Our organizations seem to both barely survive and thrive on complexity. We may take pride in the sophisticated, intricate complexity of our work. Or, we may act as if complexity is created by others without acknowledging our own contribution.
The volumes of data, technologies, programs, models, and reports that our organizations produce can clutter rather than clarify. They can increase complexity rather than simplicity. Complexity can prevent us from seeing the forest through the trees by overwhelming and distracting us. In contrast, simplicity can bring clarity and reveal what is truly essential to understand and do.
Picasso’s “The Bull” lithograph is an excellent example of what it takes to attain simplicity or the essence of something. Picasso produced multiple iterations of his bull before arriving at his final version. He progressed from a granular and detailed lithograph to his final creation—a series of simple lines that illustrate the essence of a bull. He paid just as much attention to what he could exclude as he did to what to include.
Simplicity isn’t easy.
Getting to the heart of the work is hard work. It requires rigorous thinking but the investment is well worth it. If Einstein can boil down the equivalence of energy and mass to E = mc2, it is possible for us to distill our work down to its elegant essence. Here are five ideas that can help us see more clearly and think more simply:
- Be explicitly clear and focused on your organization’s primary purpose—don’t be vague nor try to be everything to everyone
- Ask your customers and employees what they don’t want instead of what they want. Ask yourself and your team what you would focus on in a crisis—what it would force you to start, stop, or continue. For example, if your time, staff, and/or budget were cut by half.
- Don’t accept the answer, “it’s complicated.”
- Pare down the features of your service or product until the most essential pieces remain. Repeat.
- Focus on exceptional execution of the essentials.