Simplicity

That should be the end of the article. Knowing that simplicity is a worthy goal is all you need to take away from this article. But I feel that I need to complicate things by giving you more thoughts on the topic.

The world is a complicated place. As a leader, manager or business owner it is your job to simplify it. This will complicate your life because the only way to simplify is to understand all of the complexity. When you understand the big picture and see the connections between functions, you can be effective at simplifying the world.

Some complexity arises because people try to simplify without understanding the big picture. But don't let a lack of understanding prevent you from getting started. Be aware that you need to continue learning and adjusting your business processes. If everyday you make at least one permanent improvement you will be able to achieve simplicity faster than you realize.

When looking at complexity within your own organization look at your infrastructure, the tools your staff uses and the process design. If the photocopier is on a different floor from the people who need to use it or your marketing people are physically in a different building or even a different city from the research and development people, then you have an infrastructure problem.

Are the tools you are using the right ones for the job? If all you have is a hammer then everything looks like a nail. It is human nature to try to make do with the tools they have. It is up to you to provide your staff with the correct tools. This includes training. It is estimated that only 20% of the features of a computer program are actually used. Most companies purchase software programs they don't need because the required features are actually available in software they already own.

Keep exceptions to a minimum. At Southwest Air they order planes with older basic cockpit equipment in new jets so all pilots can fly all planes. This cuts down on learning and maintenance and is only one of many ways that Southwest can offer low prices and still make a profit.

Try explaining your business processes to someone or write a description of the process. If you cannot explain what the system is to do in five minutes or put it on one page it may be too complicated. There is a big difference between complicated and complex. The geocentric theory that states that the sun moon and planets revolve around the earth was useful in predicting the motions of the planets, but it was extremely complicated. Few people could understand it. Copernicus simplified this with the heliocentric description. While the motions of the earth and planets around the sun is still complex the concept is much easier to understand.

Go To Page: 1 2