"The
Elevator Speech"
on
the Power of Simplicity
By Bill Jensen |
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Confusion is costing you a lot more
than you think. It
is
work complexity, and it's an abuse of people's time.
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Most people are extraordinary. They want to do the right things,
to do their best, and
→
make a difference.
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If you want more people to make more of a difference, you'll have to
find new ways for them to create their own clarity.
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Why Simplicity Works
Simplicity helps people
→
work smarter. As
Bill Jensen, the author of
Simplicity – The New Competitive Advantage
in a World of More, Better, Faster
puts it, "Simplicity works because it is based on human nature and common
sense."
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3Ss
of Winning in Business
Narrowing the
Options
In today's era of
over-communication, the
avalanche of news about the rapid changes of modern life and management
issues is turning people off. "The universal problem seems to be how hard
people have to work just to figure out what to do. Task work has been
streamlined, but knowledge work has become more cluttered and confusing.
Making the right choices – fast, while everything is changing – is now the
toughest part of getting our work done." writes
Bill Jensen.
Most
management training teach you to deal with
every variable, seek out every option, and analyze every angle.
"Unfortunately, when you start spinning out all kinds of
→
different solutions,
you're on the road to chaos. You end up with contradictory ideas and people
running in different directions. Simplicity requires that you
narrow the options
and return to a single path," says Jack Trout.
>>>
The Growing Avoidance of Complexity
The psychologist Dr. Carol Moog states that in
our culture, there's is a "paranoia of omission". There's a sense that you
have to cover all your options because you could be attacked at any moment.
You can't miss anything or it could be fatal to your carrer. |
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This leads to maddening complexity. The best way to deal with these natural
fears is to
focus on the right
→
problem. That's the power of simplicity.
Besides, people don't want to spent too much
time on thinking. By simplifying a complex issue, you are making it easier
for people
make a decision faster, without too much thought.
Learning Power
In
learning, we
want things fast, but we don't have time to study. "The world is
→
changing so rapidly that by the time we learn something, it has often changed in some
way, shape or form... We want satisfaction, proof that even though life is
moving quickly, we are gaining on it and we are
→
making a difference."5
Simple ideas from people who have done simple things and achieved great
results make this high-speed race more manageable. They enable you to get
started in small, immediate ways that make a difference, confident that you
will make progress if you take the initiative to
→
act.
Apply
80/20 Rule
to Your Business
"Because business is wasteful, and
because complexity and waste feed on each other, a simple business will
always be better than a complex business". To succeed in
→
managing change
and transforming your business by applying the
→
80/20 Principle you need to
demonstrate that simple is beautiful and why. Unless you understand this,
you will never be willing to give up underperforming 80% of your current
business and overheads. "The way to create something great is to create
something simple... Progress requires simplicity; and simplicity requires
ruthlessness," writes Richard Koch.6...
More
Google
On the
Web, simplicity is a
necessary condition for survival. If your website is difficult to use,
people leave. Keep
your website simple and visitors will use it. Rapid growth of
→
Google due to popularity of its ultra-simple interface is a prime
example.
>>>
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Colin
Powell's 18 Leadership Principles
→
Great leaders
are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate
and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand. The result? Clarity
of purpose, credibility of leadership, and
integrity of organization...
More
16 Ways
to Avoid the Hassle of Commercializing University Technology
By: Terry Collison
If you have a technology policy and a procedure, make sure
nobody in the university community actually understands what it is.
Complexity is good...
More
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The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the
modest are near to
virtue. |
Confucius |
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You can't believe how much people fear
being
simple... Clear tough-minded people are the most simple.
>>> |
Jack Welch
GE |
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I have just three things to teach:
simplicity, patience,
compassion. These three are your greatest
treasures. |
Lao Tzu |
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References:
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Simplicity – The New Competitive Advantage in a World of More, Better,
Faster, Bill Jensen
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"The Power of Simplicity", Jack Trout with Steve Rivkin
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"Jack Welch, speech, The Bay Area Council, San Francisco, California,
September 6
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"Direct from Dell", Michael Dell with
Catherine Fredman
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Foreword to "1001 Ways to Energize Employees", Jack Stack
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"The 80/20 Principle", Richard Koch
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Roads to Success, Heller Robert
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