Abstract
A prominent management scholar, Peter Drucker, once said, “So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work” (Komisar, 2013). Most of us feel the same when we are often called to attend a “meeting that could have been an email” or go through a tedious process for a small and frequent requisition order. Scholars over half a century have pointed out such problems as a coefficient of inefficiency and sludge (Parkinson, 1957; Sunstein, 2021). Ghosh and Rosenkopf (2015) also acknowledged the presence of friction in the networks, which impedes the smooth transfer of knowledge. These problems not only bring down the productivity and output of the organization but also impair the zeal and commitment of the employees. The book Friction Project joins the conversation about this critical problem in organizations: the right things are harder, and the wrong things are easier. The good news is that the authors express confidence that the right approach can alleviate these problems and make everyone’s life easier.
In the tribology domain, friction refers to the resistive force acting at the contact surfaces where a sliding motion takes place. This book innovatively uses the term “friction” to denote the analogous resistance forces in organizations that make functioning difficult, for example, soul-crushing meetings, tedious paperwork, long-convoluted emails, and oppressive rules. Since no one is directly responsible for fixing such friction problems most of the time, termed aptly by the authors as orphan problems, these problems tend to linger in the organization. These friction problems not only impede organizational progress but also engender frustration, anger, and despair for everyone involved. The authors have synthesized their extensive learning spanning years and meticulously cataloged them in a prescriptive manner to offer their insights. They discussed in detail how this friction problem may exist and how smart leaders can make right things easier and wrong things harder.
Although the book is written by two academicians, the writing style discounts the abstraction of scholarly language in favor of clarity and accessibility, underscoring the inclusivity of writing. One may feel the book is geared toward the senior managers in the organization who have the power to introduce organizational changes. However, the authors have argued throughout the book, with the aid of multiple strong practical examples, that friction fixing is contingent not only upon one’s position in the organization but also on one’s motivation to fix the aforementioned orphan problems. Thus, the book would appeal to employees at various organizational levels. Furthermore, the practical aspect of the book makes it a very valuable resource for management academicians to use the provided frameworks for executive training.
The book is divided into three broad parts. Part 1 is a preamble, which sets the hook for the readers with a critical perspective on organizations. It introduces the readers to the authors’ conceptualization of friction in an organization. It builds on how there is too much bad friction in the organization by underlining how oblivious leaders, tiring paperwork, meetings overload, and crude technology may create hurdles for the people in the organization. These hurdles drain the employees’ productivity and frustrate them. Also, on the contrary, the authors challenge the readers to reconsider their view of friction by exposing them to the idea of good friction. The authors warn that a lack of good friction may result in a slippery surface, which may cause them to fall. Unfettered leaders may squander the company resources on any latest fad without giving it due thought. Thus, they suggest that friction fixers are sometimes required to inject friction in the system as well, at places where it could be helpful. Using the examples of IKEA, Seinfeld, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, the book underlines how making things difficult could increase creativity and commitment and even save lives. Hence, it is the job of smart leaders to be friction fixers and make right things easier and wrong things harder in the organization. Part 1 of the book ends with the assurance that friction fixing is a craft that we can learn (Sutton and Rao, 2024: page 25).
Part 2 of the book is dedicated to friction fixing, where its three chapters gradually inform the readers about friction fixing, starting with the characteristics of friction fixing in Chapter 1, diagnosing bad friction from good friction in Chapter 2, and finally, how to fix the friction in Chapter 3. I believe, in this part, the book makes two significant contributions to this critical conversation about fixing inefficient processes in the organization. The first contribution is in the form of “friction forensics,” a set of eight diagnostic questions designed to help friction fixers figure out whether to go ahead with the friction-fixing solution. This tool is quite crucial, as we know that friction can be good or bad. Hence, recognizing the bad friction from a good one is a critical requirement for any friction fixer. Thus, this friction-forensics addresses a critical step in the friction-fixing process.
The second contribution is in the form of a prescribed help pyramid. The authors acknowledge that power is required to bring change and implement solutions in an organization. The help pyramid prescribes different help strategies that employees at various power positions within the organization may utilize for friction fixing. It implicitly recommends that employees ought not to adopt a passive attitude toward friction problems, particularly when the solution to such issues necessitates authority or resources beyond their control. Instead, it is advised that they endeavor to address these friction problems by employing appropriate help strategies that align with their available capacity and influence. Hence, in this part, the authors constructively contribute to the ongoing friction problem debate by prescribing diagnostic tools and the help pyramid.
Part 3 of this book contains five chapters (chapters 4–8). These chapters are dedicated to five friction traps in which the leaders or other people in organizations may fall. I categorize these five traps into three broad categories, that is, leadership (oblivious leaders), communication (broken connections and jargon monoxide), and organization biases (addition sickness and fast and frenzied). Each chapter in this part discusses a friction trap and its potential remedies. I want to highlight here that friction fixing, as discussed in Part 2, refers to the act of fixing the existing friction in the system. Here, in Part 3, these friction traps refer to the roots of the friction problems. In my view, such information about friction problems can be crucial for deciding an intervention for a particular friction trouble one may be facing. For example, if processes are unclear due to excessive use of the in-group jargon, adequate intervention in organizational communication should solve the issue. Finally, the concluding Chapter 9 in Part 4 focuses on the leaders, suggesting how they can eliminate friction and motivate others to do the same within their organizations. The book closes with a reminder that every organization will always have some troubling friction unless employees proactively take responsibility for fixing those orphan problems.
Friction Project is a well-written and concise book. The book does, however, have some downturns as well. The book has initiated a couple of discussions in some instances and left them open without building on them further. For instance, in Chapter 1, the authors warn leaders about the challenge of distinguishing between authentic pride and hubristic pride, as they are deceptively similar. However, no remedy has been suggested for the same. In addition, while setting the stage for the book, the authors have strongly advocated that friction fixing is a craft that could be imparted and disseminated to others. However, an exclusive discussion on the dissemination of friction fixing remains elusive, compelling the readers to derive their comprehension of teaching friction fixing in bits and pieces from the various chapters of the book. Thus, a dedicated chapter on how people may recruit and train others for friction fixing would have reduced this reading friction for the readers.
In my opinion, the authors have broached an inevitable and persistent problem we all face in organizations, that is, friction problems. However, the authors have led the whole discussion without creating a fear of friction problems among readers and maintained an optimistic tone. The authors have provided their critical perspective on organizations in a constructive manner and managed to achieve a holistic and streamlined delivery of the content to the readers. The book first introduces the readers to the friction problems, followed by a comprehensive discussion on the fixing strategies and root causes.
As I tried to include the perspective of a diversified set of readers in this review (Fan and Bettin, 2023), I found that the practical approach and comprehensible language make this book an indispensable resource for practitioners, academicians, and students alike. The suggested strategies could empower the leaders, motivate the employees, complement the in-class management pedagogies, and enlighten the novice business students in building better organizations and improving the lives of every stakeholder.
