Michael Lissack Avoiding Side Canals: The Danger of Distractions Another risk in canyon design is the creation of “side canals”—di- versions that pull energy away from the main flow without adding value. In traditional business, side canals often took the form of bureaucratic processes or pet projects disconnected from core purpose. In digital en- vironments, side canals manifest in new ways: feature bloat that adds capabilities distracting from core purpose, data hoarding that collects in- formation without clear purpose, notification overload creating constant alerts that fragment attention, and tool proliferation adopting platforms without integration or purpose. Effective canyon design requires constant vigilance against these digital side canals. The test is simple: does each element channel energy toward core purpose, or does it divert it? During Steve Ballmer’s tenure as CEO, Microsoft created numerous side canals—from the Zune music player to Windows Phone to vari- ous enterprise software initiatives. While each might have made sense in isolation, collectively they diverted energy from Microsoft’s core strengths. Under Satya Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft eliminated these side canals by refocusing on its core canyon: empowering every person and organization to achieve more. This meant exiting mobile hardware, de-emphasizing Windows as the center of everything, and embracing open platforms and cloud computing. The market results speak for them- selves: Microsoft’s market value more than quintupled under Nadella’s focused canyon strategy. Designing Digital Canyons: Practical Approaches How do you create effective canyons in today’s digital environments? The process begins with purpose, not controls. Clarify the fundamental purpose that guides all decisions, creating the gravitational center around which canyons can form. Automattic (WordPress) begins with the pur- pose of “democratizing publishing.” This single guiding star has allowed
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