Wait…I think it’s a hairball
I don’t own a cat but I am the proud owner of a thick and luxurious coiffure that bears a remarkable resemblance to that of the famed Fabio. Or, maybe not. Regardless, having hair that can actually be brushed is something I’ve not experienced in more than two decades.
Like millions of people around the world, I vigorously groom myself each morning for countless hours to ensure each strand is meticulously situated in its proper place. I’ve come to notice that my newly purchased hairbrush has become a souvenir shop for the many curls looking to escape my pre-dawn routine. It was my wife who enlightened me to the idea that I should, from time to time, remove those remnant fibers. Go figure. As I did so, I found myself holding a clump of tangled thatch. This, as I’m sure you’ve guessed by now, got me thinking.
I was reminded about a book I had read years ago titled Orbiting the Giant Hairball as written by a former creative director at Hallmark, Gordon McKenzie. In that book and using Hallmark as an example, Gordon talks about the corporate structure and its tendency to become unduly complicated – thus becoming something of a hairball. He goes further to describe how you can and should “orbit” the hairball without necessarily getting caught up in the tangled mess of it all.
The book isn’t about how to untangle the hairball, though there may certainly be an argument in favor of reducing its size or knottedness (That’s a word, right?). It’s not about creatives versus “suits” or orbiters and non-orbiters. You see, the hairball, as much as we like to complain about it, has a purpose; as do the orbiters. Just like the moons orbiting a planet, there’s a relationship between them. You can’t have one without the other. Actually, I guess you could have a planet without a moon but what would wolves howl at during the night?
No organization is perfect. Every company has its own hairball. That hairball might not be the company but might be something within the organization like a project, process or policy. Some are tiny, navel lint-sized hairballs. Others are preposterously enormous quagmires of twisted chaos. And, of course, others fall somewhere in between. No matter the size of the hairball, there is still a need and an opportunity to circumnavigate it by thinking creatively, acting courageously and producing exceptional results.
So, recognize the hairball. Appreciate its value. Look for ways to find your orbit. And, if anyone should ask how you do, just tell ‘em you’re channeling your inner Fabio.
