On Inertia and the Production Mindset

Earlier in my career, I stepped into a role consolidating several siloed analytics teams into a centralized function. During one of my first conversations, a team leader shared something that stuck with me:

“Our job is to produce what’s requested. Whether anyone reads it or does anything with it is beyond my scope.”

At the time, I saw this as a clear miss. It seemed to shortchange the value of analytics to the organization. I’ve come to realize, however, that this production-only mindset isn’t limited to analytics. It shows up across functional areas.

Just think about it:

• How often do marketing updates emphasize the volume of content and tactics rather than its impact on pipeline?

• How often does learning development revolve around training hours delivered or courses built without a clear link to performance or results?

Why It Happens

Having led production teams myself, I get it. It’s easier, and often necessary, to focus on what’s within your direct control. Production mindsets help define boundaries and keep teams moving amidst constant demands.

But here’s the thing: it’s more limiting than it seems.

The Cost of a Production Mindset

1. It discourages hard questions.
   When we’re focused on what we’re doing, we rarely ask so what? What impact are we actually making? What needs are we solving?
   

2. It sacrifices agility.
   Production mindsets optimize for efficiency, not effectiveness. And while efficiency matters, it’s hollow if we’re delivering things that don’t get used—or don’t matter.
   

3. It resists discomfort.
   Iteration is uncomfortable. It requires vulnerability, honesty, and a willingness to admit when something isn’t working. This can be especially hard in disciplines where perfectionism and polish are often valued over experimentation.
   

4. It measures inputs and outputs, but not outcomes.
   And without outcomes, we lose sight of purpose.

What to Do Instead

Ask the hard questions.
What are we really trying to achieve? How will we know if we’re succeeding? What are early indicators? What’s the monkey and what’s the pedestal? What does better look like? Are we stopping at the first good idea?

Normalize reflection and iteration.
What’s not working? What did we learn? Make space for this in team rituals, not just post-mortems.

Balance efficiency with effectiveness.
Don’t just ask how fast or how much—ask how useful and how impactful.

Tie goals to outcomes across teams.
Use strategic lenses like Go-to-Market, Stay-in-Market, and Play-to-Market to align development efforts to business realities.

Stop budgeting for capacity in isolation.
Link budgets, plans, and metrics to the value being delivered, and not just the volume of work being done.

Final thought:
A production mindset is seductive. It’s safe, familiar, and rewarding in the short term. But long-term impact—real innovation, real performance—requires us to get uncomfortable, ask deeper questions, and stay relentlessly focused on outcomes. That’s where the real work begins.