Lessons from The Blob

In my leadership seminars, I play a game called Blob. It's pretty much like what it sounds like, a take-off on the movie. In a defined space, one person starts out as the Blob. When the Blob touches someone, they become part of the Blob, and so the Blob grows. The larger the Blob grows, the slower it gets. The Blob wants to consumer everything and everyone, but it keeps slowing down as it grows.

Organizations are like the Blob, the bigger they are, the harder it is for them to move quickly. It's hard to be nimble when you have to move 1,000 feet in the same direction. An organization can only move as quickly as its slowest member. So, what makes your team members slow? Do they understand where you're going, really? Do they have the tools and training they need to move quickly? Have you removed all the obstacles that get in the way? Have you made your vision so obviously clear and compelling that they know exactly what you want them to do?

In the game, the fastest players generally are the last to be touched by the Blob. However, the Blob always wins. It may be slow, but eventually the Blob plays to its strengths or it can't catch the last few players. Blob members learn to move together, adjusting their speed and placement to bring everyone along without falling down.

How nimble and fleet-footed is your team? Have you done everything you can and removed as many obstacles as possible to get them moving in the right direction? That's the leader's job.