Subverting scarcity

Seth Godin astutely writes about an economy of scarcity. Within many human institutions there is a lack of resource to be productive let alone successful. At least by conventional measurement. People end up competing for what is diminishing to gain a fleeting reward. The thrust to do more with less – and to trumpet each successful instance of that – forces unattainable expectations.  There can be great productivity breakthroughs via new processes that exercise thrift.  But there can also be a huge cost in satisfaction and general sense of well-being.

I have worked in a “cash cow” sector of a large software company where the overall business plan is one of slow death.  There is shrinking commitment to projects of any size.  And gradually, layoffs and “gear-boxing” (forced transfers) eat away at personnel.

Godin’s rosy alternative to all this is the world of connections, where everyone is enabled to succeed and thrive. All that is lacking is the courage to step out and be who we really are and … lead.

And I don’t want to deny the truth of what he writes. Certainly he himself has made a living being and doing what he says. But I do want to speak and equip the mass of humanity “stuck” in the corporate setting. Trapped as “cogs the machine” as he puts it. I have certainly operated in an environment that he describes. And it has its challenges. Difficulties can be the rule rather than the exception.

So, if you’re not one of the elite full-time bloggers or consultants of Seth Godin’s “connected economy”, how do you survive and even thrive and grow?

1. Take inventory of what you control. No one owns your emotions but you. No one controls your thought processes and logic. At the do-it level, you probably have more say in the process of how things are done than you think. And no one controls your time away from the work but you. You can and must leverage what you control to your advantage. Those things are not scarce unless you throw them away.

2. Innovate in small places.  It’s a lie that elegance and invention requires large outlays of time and resource.  Use the “down times” to produce that which conquers crises and eases stress due to lack.  Do personal “post mortems” to review what went right and wrong during a project or too-hectic activity.  And address the stress via preparation because it’s sure to come again.

3. Subvert scarcity. Be a generous person. People stuck in scarcity won’t know how to handle it. Some will take advantage of it, but others will respond in kind. It’s the latter with whom to form community. Then together, find ways to foster connection within the “engine”, sharing instead of hording. It requires selflessness, but if you’ve tried the alternatives, then you’ve seen and been caught in the trap.

4. Under duress – bend.  Realize that in difficult situations it’s not a matter of how much more you can take but really a matter of how much you’re willing to give. Realigning your thinking to know that patience – as well as forgiveness and understanding – is a commodity you both have and can regain. The impersonal effrontery that characterizes so much interaction in the economy of scarcity can make anyone short-tempered. It hurts. But composure comes back. Reflection lets us find yet more within us to give. It’s a matter of will at that point. But, because we can eventually be running on empty, we must:

5. Get away and recharge. This is not just going home at the end of the day. It’s the 2 minute vacation, the coffee break, the quiet prayer time in the solitude of an office or meeting room. I have walked in on people in conference rooms with the lights out. They had to leave because our meeting was taking over the place, but I have never questioned what they might be doing in there. It was most likely good for them.  And us.

There is a breaking point of course. There is a level of abuse, turmoil and just raw amount of work that should make anyone leave, abandoning the enterprise being led by those stuck in fear-driven, toxic malpractice. But your freedom to do so is always with you. It is among the things under your control in 1 above.

But exercising that freedom is not often the best course. I will make the bold statement that I have never exercised patience in my professional career and failed to realize reward. I’m not just talking about salary and compensation. I mean personal reward like character growth and rich deposits of wisdom and peace. Those would happen no other way.

Finally I invite you to faith in Christ. He is my supply in the scarce economy.

Ephesians 3:16-19 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

And that .. is a lot of filling.