Changing the engine while the aeroplane is still in the air
In the relentless rhythm of modern business, there is a pervasive myth that stopping, even for a second, is a failure of momentum. We treat our organisations like planes in mid-flight; we are so terrified of losing altitude that we refuse to adjust the engine, even when we know it’s burning fuel inefficiently. We tell ourselves that we’ll fix the process once things quiet down. But in a high-growth environment, things never truly quiet down.
The result? We stay trapped in Doing-Mode.
When an organisation operates exclusively in "doing-mode," the primary goal shifts from excellence to the mere reduction of variability. We focus on hitting the next milestone and keeping the Business As Usual (BAU) machinery grinding forward. While this keeps the lights on, it creates a dangerous paradox: the harder we work to stay on schedule, the more time we spend putting out fires caused by the very processes we’re too busy to fix.
We aren't actually moving faster; we are just chasing our tails at a higher velocity.
Controlling the clock, not obeying it
To break this cycle, we have to challenge the idea that refactoring how we work is a luxury we can’t afford. It isn't about a total system reset or a dramatic halt in delivery. Rather, it is about Normalising the Pause.
True progress requires shifting into Thinking-Mode. This is the deliberate act of "meta-work", reflecting on the how and the why rather than just the what. By slowing down the work slightly, we create the necessary friction to spark better ideas.
- Doing-Mode: Reduces variability, focuses on delivery, obeys the clock.
- Thinking-Mode: Increases options, encourages reflection, controls the clock.
Improving the plane mid-flight
The goal isn’t to transform a commercial airliner into a fighter jet while soaring at 30,000 feet. That kind of radical, high-stakes pivoting is exactly what leads to burnout and system failure.
Instead, the path forward lies in making space to reconsider and reflect with trusted partners. It is about small, incremental adjustments: identifying blind spots, drawing on collective experience, and implementing changes safely without grounding the entire operation.
When we make space for meta-work, we stop being victims of our own schedules. We move from a state of frantic reaction to one of intentional action. We don't stop the work; we simply give the work enough room to breathe, evolve, and ultimately, become better.
Note: The concepts in this write-up come from the book Leadership is Language by David Marquet