The distinction between designing for coherence and designing for function is the real hinge here.
I see this constantly. Beautiful dashboards. Clean process maps. Perfect language. And then chaos on the ground.
When metrics become the mission, intelligence shifts upward and responsibility shifts downward. That’s when shadow processes take over.
The hospital example captures it well. The system wasn’t broken because people were incompetent. It was broken because incentives were misaligned with purpose.
Problem solving isn't about cleverness. It’s about alignment. Mission, incentives, behavior, lived reality.
When those line up, things move.
When they don’t, no amount of optimization saves you.
Thank you! Absolutely, targeting velocity over value is such a great example. People always find a way to get the important things done, even if they have to do it under the radar.
🙌🏼
This is strong.
The distinction between designing for coherence and designing for function is the real hinge here.
I see this constantly. Beautiful dashboards. Clean process maps. Perfect language. And then chaos on the ground.
When metrics become the mission, intelligence shifts upward and responsibility shifts downward. That’s when shadow processes take over.
The hospital example captures it well. The system wasn’t broken because people were incompetent. It was broken because incentives were misaligned with purpose.
Problem solving isn't about cleverness. It’s about alignment. Mission, incentives, behavior, lived reality.
When those line up, things move.
When they don’t, no amount of optimization saves you.
Really thoughtful piece.
🙏
Thank you! Absolutely, targeting velocity over value is such a great example. People always find a way to get the important things done, even if they have to do it under the radar.