Flexibility or structure? – They’re not mutually exclusive

A paradox is the presence of two seemingly contradictory qualities within a single entity. Running a business will present leaders with a number of paradoxes they must balance, where making right or wrong decisions is far from black and white.

In this article I will be covering one of the most pressing and relevant paradoxes that modern companies face…

A limiting mindset – Are you winging it or oversimplifying?

Flexibility – To react to external condition or trends, a business must be flexible, so that it can adapt accordingly and not get left behind. As well as this, modern organisations are demonstrating increasing internal flexibility, with regard to working hours, workspace, and company roles. Consider how many people now work from home for at least part of the week.

Structure – Alternately, having a structured approach underpins growth, profitability and efficiency. It stands to reason that if a business is performing in a consistent way, it is far easier to judge what its future might look like. Also, having internal systems that work within a set framework, is likely to reduce any waste of time or resources.

Whilst each of these aspects have positive attributes, being too flexible will make your actions scattergun and unpredictable. However, trying to impose too much structure can make reacting to external factors sluggish and leave your business vulnerable. 

You’ve got to find the balance…

A missing element – Working with contradictory aspects

Thought guru and author, Tony Robbins suggests that there are six fundamental human needs; one is certainty, another is uncertainty. It might seem surprising that he has included two contradictory elements, suggesting that having one present does not negate the effects of the other. This is a paradox in action, demonstrating that these more complex shades of grey are vital to reasonable decision making.

In a business context having too much certainty means you do not interrogate your actions thoroughly and will most likely lead to mistakes. Having this false sense of security means you can sometimes disregard productive feedback that your peers might have to offer, or more effective methods of operating.

 In opposition to this, having too much uncertainty disrupts effective decision making, leaving a leader too timid to enact any meaningful change. I find that some of my clients lack confidence, as their companies grow, because they aren’t used to overseeing so many people and processes. One of my key aims is to increase their assurance, whilst keeping them open to new ways of thinking.

Leaders must accept that paradoxes are going to exist within their organisations. Attempting to simplify everything will make their actions heavy handed, but flip-flopping between approaches will be frustrating and disorienting for those around them.

Get used to the idea that some things will feel contradictory.

A different perspective – What works for you?

I have coined the term ‘flucture’ to represent the optimal balance point between flexibility and structure. Each business must find their flucture point, where they are reacting appropriately, both internally and externally. I like to see these apparently contradictory aspects as symbiotic, complimenting rather than negatively affecting the other.

For every organisation this balance point will be different, dependent on the maturity of the company, its size, or the market is operating in. Take a look at the table below which outlines how companies at different stages of the growth cycle might implement a mixture of flexibility and structure:

As you can see, there is no standard approach I can suggest to finding your flucture point; it’s specific to your business and will probably change over time. This might seem frustrating, but I would assure you that as leader, you will probably have a good sense of what is right for your company. Familiar as you are with its people, processes and systems, you will most likely know which aspects require higher levels of rigidity or fluidity to meet your targets.

The paradoxes you encounter as part of your work can seem confusing, but remember that very few things (if anything) are binary. Find what works for you and your organisation.

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