The Path of Least Resistance for Managers

1. Structural tension drives organizational advancement

Structural tension—the desired state in relation to the actual state—is the key ingredient in organizations that advance.

Structural tension is the engine of progress. It is created by the discrepancy between an organization's vision (desired state) and its current reality. This tension generates energy and motivation to move from the present state to the desired future state.

Components of structural tension:

• Clear, well-defined vision or goal
• Accurate assessment of current reality
• Action steps to bridge the gap

When structural tension dominates an organization, it naturally leads to advancement. The path of least resistance becomes aligned with achieving the organization's goals, rather than maintaining the status quo or oscillating between conflicting priorities.

2. Organizations either oscillate or advance based on their structure

Organizations either oscillate or advance.

Structure determines organizational behavior. The underlying structure of an organization will dictate whether it consistently moves forward (advances) or swings back and forth between conflicting priorities (oscillates).

Advancing organizations:

• Build on successes
• Learn from failures
• Maintain momentum

Oscillating organizations:

• Experience frequent reversals
• Struggle to maintain progress
• Neutralize successes

Understanding and intentionally designing organizational structure is crucial for sustained success. Leaders must recognize that without addressing fundamental structural issues, even the best change initiatives or management techniques will ultimately fail to produce lasting results.

3. Problem-solving alone leads to organizational oscillation

If the organization's structure remains unchanged, the organization's behavior will revert to its previous behavior.

Problem-solving is not enough. While addressing immediate issues is necessary, focusing solely on problem-solving as a management approach leads to organizational oscillation. This is because problem-solving:

Creates a cycle of:

1. Identifying problems
2. Implementing solutions
3. Temporary improvement
4. New problems emerging
5. Repeat

This cycle fails to address the underlying structural causes of issues and doesn't create a sustainable path forward. Instead of merely solving problems, organizations need to focus on creating desired outcomes and redesigning their structures to support those outcomes.

4. Structural conflicts cause oscillation and must be redesigned

When structural conflicts dominate an organization, oscillation will result.

Structural conflicts create competing priorities. These conflicts arise when an organization has two or more mutually exclusive goals or values. Common examples include:

• Growth vs. stability
• Innovation vs. efficiency
• Centralization vs. decentralization
• Short-term profits vs. long-term investment

To address structural conflicts, organizations must:

1. Identify the competing tension-resolution systems
2. Establish a clear hierarchy of priorities
3. Redesign structures to support the primary goal while managing secondary priorities

By resolving structural conflicts, organizations can create a clearer path forward and reduce the tendency to oscillate between competing priorities.

5. A clear vision and shared structural tension propel organizations forward

The values that dominate an organization will displace other competing, lesser values.

Shared vision creates alignment and momentum. When an organization has a clear, compelling vision that is genuinely shared by its members, it becomes a powerful force for advancement. This shared vision:

• Provides direction and purpose
• Aligns individual and collective efforts
• Inspires creativity and innovation
• Helps overcome obstacles and setbacks

Shared structural tension takes this concept further by ensuring that everyone in the organization not only shares the vision but also has a clear understanding of current reality. This shared understanding of both the desired future and present state creates a collective drive to bridge the gap, propelling the organization forward.

6. Business strategy should align with organizational purpose

What motivates the customer to buy our products or services?

Purpose drives strategy. An effective business strategy must be rooted in the organization's fundamental purpose and aligned with customer needs. To develop a strong business strategy:

1. Clearly define the organization's purpose
2. Understand customer motivations and needs
3. Identify the unique value proposition
4. Align all aspects of the business to deliver on that value

Key questions to consider:

• What is our offering?
• Who are our customers?
• What do they want?
• What do we want?
• Is there a match between their wants and ours?
• How do they know about us?
• How do they obtain our offering?

By answering these questions and aligning strategy with purpose, organizations can create a sustainable competitive advantage and avoid the pitfalls of short-term thinking or misaligned priorities.

7. Leadership plays a crucial role in shaping organizational structure

Without a change of underlying structure, any change effort will eventually fail, and the organization will revert back to its previous behavior.

Leaders must focus on structural design. Effective leadership goes beyond setting goals or implementing new initiatives. Leaders must understand and intentionally shape the underlying structures that determine organizational behavior.

Key leadership responsibilities:

• Identify and resolve structural conflicts
• Create and maintain structural tension
• Align organizational structures with purpose and strategy
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptation

Leaders who neglect structural issues in favor of short-term fixes or surface-level changes will ultimately fail to create lasting organizational improvement. By focusing on structural dynamics, leaders can create the conditions for sustained success and advancement.

8. The "New Lean" approach focuses on outcomes rather than problems

Traditional lean, in my view, has a type of existential conflict.

Outcome-driven improvement is more effective. The "New Lean" approach shifts the focus from identifying and eliminating waste to designing processes that achieve desired outcomes. This approach:

• Starts with defining clear goals
• Analyzes current reality in relation to those goals
• Designs new processes from scratch if necessary
• Incorporates traditional lean tools within a broader context

Key principles of the New Lean:

1. Define the desired outcome
2. Analyze current reality
3. Design the process
4. Execute and refine

By focusing on outcomes rather than problems, organizations can create more innovative and effective solutions that go beyond incremental improvements to achieve transformative results.

9. Organizational greatness stems from well-designed structures

Structure is always there for us to see. When people begin to understand and use structure to help them design their organizations, true greatness becomes possible.

Greatness is structural, not accidental. Organizations that achieve and sustain greatness do so through intentional structural design. Elements of great organizational structures include:

• Widely distributed power
• Alignment of local and overall interests
• Social impact beyond profit
• Principle-driven policies
• Clear and purposeful expansion
• Effective resource management
• Continuous alignment of people with purpose

By focusing on these structural elements, organizations can create the conditions for sustained excellence and meaningful impact. Leaders who understand and leverage structural dynamics can build organizations that not only succeed in the short term but also adapt and thrive over the long haul.

Last updated: March 11, 2025