Bureaucrats: Friend or foe? It's up to you

How ambitious achievers use bureaucratic systems to their advantage

Hi, it’s Clive. I wrote this for highly ambitious achievers who are committed to exceptional performance. Let's exchange what's predictable for what's possible.

This week, you’ll learn about getting things done when you’re facing bureaucratic barriers. I found these strategies the hard way, during my sales career and later as a group facilitator.

• 3 conflicts entrepreneurial outsiders and change agents get into

• A more productive way forward than trying to overpower the system.

• 3 steps you can use to find and build allies

Reading time: 3 minutes

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This post is for you if you’re an external advisor trying to help clients succeed — but at every turn you’re met by bureaucracy that stops you making progress.

Now imagine if you could turn a corporate every gatekeeper’s policy barrier "no" into a "not yet" and then a “yes”.

First, a bit of context. My years of experience in dealing with corporate bureaucrats led me into fights on three fronts:

1. Innovation vs. Status Quo: I was itching to shake things up, while all the systems were designed to hold things rigid

2. Action vs. Process: I was wanting results yesterday, but the bureaucratic gatekeepers insisted on dotting every 'i' and crossing every 't'.

3. Visionary vs. Incrementalist: I’m thinking about the big picture, while the order takers are nit picking content (policy 3.1.4).

If these three conflict sound familiar, here’s the rub — these fights aren't actually necessary. They're counterproductive. The bureaucrat’s resistance isn't a wall to break through, but a sign pointing to a different approach. The solution lies in shifting your perspective.

Instead of going toe-to-toe in a fight, think of it a dance.

You just have to find the right dance partners

As an outsider you can’t overpower the system. You have to figure out how to move with it, guiding it towards your desired outcome. You’ll need to find the right dance partners within the organisation. 

So how do you do that?

Here are three practical steps:

1. Identify insider champions: Find people who are excited about your innovation, its value, and the changes it brings. Buy them a coffee, pick their brains, and get them fired up about your vision.

2. Speak the language: Learn the key bureaucratic phrases and use them. Reframe your revolutionary idea in terms of "risk mitigation" and "process optimisation", — then you're in.

3. Create a coalition of the willing: Don't just focus on one ally. Build a network that wants a better future. The more voices echoing your ideas, the harder they are to ignore.

Try these steps and you'll be surprised at how quickly the red tape unravels.

Remember bureaucratic systems aren't the enemy. They’re the dance floor. And you need to waltz, quickstep, and sometimes tango.

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🚀 Before you go, let me ask — what bureaucratic barriers are getting in your way?

I work 1:1 as a Sparring Partner with highly ambitious achievers on an agenda to deliver unreasonably high performance: including mindset and behaviour change, leading others in a high stakes situations, and influencing decisions with integrity. If that’s for you please get in touch.

If you’re not ready for a coach. Subscribe to Go Against Gravity and get a weekly nudge to keep you moving forward, on-track, and accountable.

PS Wrote this after watching The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, which showcases a different approach to bureaucratic nonsense you could try. Worked for Churchill!

Photo by Preillumination SeTh on Unsplash