Dealing with Breakdowns · Performance Culture

A breakdown is an opportunity for a breakthrough.

“Consider that all accomplishment is constituted by a series of resolved breakdowns.” — Werner Erhard

There’s generally two types of breakdowns that interest us: Breakdowns with People and Breakdowns with Systems. Regardless of their type, leaders are adamant about dealing with them quickly. Unresolved issues lingering in the background are a sure way to reduce an organization’s potential for performance.

There’s a specific view on breakdowns that we have discovered to be particularly useful in maintaining our own level of performance. We’ve discovered that viewing breakdowns as inherently not-personal (e.g. “they” are not out to get you) is extremely empowering. Breakdowns are just things that are in the way of us achieving what we want to achieve. Nothing more, nothing less.

¶Breakdowns with Systems

These are often systemic in nature; we spoke at length about the differences between fixing the symptoms vs. the systems. A system’s breakdowns can usually be resolved in a mostly mechanical way. A Burndown List is generated with the required steps for resolution and the plan is then executed.

Consider that a key aspect of an outstanding leader is that they design systems that follow our “If it breaks will you notice?” principle — systems that raise their issues before anyone else notices.

¶Breakdowns with People

While this is the last section of our Performance Culture at CRS document it might as well have been the first.

Breakdowns with people, e.g. your peers, is going to be an inevitable part of your experience at CRS and, frankly, life in general.

Somebody promised you they would get something done before a certain date and did not. You are sharing your vision for the next steps and somebody thinks it’s really a terrible idea. You promised to get something done by a certain time and did not — worse yet, you didn’t want to communicate it because you really thought you would make the deadline. Somebody has bypassed you as the team lead and is commandeering your direct report. There are really endless opportunities to “F things up” and we all do it.

What differentiates a great leader in these situations is how they deal with breakdowns. If you really think about it, breakdowns are never really about you and me; as mentioned above, seeing them as truly un-personal is a key skill to develop and practice, especially if it is in relation to Breakdowns with People. Here’s why:

Just as with our way-back ancestors hearing some rustling in the bushes thinking the predator is about to pounce, we tend to see a hidden meaning and agenda in the things that happen around us. This human tendency is called Hanlon’s Razor.

Frank didn’t submit his work in time? He’s out to get me. Mike sent me some rude Slack messages? He is forcing a reaction out of me to get his way. While all these interpretations might have lots of reasons to support them, they have one thing in common: they stand in the way of performance.

At CRS, we pride ourselves in having picked great folks to work with us; we are fundamentally clear that all of our people are here to deliver their best work for CRS.

Focusing on the people involved in the breakdown, their possible motivations and intentions, means going down an unproductive rabbit hole that diverts from getting to the core of what there is to do:

What actions — now — would resolve the breakdown?

Here is a list of useful pointers when faced with such a breakdown:

Don’t deal with the breakdown when your blood pressure is high — get off the computer/phone/Slack and take a walk.
Acknowledge the breakdown.
Give your peers the benefit of the doubt (specifically in this remote day and age).
Focus on what you are both committed to (e.g. company success, delivering great work, …) and resolve the breakdown.
Apply 5-day alignment — basically putting a By When on an interpersonal breakdown.
Put structures & systems in place that support not running into the same breakdowns over and over again (if at capacity).