Fractional VP Engineering, Leadership & Executive Coach, Mentor, Organizational Developer, Advisor, Speaker, Moderator | Former SaaS founder, CEO
Inertia traps seldom arise out of malice. It’s typically the result of blindspots baked into systems and processes. (A refresher - An inertia trap is when someone in your org recognizes a need for action, and subsequently believes someone exists who should take this action, but is not actually taking it.) But what causes an inertia trap? Dissecting the reason why it’s happening in the first place is an initial step to finding a solution. Here are 5 causes of inertia traps that may be holding you and your team back: → Rapid or drastic organizational change and growth that causes change fatigue or demotivation. It may sound like, “I have no idea what’s going on.” → Social dynamics, like the bystander effect, diffusion of responsibility, and the desire for team members to conform to what is “correct”. It may sound like, “I’m sure someone else is on it.” → High ambiguity, and unclear expectations. It may sound like, “I don’t know what to do, and I don’t think it’s my job to find out.” → Differences in context and point of view. This may feel basic, but is easy to forget: Your perspective on and interpretation of a situation is different from everyone else’s. → Too busy, tired, and overwhelmed. Individuals just have too much on their plate already. It may sound like, “I can’t pay attention to this because there’s so much going on and I have so much to do!” In my experience, the final cause I listed above is the most common root cause when leaders lament “low ownership.” Intrigued by inertia traps? I’ve written more on the topic, including how to spot the signs you’re in one and how to get your team out of one. You can learn more about it on my website → lenareinhard.com/articles