Addition by Subtraction

In the last decade or so, psychologists and behavioral economists have done some fascinating work exploring human bias. It turns out that people are not only irrational, but they’re irrational in predictable ways. Our hardwiring causes us to make the same kinds of mistakes and miscalculations over and over again. By understanding those glitches in our behavioral software, we can sometimes overcome them, or at least compensate for them.

Recently, I read about an interesting example: the “addition bias.” Research shows that, when presented with a problem to solve, we tend to approach it by adding something. This makes sense. We want to change the status quo, so we try to bring in a new element. But over time, if all we do is add, things tend to accumulate.

Take, for example, meetings. Initially, we add meetings to the weekly or monthly schedule for good reasons, but once they’re established, it can be hard to get rid of them. Even when a meeting isn’t necessary anymore, we find ways to fill the agenda, because the meeting is happening and we have to talk about something. Little by little, other meetings get added, until the calendar is full, and all we do is get together and talk about what we should do, instead of actually doing anything.

Or consider process improvement. Once we discover a system problem, it’s tempting to add another process within the system to solve it. After all, who wants to redesign the whole system when a little tweak might do? But those tweaks add up, and after a while, you end up with a Byzantine tangle of interlocking work-arounds that’s almost impossible to optimize or maintain. This is how we end up with bloated EHR software and unmanageable human resource protocols.

The truth is, the waste in most systems is a problem of too much, not too little. So the next time you have a problem to solve, ask yourself: “Do we need to add something, or take something away?” Should you get rid of some meetings? Should you eliminate a few protocols and policies? Should you give people the time and space and authority to make good decisions, then trust them to actually do their jobs?

The creative leader doesn’t just add--she also subtracts. As Michelangelo said: “The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.”