The Friction Project

The Friction Project (2024) unveils strategies for how to make organizations run smoothly, beginning with identifying sources of both beneficial and detrimental friction. It introduces tools to address common friction troubles, empowering leaders to navigate and optimize organizational dynamics.

• Employees so swamped with meaningless tasks that they have no time for work
• Workers who wish they could put the brakes on projects that move too fast
• Managers who suspect they’re out of touch with the concerns of their staff and clients

Robert I. Sutton, an organizational psychologist, is a professor of management science and engineering at the Stanford Engineering School. Huggy Rao is an Atholl McBean professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, as well as a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Science.