I think we all have had instances in our lives, when we had to fight for a seat at the table. To have our efforts, sometimes just our basic existence and needs, considered worthwhile and taken into account. It could be the small things, like standing up to your parent's nonsensical "everybody up by 8 am" rule (ugh). Or bigger things, like driving political change, upheaving entire systems. And really anything in between, like suggesting a company improvement as an employee, or ignoring the nay-sayers on our paths as founders. Whatever each one of you did, I'm sure you know what I mean with "fight for what is important".

I believe there is a point in our lives though, when we run out of steam. When we don't want to fight for that basic acknowledgement anymore. When we just want things to be supportive of our efforts and ideas, all-around for once. For these times, it is important to watch out for "action space", not action levers. Let me explain.

Imagine your company, no matter if as a founder or employee, is a building. Each aspect that is important to the building gets a room. They can be big or small, easy to find, hidden, beautiful, or dirty and neglected. For all companies, financial survival is paramount. So, we could say that "profit" or "finance" gets a very big, very shiny room in the building. There is a lot of attention on it, people very much care for it, not a dust of speck in sight. This room is probably very restricted in terms of access, only the gold key holders get to go in. But everybody else can look in through some more, some less transparent windows and be in awe of such an amazing room.

And then we have the typical diversity efforts. In most companies, a tiny utility closet (dt.: Besenkammer). Dusty, with lots of resident spiders. Hidden away under some staircase. But it is there, you can technically see it on the floor plan. It's just that nobody wants to spend much time there. And that's ok with management. No matter if they are aware of it or not. The floor plan doesn't lie.

Think about what is important to you. What makes up your company. Your values. The change you want to see in the world. Your employees. And then check if you have a dedicated room for each one of these things. Is the room as large and appropriately furnished as the problem it needs to address? Like a room for the diversity efforts in the natural sciences, or entrepreneurship (4% all-female founding teams vs 86% all-male in Germany). That one should be a decked out war room. From the warm and safe feeling lounges, where you create and meet your new community, to kick-ass martial arts training, to the newest and most amazing tech for strategizing and tackling this Mount Everest of a problem. THAT would be an appropriate diversity room, not the utility closet. And maybe your finance room doesn't need to be so big and shiny. If your company is well-established and profit is not your main company focus point (hopefully), you could relocate it to a standard, nice office space. And give the big, shiny room to the sustainability impact you'd like to create. Or maybe, if you’re a tinkerer startup or a fixer-type coach, did you accidentally house your finance unit in the under-stair closet? Oops.

And now think about the next initiative you want to join. Or the next customer you want to work with. The next person you want to help. Do they have space for you? Actual, dedicated, beautiful, accessible space. Or will you have to fight to just even get the utility closet? That is what "action space" is about. To be aware that you are pouring a part of you into another, person or initiative, and they need to be able to accommodate your energy and effort. Because if not, you will have to force them to carve out that space. To find levers to drill your room into their floor plan. And though that can work, and is important to do sometimes, it's tiring. Exhausting. Even crushing. And for me, personally, I'm too old for that sh*t.

So for all of you wary fighters, let me propose the next step in our beautiful but resource-constrained lives: do not anymore look for the seat on the table, or the levers to carve out some space. No, this time, expect your own entire room. You, I, really everybody, deserves that. We just weren't aware of that before.

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From Daily Shot of Insight, Jan 25, 2021

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