# Changing the Calculus of Bureaucratic Resistance By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-01-29 Larger organizations often assemble smaller teams to [[research]], develop, and present change initiatives. When formed, these teams frequently dedicate a significant amount of time to the task. A great deal of literature is developed on how to form these teams and how to make them more productive once formed. Almost nothing is written about how to change the organization to make it more receptive to the product created by the group. This is unfortunate as these projects frequently fail not because of any shortfall of the project but because the organization is resistant to the proposal. One aspect of this dynamic is especially amenable to immediate change, which would make acceptance more likely. When the team presents the findings to the larger organization, there is often a time for discussion. During this time, people unfamiliar with the deliberations behind the presentation will pitch all sorts of “what about…” that are on the periphery of the topic being presented. Such “have you thought about” are placed on a list, and the team then needs to reconvene and address them one by one. This process can iterate multiple times throughout a project. What is happening should be understood structurally. People working on a project have done some amount of work getting it ready. At each point, a group of people who have done no work on the project gets to suggest nearly random things that then create more work for the people who have already invested a great deal of effort in the project. This can repeat indefinitely. Eventually, the people working on the project will give up, and the effort will just recede into the background. A victory for the status quo. Changing the calculus of bureaucratic resistance would fundamentally alter this dynamic. Rather than let those who have done no work on the effort raise problems for the team to figure out, the response could be changed to put the onus on that individual rather than the team. The response could be something like, “The team has done a great deal of work on this project. You have voiced an interesting concern. The team will continue to work on the project as it currently is. If you are interested in the topic you raised, you can write a 10-page report on it, submit it to the group for consideration, and potentially join the group if the position is adopted.” Such an approach would change the calculus of bureaucratic resistance. Instead of making more work for those who are already working, it places the burden on the person attempting to sidetrack the effort. This is precisely where the burden should be. Given that this is the primary source of effort [[failure]] it is odd that it has been neglected as attention is focused on team composition and dynamics. #### Related Items [[Teams]] [[Change]] [[Bureaucracy]] [[Organizational Analytics]]