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You probably have a vague idea what “Shiny Object Syndrome” is, but we can clarify. It’s a work culture where it’s always about the next thing, and priority walks out the door 744 times per day. Unfortunately, in the modern era, Shiny Object Syndrome is normative at most workplaces.
Why? In the simplest terms: the people who run companies these days are generally judged on growth. That seems to matter more than virtually anything else, including — somehow — actual profits. When you over-focus on growth, you are constantly in this zone where you need new ideas, because any new idea could theoretically become a revenue stream. This is a direct cousin of Shiny Object Syndrome.
Simple example: a company makes chairs. Good, sturdy, well-reviewed chairs. Suddenly, they’re making forks and spoons. That’s different than chairs, and their forks aren’t anything super awesome. Why are they making forks and diverting attention and resources from chairs? Because someone told them there was money in forks, and they chased it. But now, over time, the chairs will suffer a little bit. The core is weakened in an effort to hit some moving growth target.
Shiny Object Syndrome.
