Louis Bidou

One the biggest strength and differentiator a company could have is to maximise its impact, fast, and with limited resources.

To maximise its impact a company needs to protect its ability to focus. And on a personal level, managing the frustrations that may arise from company choices is not always easy.

Looking at their company roadmap, one may feel frustrated to not see on top of the list an initiative that would help them about their job, or a project that they expect to be very positive on the business. Yes, at the moment, the company is making other choices and thus consciously giving up on their idea. It does not mean it will still be out of focus next week, but now it is not moving forward, and yes, it can be frustrating.

I think it is really important here to remember that this ability to focus at the company level is what makes a business successful. Thus, it should be more a reason to be proud of our strategy than a cause of dissatisfaction. If we acknowledge the importance of the topics on top of the list, it is a confirmation of an healthy and successful prioritization balancing resources and impact. So the real question is “Are we currently working on impactful initiatives, and making the most of the few resources we have?”

It is of course necessary to raise concerns if one thinks the company is not making choices that maximise its impact. It is healthy to discuss how ideas are selected to turn into active projects, review how each factor of the decision making process are ranked, or even sometimes challenge the factors themselves. It is also essential to raise a red flag if the team appears to not operate seamlessly. If the group seems to be missing tools, resources, information, or agency to do their job well, or if they can't get their job done without excess bureaucracy, the organization should upgrade its structure, review its methods, and liberate its culture for people to collaborate ably.

We are all humans with feelings and emotions. It is normal to feel frustrations or be preoccupied by how a group makes choices or operates. It may sometimes even be a good indicator of how strongly people relate to the company purpose and want it to be successful. But all those questions really are opportunities to grow, and thus should not be a source of anxiety. Identifying these tensions early on is a chance, safely discussing them is a gift, and addressing them is hope.