The Joy of the Messy Middle
Without friction, there is no growth. But is the push for optimization ringing the friction, and the life, out of life?
I was inspired to write this after reading the latest Growth Equation newsletter (https://thegrowtheq.com/stop-over-optimizing-everything/), written by Steve Magness. His thesis is that the rise of analytics has led to a barbell effect of either home runs or strikeouts, three-pointers or layups. Where is the contact hitter, or the midrange sharp-shooter?
It sort of mirrors our society writ large, which has become very much polarized and binary.
Does the rise of analytics and optimization lead to mediocrity? Looking at Magness’s examples, I think it sadly does.
In the chase for optimization, we seem to be squeezing out the chances for joy, messy and even serendipity. Squishy concepts, maybe, but look at your career, look at your life. Did your career, or your relationship, turn on a chance meeting? A chance encounter?
Certainty doesn’t live at the address of joy, messiness and serendipity. Innovation does. It always has. If I remember the story correctly, an engineer was on the beach, bored in the sun. Finding a stick, he started drawing lines in the sand. And thus was the origin of the ubiquitous barcode.
We want to live in certainty because it’s the safest place to be. In sports, movies, hiring. Yet, we all know, in sports, in movies, in hiring, the greatest work and the greatest hires come from dialing up just a little more courage than the other coach, director or hiring manager.
What talented people are we leaving behind if our desire for optimization is paramount? What innovations are we leaving behind if we don’t allow our teams to wrestle with the messy middle?
Maybe our desire for optimization is a quest for perfection. Even though, as we all know, perfection is a mug’s game. A search for certainty in an uncertain field, or uncertain world. (Though, we know the world has always been uncertain, right?)
The aim, I think, should be seeking excellence, not perfection, regardless of the messiness. And building resilience in our organizations, and ourselves, to properly handle the messiness and the friction.
What are you doing to be comfortable in the messy, uncertain, magical middle?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified health and career coach, trained in habit change, helping people gain clarity on their career and health journeys. I invite you to click on the link, and let’s talk about how I can support you.