Is your time being wasted? Or are you wasting others’ time? So often, it seems that calendars fill up, processes multiply, and simple tasks become unnecessarily hard.

In this episode, Bob Sutton joins Lisa Kay Solomon to examine how friction shows up at work: the meetings that shouldn’t exist, the processes that are way too complicated, and the small design choices that quietly shape whether people feel respected or drained.

Drawing from years of research behind The Friction Project, Bob breaks down why leaders often add instead of subtract, and why that instinct creates hidden costs across teams and organizations. Bob shares why some forms of friction are worth protecting, how savoring plays a role in good design, and why clarity (not certainty) has become a leadership advantage.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why to treat time as something you’re accountable for, not entitled to spend
• How “sham participation” quietly erodes trust
• How leaders unintentionally magnify friction through weak signals
• When slowing down actually improves performance and experience

This episode is for anyone who wants to make work feel more humane without adding another framework, meeting, or tool.

Links from the episode:

• Bob’s website
• The Friction Project by Bob Sutton & Huggy Rao
• Bob’s other books
• Subtract by Leidy Klotz

Follow How We Future:

• Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn
• @lisakaysolomon on Instagram
• @howwefuture on TikTok
• howwefuture.substack.com

Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com