The Variability Trap: Why Your Business Feels Chaotic Even When Everyone's Busy
Starlink raised prices and cut data. Customers were furious. They opened support tickets. And what happened next was a mess.
Some customers got large refunds and personal phone calls. Others got their last charge refunded and their account canceled—no call, no conversation. Then customers started comparing notes in online forums. "Wait, you got a phone call? I didn't." The inconsistency made everything worse. They weren't just upset about the price change. They were upset about being treated differently.
That's the Variability Trap.
The misconception: Most people think variability is about doing steps differently. It's not. It's about the OUTPUT being different. Two people can take different routes—as long as they arrive at the same destination, same quality, same standard.
The diagnostic phrase: "It depends on who does it." If you've ever said that about any process, you're in the trap.
Scott's due diligence example: Two people doing due diligence on the same property type. Completely different reports. Different depth, different data points, different conclusions. "I don't have a person problem. I have a standards problem."
The real problem: You defined the TASK but not the OUTPUT. You told them what to do, not what done looks like.
The key question: "Would a customer know who did this?" If yes, you have variability.
The three-part escape:
- Define the output standard (what does done look like?)
- Create examples of good (examples beat descriptions every time)
- Audit the outputs, not the inputs (compare finished work across people)
Connection to SCALE: The C = Clarify the flow. You're not just mapping steps—you're defining what the output of each step looks like.
Your action: Pick one process where the output depends on who does it. Create an output standard. Find examples of good. Give the same input to two people and compare.
Got a business question? Ask Scott here: scotttodd.net/ask
