Letting Go of the Niggles: Why Teams Need to Zoom Out
Every team has them.
The little tensions. The recurring gripes. The minor disagreements that eat up time and energy.
We call them niggles — the small stuff that feels big in the moment, but shrinks the second you zoom out.
The Cost of Small
Niggles are deceptively expensive.
They burn time in endless back-and-forth.
They drain energy by pulling attention to the wrong level.
They erode trust when left unchecked, creating cycles of irritation.
And worst of all: they disguise themselves as important. Teams can spend hours debating minor details, forgetting the bigger signal entirely.
What Happens When You Zoom Out
When a team steps back to see the whole picture, niggles reveal themselves for what they really are: small.
Zooming out reframes:
From who’s right in this moment → to what matters for the team’s purpose.
From defending a position → to finding coherence.
From energy-draining loops → to forward momentum.
It’s not about ignoring problems. It’s about recognizing scale. A detail that once looked like a roadblock becomes manageable — even irrelevant — when seen against the wider field.
Resonance, Not Friction
The best teams know that progress doesn’t come from eliminating every small issue. It comes from tuning together on the signal that matters most.
Clarity of purpose dissolves minor disputes.
Shared rhythm prevents small disagreements from spiralling.
Belonging gives people the perspective to let go of the little things.
That’s resonance in action. Niggles can’t survive in a coherent field.
The Leader’s Role
Leaders don’t need to fix every niggle. Their role is to hold perspective:
Ask, Does this really matter at the scale we’re operating?
Remind the team of purpose and priorities.
Model letting go of the small stuff in favor of signal.
Teams mirror what leaders amplify. If leaders focus on friction, so will everyone else. If leaders focus on resonance, niggles collapse naturally.
The Takeaway
Niggles are part of every workplace. But they don’t have to define the culture.
The moment a team zooms out, they shrink. The energy they were draining is freed up for creativity, collaboration, and momentum.
👉 The small stuff will always be there. But the bigger signal matters more.
Let go of the niggles. Zoom out.