Get Simpler, Stay Simpler
by Lisa Bodell for The CEO Magazine
In 1944, the Office of Strategic Services—forerunner to the C.I.A.— wrote a field manual for agents looking to sabotage organizations in the name of American national security. The manual included a striking strategy: complication. The agency directed saboteurs to “insist on doing everything through channels. Never permit shortcuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions. Multiply the procedures and clearances…see that three people have to approve everything where one would do.”
Back then, complication was used to sabotage an enemy, yet we’ve unconsciously turned the weapon upon ourselves. We attend unnecessary meetings because we’re worried about missing out on a decision or vote that affects us. We request more data and more reports before making a decision instead of relying on our experience and the information that’s available. We add layers of management to our org chart, slowing the flow of innovative ideas up the chain of command and the number of approvals making their way back down.
While fear can cause leaders to complicate the lives of those beneath them, simplicity improves the culture and productivity of an organization. At Apple, Steve Jobs was famous for asking his deputies a simple question: “How many times did you say ‘no’ today?” By asking it, Jobs was sending a clear message to focus and take control. Jobs didn’t want leaders coming to him for sign-offs on every decision. He didn’t want them to be scared to take action. Rather, he was giving his people authority, and he expected them to use it. If these leaders were saying “no” every day, it meant that they were making decisions on their own.
In complicated organizations, people are constantly claiming they can’t get things done because another department hasn’t signed off, or they can’t move forward because some other team hasn’t provided enough data. Leaders operating with a simplicity mindset short-circuit those complaints. They make decisions quickly and cleanly, and they inspire those they work with to do the same. They say “no” to unnecessary things to make space for work that matters.
These leaders have also gained a valuable insight: don’t try to simplify everything at once. Employees will get overwhelmed and momentum can stall. Instead, choose a key group of projects that deserve attention and focus on one at a time. When prioritizing, look for quick-win opportunities that will rally your organization around simplification. If say, your company’s travel policy is a pain point for employees but overhauling it will be a major battle, simplify another area of the business before taking on the policy. The following tactics offer a starting point for simplification: