SIMPLICITY WINS: THE SMART WAY TO REDUCE COMPLEXITY
Life is complex enough.
Don’t make it more complicated.
I am confident that you would say yes to at least 2 of the following statements:
You want an app that simplifies your life, not complicates it.
You like watching sports that you can follow.
You want a performance measurement tool that’s easy to understand, not a 30-page handbook.
Am I right?
Throughout my 30-year career journey, as both an internal and external employee, I have developed a theory:
Simplicity wins.
I am not alone here.
The best-selling co-authors of What It Takes to Create an Authentic Organization advise leaders to “make simple rules”.
Whether talking about a superstore (IKEA) or TV show (Friends), simplicity wins.
Beyond furniture and entertainment, here are 3 BIG things that led to my theory:
1) The stuff that does and does not stick with my workshop participants.
I am happy if someone comes away from one of my workshops with 2-3 new ideas – especially if they can apply it to work.
2) The trainings I myself have done, i.e. what does and does not stick with me.
The more complex the workshop or seminar I attend, the less I retain.
3) Society’s clear preference for simplicity over complexity.
See wikiHow, TikTok or the for Dummies book series.
I rest my case.
MAKE SIMPLE RULES
Are you familiar with the Golden Rule - Love thy neighbor as thyself?
This is good advice. Great, actually.
Unless…you have learned to live with complexity or you don’t mind complex things.
In that case, DO NOT love thy neighbor as thyself!
I’m pretty sure your collaborators and direct reports DO mind complex things.
How can you reduce complexity for others?
First of all, make clear and simple rules.
If things aren’t clear, simplicity is out of reach.
So when looking at rules, expectations or anything else, be as clear as you possibly can!
To make your own simple rules, here are 3 questions to ask yourself:
1) What’s the objective? What are we really trying to achieve here?
2) Where’s the bottleneck? What’s preventing us from achieving the objective?
3) What guiding principles have worked/not worked in the past?
Finally, here are 2 benefits of simplicity that might go overlooked -
· You make faster decisions because you only need to consider a few key factors.
· People actually do what you ask if they are clear and simple.
MISSION CRITICAL: REDUCE COMPLEXITY
Simple rules lead to personal, team and organizational effectiveness.
If the rules around you don't work, change them.
If you don't like the rules, change them.
And when you're in a position to make or co-create the rules, keep them simple - from board game to board room!
Whenever possible, co-create the rules with your collaborators (peers/direct reports).
No one can complain about the rules if they took part in their creation.
Thanks for reading!
Tim
P.S. For my advice on how to make simple rules in your team or group, book a FREE CLARITY CALL.