Papering over the cracks

Getting things done in a complex organisation can be difficult. Legacy processes change over time and documentation becomes outdated quickly, causing friction.

We jump at the chance of making things better for everyone. We have identified an opportunity to streamline our processes. But we've got a deadline... so we look for a workaround, a quick fix. We dodge the obstacle and carry on with our work.

You reassure yourself that it's only temporary and someone is already addressing the underlying issue. But deep down you know that this workaround will soon become 'the way'.

The Workaround Trap

Let's talk about hiring. We have an impending interview and realise that we don't have access to the candidate's CV. It should be attached to the interview invite, you think. The interview is in 30 minutes so you fire off a message to your recruiter asking for the CV. 10 minutes later you receive it and quickly prepare.

Before your next interview, you recall this issue and ask the recruiter for the CV in advance. The workaround is now the process. Although you believe attaching the CV to the interview invite is better, the team is too busy and understaffed to implement it soon.

This temporary solution has now become the norm. When you coach new interviewers, you'll explain that you need to ping the recruiter to get the CV – this is now 'the way'. Interviewers are now trained to add an unnecessary step to an already cumbersome process.

What you are willing to tolerate becomes the standard

A culture of papering over the cracks

The big problem here isn't the extra step for interviewers. It's the message it sends to the company. Through no explicit choice, we've agreed that 'good enough' is okay. Excellence is optional. As long as we can get things done somehow then we're doing alright.

The result is a multitude of hotch-potch processes, full of friction. There is no clear direction or desire for excellence. Things evolve out of necessity, not design.

The result is a culture of papering over the cracks. We can't make our experiences or our colleagues' experiences amazing because we lack time. Because of this, many people still encounter problems at work and come up with workarounds. We don't improve.

Instead, a culture of excellence

Excellence shouldn't be optional. It underpins all our work. We should stop ignoring problems and work on solving them. Let's understand why these problems occur and invest time in improving them. Yes it takes time up-front, but this is an investment not a cost. Slowing down now will mean a more efficient workplace for the many who come after you trying to do the same things. A place where people feel happy and accomplished, not hindered by unnecessary obstacles and delays.

Fixing the root causes and changing things in this way is hard. It's time consuming, and often comes at a trade-off against the 'day-job'. To make a difference, we can set examples and reward behaviors that help our colleagues. We should incentivize always attaching the CV to the invite, rather than finding the slower workaround.

It is vital to create a culture where we expect excellence. We need champions to set examples across the organisation and we should hold ourselves to account. Next time you find yourself working around a problem by escalation, or trying to find out who the gatekeeper is, stop and think if fixing the root cause would be the better option. Because in the end, excellence is about putting in the time and effort to do the right things.