The "hard" and the "soft" issues in business are equally important. They are interdependent. Our challenge is to make judgments considering both.
Although we may have a very clear decision on the facts before us, when we consider the influences of relationships and motivations, our decision suddenly becomes much more complex.
"Hard" issues
"Hard" issues are tangible and measurable and feel full of substance and form. We gain reassurance from the measurable, and find the concrete things more legitimate, such as:
- Strategies
- Plans
- Outcomes
- Deliverables
- Structure
- Policies
- Procedures
- Processes
Having a task focus brings out the emphasis on the "hard" issues. It is action oriented and therefore good at generating activity and evidence of progress. However, this can be a trap. Not all activity is constructive. We can create illusions of effectiveness, particularly if people are acting out of compliance or submission. This sets leaders up to take more control and increases the demands on them, causing overwork.
"Soft" issues
"Soft" issues are intangible, inferred and feel nebulous. We hold reservations from the unmeasurable, such as:
- Culture
- Relationships
- Motivation
- Influence
- Empowerment
- Inspiration
Yet, the abstract has a profound influence on results.
"Soft" issues do not always present immediately. They can be festering under the surface and building into something substantial without us realising it. In the drive for creating a result, we may damage relationships, erode people's motivation, weaken their levels of engagement and create a culture that is dis-empowering and leads to either dependency, lack of commitment or worse, resentment.
We can miss the connection that the tactics we use can cause the diminishing returns, or costly complications, that arise. Other times, we identify the causes and now need to invest in a demanding process of change to create a healthier, sustainable performance culture.
It is not about making people feel good
Having a relationship focus will bring out the emphasis on the "soft" issues. This embraces understanding what makes people tick, their value and how to leverage it, plus how to get people working together effectively.
It is about understanding what enables people to perform at their best and activating that. For example, some people need tough agendas and big stretches in order to achieve, others need stepping-stones and positive reinforcement or a combination of both.
If overdone, the relationship orientation can just as easily result in dis-empowerment and dependency by giving other people too much importance and in the process making others, yourself or tasks relatively unimportant.
Integrating "hard" and "soft" issues
Initially there is apparent harmony and co-operation. However, if the task focus is lacking, responsibility is diffused and we avoid confronting situations, value is lost, discernment is minimal, and people become overcommitted. There is a rising sense of feeling overwhelmed at the demands, often resulting in powerlessness of some and an over-inflated sense of power in others, bringing out their roguish tendencies.
We see this in action in many corporate dramas. Conflicts arise over the polarisation of these two points of view, the destructive elements of task versus the relationship. If you can hear the language of victims and perpetrators, you are likely to find the destructive excesses of both.
The solution lies in the constructive integration of both facing the facts and dealing with the relationship issues
Our reactions to situations and circumstances bring out the best or worst in us. We can become captive to them. It is easier to blame others rather than own the responsibility that is ours in the circumstances. We seek solutions that make us feel better rather than achieve our desired result. We avoid dealing with what might challenge us personally and create something else to put our energy into and shift the focus.
Try this:
Identify examples that apply to you. Think of each situation as a both/and rather than either/or. I invite you to step up to the challenge of more sophisticated responses:
- Deepen relationships while still holding someone accountable
- Stand for something important you can see and others cannot, in a way that gives them choice to accept or reject the value being offered
- Set challenging targets and enable people to feel empowered to achieve them, despite their reservations
Finding the constructive aspects of both the task and relationship focus and integrating them produces leveraged outcomes. It creates a momentum in the business. If you are experiencing struggle, resistance and opposition - you have them out of balance with some destructive elements. Whenever you experience a sense of flow, of things moving forward effortlessly - you know you have them in constructive balance.