Feb

27

Leaders relentlessly simplify…

Filed Under Leadership Practices 

Simplicity is critical to the effective execution of an organisation’s strategy. Raj Sheelvant’s discusses the importance of simplicity in his post “Simplicity Minded Management“.  He refers to Ron Ashkenas’s HBR article “Simplicity Minded Management”, where the author provides the following checklist as a guide to help to reduce complexity:

Make simplification a goal, not a virtue

  • Include simplicity as a theme of the organization’s strategy
  • Set specific targets for reducing complexity
  • Create performance incentives that reward simplicity

Simplify the organizational structure

  • Reduce levels and layers
  • Increase spans of controls
  • Consolidate similar functions

Prune and simplify products and services

  • Employ product portfolio strategy
  • Eliminate, phase out, or sell low-value products
  • Counter feature creep

Discipline business and governance processes

  • Create well-defined decision structures (councils, committees)
  • Streamline operating processes (planning, budgeting, and so on)
  • Involve employees at the grassroots level

Simplify personal patterns

  • Counter communication overload
  • Manage meeting time
  • Facilitate collaboration across organizational boundaries

I thought this a great checklist to help reduce the complexity. Leaders are great a simplifying complex ideas into something everyone can understand and support. Simplicity also helps to improve an organisations ability to execute it’s strategy. What component of your strategy can you focus on simplifying this week?

 

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Comments

4 Responses to “Leaders relentlessly simplify…”

  1. Tejvan Pettinger on March 1st, 2008 13:57

    Good simple advice is often the most effective

  2. Alik on March 1st, 2008 22:36

    Fantastic checklist - very practical.
    Added to my toolbox
    thanks
    alik

  3. Richard on March 11th, 2008 2:01

    For the best on simplify concept have a look at Edward de Bono’ Simplicity. This is one of those books you read and re-read.

    One of the best quotes is where he is talking about signage, and says “when was the last time you saw a sign that said, ‘This is not the way to the airport’”

  4. Nick McCormick on March 12th, 2008 4:18

    Unfortunately, keeping it simple is not always easy. It requires a lot of work. It’s easy for complexity to sneak its way in if we are not constantly on guard.

    Another grand espouser of simplicity is Trevor Gay. His blog entitles, what else? “Simplicity,” is celebrates the concept.

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