Keep it Simple

We have all heard the phrase “keep it simple, stupid”. Wikipedia calls this the “KISS Principle” and states that most systems work best if they are kept simple rather than made complicated. That makes sense to me, but it seems like we ignore this principle in nearly all situations throughout the work day.

• We have meetings to prepare for other meetings
• We over analyze every process to attempt to address the situation that might happen and neglect to focus on the “normal” things that happen in every transaction
• We invite people to meetings when they don’t really need to be there, or we don’t invite people to meetings that should be there. In either case, we add complexity and confusion (and a need for additional meetings)
• We establish large, far reaching organizational goals; but we don’t break those down to show our team how their actions impact those goals
• We send a twelve-paragraph email and create confusion when a simple phone call would have solved the problem
• When faced with a random service issue that was just human error on one specific file, we institute sweeping process changes that adds unnecessary steps to ALL of our files

We have unknowingly created giant unwieldy Rube Goldberg machines (think the board game Mouse Trap) throughout our organization and we have no one to blame but ourselves. We have over complicated nearly everything we do, and it is really draining our efficiency. But don’t despair. If we built them, we can tear them down…

• Improve your communication. With your clients, with your peers across the organization and with your team. A lot of the complexity we have heaped on our processes are due to miscommunication and misunderstanding
• Keep to your swim lane. Obviously, we want to help the organization grow and we want to share ideas; but when it comes right down to it you need to honestly assess how engaged you need to be in things outside of your area. Is your input truly needed or are you adding unnecessary complexity to things?
• Think. Are you about to make a sweeping change to your process/product because of one defect. Maybe that change is the one that is going to change the course of your business for the better or maybe you just added extra steps to each and every order going forward because of a singular issue that may never come up again

We all understand you are smart and we know that you are in a position of leadership because you are talented and an expert in your craft; but that doesn’t mean that you have to over complicate everything to prove it. A simpler process is easier to train, it is easier to replicate, and it is easier to adjust when business needs dictate. So, remember to keep it simple. Your team will thank you, your customers will thank you and your bottom line will thank you. 

Onward and Upward