubbed it The Stockdale Paradox. I can attest to the idea’s enduring power. When I share the exchange in workshops and with teams, people quiet. And the emotional charge of his words often triggers a more candid and contemplative dive into what the enterprise is facing.

Brutal facts are tough obstacles. Luckily, with time and the right choices, other barriers are more malleable. And understanding them is essential to making progress. Because while money can solve many physical obstacles such as lack of resources and undercooked processes. The more intractable kind show up in people’s mindset.

When trying to change how people do things, even flourishing cultures can run headlong into entrenched behaviour and habits. Which is a problem for your brand. To put the value stored to work, you need a stream of everyone’s efforts, channelled to what you care about, and barriers block that flow.

Whether the kind of obstacle is ‘we can’t’, ‘don’t think I can’ or ‘don’t want to’. You’re still trying to move past it ‘from’ one side ‘to’ somewhere else. Identifying those ‘from, to’ points helps target what you’ll need to get there.

A client knee-deep in a big infrastructure and people investment unearthed a series of obstacles to success. With clarity around what was getting in the way, they were better able to shape both the choices and messages necessary. Helping people feel involved and confident their effort mattered.

For example, they identified a ‘from status quo’, where the past delivered more broken promises then promised changes. ‘To progress’, where gains were visible and appreciated. So, their plan prioritised a project where the headway was impossible for workers to miss on their way into work every day. They also wove a handful of meaningful metrics into weekly standup meetings that proved progress. So, even those not directly involved were in the loop. And barriers crumbled.

By their nature obstacles are most often negative. It’s hard to imagine a positive source for something in the way. However, any mindset taken too far can become a barrier. And before you jump to what something isn’t, it’s worth considering if it’s a value held in excess.

Regardless the roots, a potential downside of obstacles is a negative spiral ruled by past failures and cynicism about what’s possible. If people don’t believe they can prevail, the brutal facts feel overwhelming. Which too often pendulums to forced positivity that misses vital roadblocks.

One way to surface people’s fears and avoid the doom loop is by asking, ‘What do you need to believe to be true?’ It’s a magic question, allowing people to talk about fears without the side order of existential dread.

“I need to believe we’ll have the resources to deliver” lets you know people worry they won’t. “I need to believe leadership will stick with the plan” lets you know they’re dubious of your commitment.

When people fail to face genuine obstacles, the results often squander investments, over promise and embolden shiny objects that feel more like whims than wins.

Balancing brutal facts and belief is essential to survival. But don’t fall into the Pollyanna trap by avoiding your obstacles. We’re not getting out by Christmas. Let’s deal with it!

Thanks for reading.