Force Multiplier Effect: 2 + 2 = 5

Many militaries refer to the concept of a “force multiplier.” This refers to a fighting force whose impact is magnified in some way, shape, or form.

For example, special forces often conduct operations at night, in the dark, using the element of surprise. These are all force multipliers. You can have an impact greater than your headcount.

Another force multiplier is to coordinate military assets on the ground, in the air, and by sea on a particular target. When an army, navy, and air force are working together against a specific target, that too is a force multiplier. In that case, 1 + 1 + 1 = 5

This force multiplier concept is used in business as well. You’ll hear other words such as leverage, synergy, or 80/20 that all refer to the same concept. You get more out of your efforts than a mere counting of your efforts would imply.

For the individual, it means you get more output out of a single hour worked than you otherwise would.

For a departmental team, it means you produce more as a unified, coordinated team than would be implied by adding up the efforts of each individual.

Many of you ask me how to achieve more while also having some work/life balance. The key is to look for force-multiplier-type opportunities.

Here are a few:

Personal Reputation
If people trust you before they ever meet you in person, you have an enormous advantage. Reputation is a force multiplier.

Existing Relationship
If you have a strong pre-existing relationship with someone (like a client), it gives you a greater advantage over others. (This is what McKinsey is very good at. They are good at multi-decade client relationships.)

Strong relationships also get you referrals — also known as revenue with little to no cost of sales. New prospects that come from customer referrals also have a sales closing rate much higher than other leads. So there is no advertising cost + much less sales effort required. That’s a force multiplier.

Technology
Automating your work is another type of force multiplier. The McKinsey consultants in 1980 had to fly on an airplane to Washington DC to visit the Securities and Exchange Commission library in order to request the annual report of a public company. Today, I can do that via Google in under 10 seconds. Technology = a force multiplier.

Documented Procedures
If you manage a five-person team, it helps enormously if the work that everyone does is documented in the form of a procedure manual or “Standard Operating Procedures” guide. When things are written down, you can backfill for employees who are on vacation.

When things are written down and someone quits unexpectedly, you can get a new hire up to speed much faster. When things are written down, you can train new staff much more quickly. Each of these makes your team more effective with fewer hours of energy expended.

Expertise
If you have specialized knowledge or experience, that allows you to make a bigger impact per hour than if you knew very little. Many of my clients hire me because in a 30-minute conversation, I can prevent them from making a mistake that would cost $1 million and six months to figure out via trial and error.

A Growing Market
It is enormously beneficial to work in a growing industry, especially in a growing company in a growing industry. In such an environment, there is a perpetual labor shortage. One way to solve a labor shortage is by… promoting people. (The inverse is also true. If you work in a shrinking industry with a company that is on the decline, they have a perpetual labor surplus. One way to solve an excess labor problem is by… laying people off.)

Deep Specialization
Specializing in a particular “niche,” industry, or functional area can be a force multiplier. If you need a heart surgeon that specializes in children’s hearts, you’ll discover there are not that many of them around. Yes, there are doctors for children. Yes, there are doctors for heart problems. Yes, there are surgeons. But doctors that are surgeons that specialize in children’s hearts? There are not many…

The same is true with specialty plumbers, electricians, and data scientists. If you know something really well that very few others know, you have an advantage.

Big Picture Perspective / Breadth
Being able to see business in a cross-functional way is also a force multiplier. This is why CEOs are CEOs. The CEO is rarely a better salesperson than the VP of Sales. The CEO is not better at law than the Chief Counsel. What the CEO is very good at is seeing how all the parts of a business — R&D, Marketing, Operations, Human Resources, and Finance — tie together into a cohesive whole. There are not very many people who possess that perspective and skillset.

There are many ways to make a force multiplier work for you. There isn’t one way that is better than another in all situations for all people. A lot depends on knowing yourself and being thoughtful about which force multiplier is a good fit for you.