By Sage Moran

A colleague once told me the definition of bureaucratic is “when the form is more important than what is written on it.” We’ve all experienced that type of officiousness when someone tells us that they would like to help, but because we failed to follow some silly rule or jump some inane hurdle, we are out of luck. Think of the movie Office Space when the protagonist gets chastised for failing to put a cover sheet on his TPS report. There is nothing more frustrating when we run into this type of rigidity. I don’t believe that anyone intends to be overly rigid. No one wakes up and says, “I think I will be a bureaucratic jerk today.”  Most people want to do a good job, which usually requires rigor and discipline. So, what causes us to slip from rigorous to rigid?

When an individual has passion, dedication, personal investment, or experience in a particular situation, they may find themself standing a bit more firmly in their perspectives, especially if the stakes are high or time is limited. These attributes can be substantial strengths in tackling the tasks at hand, but firmness has the potential to be a limiting factor when it manifests as rigidity. Instead of rigidity, it may be more beneficial to practice rigor in order to maintain a growth mindset in navigating the challenges we confront. To do so, we must ask ourselves: How do we define rigidity and recognize it in ourselves in the workplace?

Turning to a dictionary, “rigidity” and “rigor” are tied together, holding very similar definitions and appearing as synonyms not only for each other but for “firmness” as well. However, the socially established and agreed-upon understandings for workplace environments and academic institutions mark the terms as linked but distinctly counter to one another. As a whole, the difference comes down to a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset.

In the fixed mindset, rigid attachment to one’s perspective often arises from fear or a need for control and leads to reduced growth and the repetition of old patterns. Holding tightly to particular ideas, rigid individuals may behave in ways that reflect stiffness or brittleness, resistance to change, and a need to be “right.” As a result, in approaching challenges, they may exhibit low imagination in identifying solutions or opting for those that present the lowest risk. Doing so reveals the way in which rigidity may be driven by fear, as the individual chooses the familiar or the comfortable to avoid real or perceived failure. They may become attached to and fixed on the options that provide the surest path to their personal success. Insecurity can lead to a high degree of focus on their individual performance as well as emotional reactivity should they feel inadequate or challenged. When an individual’s firmness becomes rigidity, they not only inhibit their personal growth and the growth of their organizations, but they also place themselves at great risk for burnout from the emotional toll and stress.

However, an individual with strong feelings about a particular situation can avoid a fixed mindset by practicing growth through rigor. As opposed to fear- or control-driven rigidity, the driving factors in rigor are the individual’s and the workplace’s shared values. The key difference between being rigid and being rigorous is the individual’s commitment to firm practices (rigidity) or to firm values (rigor). When determining how to handle challenges, one who practices rigor welcomes different perspectives and conflicting opinions, reflecting open-mindedness, flexibility, and adaptation. The most important aspect to these individuals lies in their ability to find approaches that best align with the shared workplace values. Their mental flexibility highlights curiosity’s role in a growth mindset: the emphasis on newness and the possibility to facilitate progress. As a result, the individual must be able to accept that failure and conflict are both inevitable and potential opportunities for improvement. While those practicing rigor still try to avoid failure, fear of it does not define their behaviors or prevent them from taking risks to uphold shared values. 

Analysis of Rigidity and Rigor: Three Perspectives

Most individuals will, at points in their lives, experience both rigidity and rigor. It may be difficult for one to recognize their own rigidity or rigor without taking a step back for active reflection. In doing this self-analysis, it is most important to consider ongoing patterns and trends as well as changes that may benefit your current practice.

Assessing Rigidity

Rate yourself (High, Medium, or Low) on how frequently you notice the following behaviors in your life. The more these are a part of your normal routine, the more likely you may be experiencing rigid thinking or practices.

__ Strong need to be “right” 

__ Resistance to change, even when change may be necessary

__ Desire to have total control

__ Tendency to choose low-risk over high-risk options

__ Comfortability in old, familiar patterns

__ Difficulty brainstorming new ideas or resistance to the new ideas others bring forward

__ Strong desire to avoid any and all possibility of failure

__ Intense reaction to real or perceived failure

__ High focus on own individual performance 

__ Emotional reactivity in facing challenges (e.g., external, like shouting, or internal, lile negative self-talk)

Assessing Rigor

Rate yourself (High, Medium, or Low) on how frequently you notice the following behaviors in your life. Regular use of these behaviors is a good indication of a rigorous growth mindset.  

__ Encourage as well as actively seek out different perspectives

__ Belief that failure and conflict can provide opportunities for improvement

__ Active attempt to approach challenge with an open mind

__ Curious exploration of conflicting opinions

__ Comfortability with not having desired control or the greatest degree of control 

__ Emphasis on the team/group achievement over individual performance

__ Comfortability with adaptation and change, especially in high-pressure situations

__ Consideration of high-risk options as well as low-risk options

__ Desire to seek out and brainstorm new ideas 

__ Ability to take failure seriously without reactivity (more intellectual than emotional)

Reflection Questions:

How can one turn rigid thinking into rigorous thinking? 

1. Understand the binary thinking or the reactivity in your relationship with the concepts of “right” and “wrong.” 
   • What makes something a “right” or “wrong” decision? What is your level of comfort when an option has a combination of both “right” and “wrong” elements?
   • What factors help you identify the “right choice” in making a (stressful) decision?
   • How do you react when someone tells you, or a situation reveals, that your perspective/decision was “wrong?” How comfortable do you feel with receiving this feedback and approaching it with an open mind?
2. Consider the adaptability or emotionality in your reactions in situations of challenge or conflict. 
   • What are your initial feelings when facing an unexpected change or challenge?
   • How comfortable are you in conversations with someone who holds opinions that conflict with your own?
   • Is being in control very important to you when handling stressful circumstances? What might happen when you do not have control?
3. Analyze your thought patterns and tendencies in the context of risk and routine. 
   • When considering your career, what has your relationship with risk been like?
   • Do you find comfort in familiarity, pattern, and low-risk situations? 
   • How do you navigate periods of change?
   • What factors might make you resistant to change?
   • Do the rules and routines you follow in your life benefit you?
4. Reflect on any potential negative reactivity in response to (real or perceived) “failure,” and consider the impact it may have on your thought patterns or behaviors.
   • How do you feel/react when you “fail” or make a mistake? 
   • How do you feel when someone else dismisses your idea/thought?
   • Take an active effort to approach situations with an open mind and a desire to learn.
   • How would you describe your own curiosity?
   • What factors might make you more or less likely to be curious and open-minded?
5. Examine your ability to think critically in rigid structures or in situations with an assumed “right” answer.
   • In this case, are there potential situations in which rigid thinking may be useful?

Being rigorous is hard and inherently risky, but true leadership requires us to avoid the temptation to rigidly follow rules. By knowing ourselves, being true to our values and beliefs (and those of the organizations we represent), and critically analyzing our behaviors using techniques like those described above, we can become the rigorous leaders our organizations need us to be while becoming the type of person people want to follow.