What is 'bikeshedding' and why do we do it?
Anyone working in a large organisation experiences it
It’s a niggling awareness that too much time is being spent on trivial matters at the expense of the important ones.
Imagine for a moment that you work in the marketing department of a company that is losing market share year-on-year.
Focusing on a subtle logo refresh is much easier than tackling the elephant in the room.
And there’s a term to describe this behaviour.
In 1957, the British author and naval historian C. Northcote Parkinson wrote a tongue-in-cheek book about organisational behaviour.
As well as coining Parkinson’s Law (an amusing explanation of corporate procrastination), he also shared an anecdote about a design committee working on plans for a nuclear power station.
In Parkinson’s Law: The Pursuit of Progress, the committee members gloss over the intricate details of the plant’s design and instead spend an inordinate amount of time debating the colour and design of a staff bicycle shed.
Parkinson called it the ‘Law of Triviality’, but it’s also known as ‘bikeshedding’ in reference to the committee’s decision-making priorities. It’s commonly applied in software development and elsewhere.
Why do we bikeshed?
Bike-shedding is a natural human tendency, but like most human behaviour, multiple psychological factors are involved. Let’s examine them in more detail.
1. To Avoid Difficulty
People gravitate toward tasks that feel manageable. Designing a nuclear power plant requires a lot more cognitive effort and investment, which we don’t like to do. We’re naturally lazy, and if any shortcut presents itself, we’ll take it.
2. Desire to Contribute
We’re a social species, meaning we like to feel like we’re contributing to the group. On straightforward matters, everyone in the discussion feels qualified to weigh in, unlike debating the technicalities of nuclear power plant design.
3. Fear of Failure
Big decisions carry big consequences, and the more that’s at stake, the more fearful we become. Fear of making the ‘wrong’ choice can paralyse teams, leading them to divert attention to trivial matters to avoid risk.
4. Lack of Expertise
Not everyone in the group will feel they have the expertise to comment on complex topics. Thus, they will avoid doing so. It’s often unintentional but can distract from the more important discussions nonetheless.
Tips for managing bikeshedding
Bikeshedding wastes time and effort. For a company in a dire situation, too much of it can be terminal. So, what can you do to tackle it? There are several points to consider.
1. Acknowledge It
The first step in any behaviour change is acknowledging when you’re going in the wrong direction. Call it out if you’re sitting in a meeting, and the conversation veers into trivial topics like the new layout of the staff canteen.
2. Prioritise the Big Decisions
Meetings often go awry when there is no clear agenda.
The conversation can quickly become small talk, meaning your juicy tasks take a back seat. Make sure every meeting focuses on high-priority issues and be ruthless about limiting debate on inconsequential matters.
The investing legend Warren Buffet has a simple framework for helping you decide what’s important. It’s called the 5/25 rule.
Another helpful tip is to agree on the priorities at the start of the year and then design your environment to remind you of them.
For example, you could print out three key priorities and tape them to the top of your computer and on the cover of your notebook. You could even set your phone screensaver with them.
3. Seek Expert Opinion
Complex projects require subject-matter experts to explain technical details and guide decision-making. This keeps the group focused and avoids wasting valuable time.
4. Allocate Specific Time to Minor Tasks
If minor issues need attention, set a strict time limit to avoid lengthy debate. Crack that whip if you have to!
You can’t irradicate bikeshedding
Avoiding bikeshedding completely is impossible. It’s a part of human OS and unavoidable for psychological reasons.
However, if left unchecked, it can cause significant harm.
Becoming aware of it will help your decision-making and bring focus to what truly matters.
So the next time you find yourself in a lively debate about something trivial, ask the group, “Are we building the bike shed or the power station?”
If you want to make better decisions, you might enjoy our Creative Thinking and Problem Solving courses.
Featuring entertaining stories and practical tips, they will enable you to solve difficult problems and generate innovative ideas.