A couple of weeks ago, I fractured my big toe and completely lost the nail. It will take up to 12 months to fully heal.
As it should, my body has compensated for this new weakness.
My right leg, for example, is carrying more load.
Thatās a good thing, in the short term.
It means I can keep moving.
But longer term, these compensations come at a cost, as other parts of my body start to strain.
I see the same thing in teams.
We step in for each other all the time.
When someoneās under pressure, new to a role, or dealing with something outside of work, that support matters.
Itās what makes a team a team.
But as a leader, you have to pay attention to the pattern, not just the intent.
- If the load redistributes occasionally, itās usually situational.
- If the same person keeps needing help in the same area, itās likely a capability gap.
- If multiple people are compensating for the same thing, it points to something structural (roles, processes, or resources).
And if expectations are clear, support is there, and nothing changes, youāre no longer compensating, youāre tolerating.
The mistake is treating all compensation as teamwork.
Sometimes it is.
But sometimes itās a signal that somethingās broken.
š If you found this interesting, let me know! Buy me a virtual coffee ā or forward this email āļø to someone who also might like it. Your support means I can keep sharing ideas about behavioural science for free.
š§ Learn the science of Influencing Action
Hey, are we connected yet?
