Give importance to the "simple"
Less is more!Simplifying for a better performance
We generally all agree: our decision-making processes, our information overload, and the multitude of tools at our disposal make our lives more complex! Why don't we simplify? Well, precisely because making things simple, is complicated!
So let's get motivated and lay out the initial actions to get the ball rolling...
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Remember
Steve Jobs offers inspiration: "That's been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains." BusinessWeek 1998
That says it all!
Establish "simplification rituals"
Simplifying is not natural => it's a decision to be promoted by concrete actions, since words alone do not suffice:
• Organize intra- or inter-team workshops, regularly, to diagnose what has become needlessly complex, time-consuming or even opaque, and experiment with new ways of doing things
• During individual review meetings, devote time to the process of simplification and saving time => What things, right now, take up too much of your time? Why? What is no longer necessary? What risks are there in doing less? etc...
• Establish a team dynamic around the idea of "let's simplify our work." This could be a system to share best practices on a collaborative wall, a contest :)...
Publicize successes
Giving recognition to advances in simplification means first of all sharing, both within and outside the team.
It also means involving the company's directors in giving recognition: showing co-workers that they are esteemed for what they've accomplished in the areas of efficiency and transformation.
Evaluation
Each question has only one correct response but be careful: among the possible responses there is one that is "almost correct" and might make the choice harder!
1 / 3
Where to start?
You want to simplify but don't know where to start. What is the key question to ask?
What added value do we want to offer to our clients (internal or external)? ✓
Yes! Does it seem like an odd place to start? It's because without a clear response to this question, it's impossible to concentrate on what's important, and therefore to get rid of what isn't!
Why do we operate in this way? ⚠
An interesting question, but it gets you away from projection toward the future: where do we want to end up?
2 / 3
3 What would you like to simplify?
You think that certain tasks involve
procedures that are too cumbersome, or that you could at least eliminate some
steps. What do you do?
Together with the team, I think of a first
step and then, depending on the results, we decide whether or not to go
further. ✓
A good idea! Here's one way to do it:
★ Choose,
ideally as a team, a high-priority "area for simplification".
★ Define a simple
first action.
★ Test its
feasibility.
And if the process yields a good result,
construct the next steps.
I can't decide by myself and first need to
consult with those above me. ⚠
This is true, but you could take the
initiative and present to those above you a project that you would have already
partially tested.
3 / 3
Perfect reports
Gaïa continues to produce very detailed reports that no longer correspond to what's needed. During an individual meeting where you will discuss her workload, how to you approach the topic?
The way I see it, you spend too much time writing up the reports. ⚠
Why not. But you are likely to prompt a justification: "Yes but..."
How could you cut in half the time you spend on the reports? ⚠
Too quick! It's impossible to find a solution to a problem that has not yet been defined.
One of the tasks that you spend time on is writing up the reports. How much would you say that takes? ✓
Yes, it is essential to take Gaïa's concrete impressions as the starting point.
You need to develop you skills in summarizing. It's something I can help you with. ⚠
The problem is not necessarily skills in summarizing. It is Gaïa who must tell you.
Your score is
0/3
You finished!
To review the questions and responses, please choose from the list below.