The machine doesn’t care what it’s making—only that it’s making it fast. Frictionless systems optimize output. But meaning, memory, and margin live in the mess it leaves behind. The great smoothing is ...

Stanford’s Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao on how to boost efficiency and satisfaction while also improving innovation and decision-making. Organizations too often subject their employees and customers to ...

Friction isn’t always a flaw. When effort is intentional and optional, it can turn routine interactions into experiences ...

Management consultant (sometimes called guru) Peter Drucker left us with countless pithy quotes on organizational behavior. One of my favorites is, “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently ...

Friction is an intrinsic physical phenomenon to curling. Without it, objects in motion would move endlessly, without slowing down. This would cause many safety-related problems: Cars or trains could ...

Today, everything is frictionless. Whether you’re parking your car, selling your home, hitting the drive-thru or drying your hair, there’s a company promising to save you time and eliminate any hassle ...