Joakim’s Reflections - CW2508 - Principles of Simplicity
THE Simplicity Principle (Occam’s Razor)
Formerly known as Occam’s Razor tells us that simpler explanations of observations should be preferred to more complex explanations.
I even believe this to be an understatement. That simpler explanations or solutions should only be preferred. I honestly believe it is the antidote to unintended complexity in organizations. Not only do I believe that it is the antidote to unintended complexity, the world we live in is the perfect example of why my first general principle of simplicity, assume complexity, should be adopted.
General Behavioural Heuristics
1. Assume Complexity
Should almost be self-explanatory, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Period. Assume that the desired outcome from your decisions is not a given. This helps us reflect on our options and ponder the actual impact of our decisions. Intentionality is key.
2. Be curious
In other words, ask questions. Ask any and all questions that come to mind. When you assume complexity, success will come from trying to figure out the answers to many different questions. There is no one single solution that will solve your problem. Staying curious and asking “what if…?”, followed by genuine attempts to find an answer is the core of the scientific method.
3. Stay on Target
Have the end goal in mind. This will allow you to scrutinize the current direction you are heading in and evaluate whether the direction, or the goal, needs to be adjusted.
Value-Creation in Organizations
1. Plan Half
I will boldly claim that regardless of your industry and whether you supply products or services, when you plan what to do for a given time period, plan half of what you believe you can accomplish. Since we assume complexity and don’t know what we will learn tomorrow, leaving room in the plan for something incredibly valuable that is currently unknown, will save you a lot of difficult discussions.
2. Quit the Wrong Things
Stop doing what is not moving you towards your target with a high enough return on your investment. While assuming complexity, being curious and staying on target, follow up on the impact of the work. Was the outcome what you expected? Did the achieved outcome have the desired impact? If the answer is no, this is the wrong thing to focus on. Abandon that path and spend your energy elsewhere.
3. Slow Down
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. You need to be focusing on maximizing the flow of value through your organization. In other words, create a value-stream map and do not fill it to the brink of bursting, since this will ultimately stop the flow entirely. By planning to accomplish half of what you believe is possible and not doing the things that do not have a high enough impact, the flow of value will be smooth and, over time, the impact will grow exponentially as you improve your capabilities to identify the right things to pursue and the wrong things to throw away.
Leadership
1. Take Care of Yourself First
If you are not in balance and grounded in yourself, you are of little use to others. It might sound harsh, but follow the instructions from the flight attendants, put your own mask on first before you assist others.
2. Clarify the Goals
As a leader, it is your responsibility to assert organizational alignment so people can stay on target. Clarify the goals for the different levels of organization and how they are connected. When this is clear to everyone you have the foundation for truly distributed decision making.
3. Excel at the Basics
Your day-to-day as a leader should be and feel ordinary. Every day should not be filled with the extraordinary. I.e. dealing with one emergency after the other crisis followed by an escalation meeting. Those instances should be rare. The basics are just that, basic. Focus on your own needs as a human being. Clarify the goals for yourself and others. Listen to the people around you and specifically the people you are responsible for. And please, treat people like responsible adults. To close the loop, you need to do all this while following the principles of simplicity.