studio non troppo : mindful design : facilitation

Photo: Ryan Wick

One of the things I teach in my “other life” is a very weird and wonderful problem solving methodology called TRIZ. The letters T-R-I-Z are a Russian acronym for what in English is called the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving.

In TRIZ, we talk about a system’s primary function. What’s the system designed to do? Or: what’s the point?

This is part of the WHY I talked about in the last post. When things get complicated, when people feel under time pressure, or when we stop acting mindfully, it’s easy to lose sight of the WHY.

So here’s the question you must ask yourself: what is the primary function of my (new) business?

If you answered with some version of “to make money,” it’s because you are falling into the auxiliary function trap. An auxiliary function is some function internal to the system, something that is done besides the primary function.

It’s time for an example.

Let’s say the primary function of a jellybean-making machine is to make jellybeans. Beautiful, delicious, marginally-nutritious jellybeans.

Photo: Angie Torres

Pouring the sugar from a container into a mold is an auxiliary function. In this case, it might be something you need to do, but let’s not mistake moving sugar around with actually producing finished jellybeans.

Measuring the jellybeans for appropriate size and shape is also an auxiliary function. If you could measure the jellybeans perfectly but still only produced ugly, terrible-tasting jellybeans, I think you’d have to agree your machine was failing at its job. On the other hand, if your system was designed so as to produce glorious, awesome jellybeans, and if you didn’t need to do any measurements at all, the machine would be succeeding. That’s because measuring the beans isn’t the point; making beans in the point.

“So why,” you might ask, “is the bean-counting approach to my business so wrong? It worked for your jellybean example, didn’t it?”

Selecting “the production of money” might work on some level as a primary function for your business, but there are real limitations and pitfalls that result from this way of looking at things.

Money (think a fistful of dollar bills) doesn’t actually do anything for you. You can’t eat it. You can’t construct a house with it. You can’t nourish your soul with it. And that’s the big clue… Money is only useful for what you do with it. In other words, money is an enabler, not a goal in itself. The production of money is an auxiliary function.

So here’s what you can do.

Remind yourself that money, though quite possibly necessary, performs only an enabling, auxiliary function. Take the time, now and repeatedly, to ask yourself, “what is the primary function for my business?”

Here are some examples of primary functions for a business:

• “Creates free time for me to spend with my family.”
• “Makes me feel productive, energized, and creative.”
• “Creates inner peace.”
• “Makes beautiful things in the world.”
• “Spreads fun contagiously”

Sometimes, you will find that the money-making, or measurement, or marketing, or [insert another auxiliary function here] function may be contributing positively to some piece of the system but is harming the system’s ability to perform its primary function.

You can correct this, or figure out a way for the disruption of the primary function to only be temporary and a positive change in the long run….but only if you’re paying attention.