Blogs Keeping it Simple
It is very easy to spend too much time working on small problems and not enough time forecasting icebergs and scouting opportunities. In my organization, I swear we will spend hours debating the font size and attached clip art of a particular memo and only a few minutes discussing the content! We’ve even gotten bogged down on what brand of glue works best for interior miter joints. Every once in a while it becomes necessary to close the notepad and start over with a fresh page and perspective. It is all about getting back to basics.
Simplicity in thinking is not necessarily about behaving like a simpleton. (Although some might call me this!) It is about organizing priorities in such a way that no one issue takes more of our valuable time than it should. Breaking a large problem into smaller, more manageable pieces so that segments can be solved and the remaining issues challenged. It means delegating issues to capable subordinates and allowing them the opportunity and the space to grow into leaders. It is too easy to get overwhelmed in minutiae while opportunity passes us by. It also means maintaining focus on the simple issues that impact our organizations and not worrying about those that we cannot alter despite our best efforts.
While I was working on a project in business school, I came up with an acronym that attempts to convey my thoughts on business leadership into a simple phrase that I can repeat to myself when I begin to feel overwhelmed. Yes, it is an oversimplification of difficult processes – but I am a huge devotee of thinking as simple as possible.
Get back to BASICS:
· Believe in the product, service and organization
o If you don’t believe in what you do, no one else will, either.
· Actions, not words
o Words are what clients read. Your actions are what they remember and pass on.
· Simplicity in thinking
o The keystone concept of my approach – Keep it as Simple as possible! Simplicity allows for a checklist to make certain we are being thorough in our judgments.
· Initiate ideas
o Be an idea generator. Bring solutions to problems (both your clients and your own) Think beyond the canned response. Above all, think proactively.
· Communicate
o Without communication, even simplicity becomes unruly.
· Service above all
o Take better care of your customers (and your business) than your competition does. Follow the Golden Rule.
Business leadership can’t be broken down into an acronym alone. However; the cleaner and more simple we can make our approach, the more efficient it becomes. The more efficient an organization becomes, the more time can be spent on scouting for work, earning profit or, heaven forbid – relaxing.
The current environment holds numerous challenges. I have no idea when the tide will turn or when/what/where the next big thing will be. But the message I preach over and over is timeless. Simple thinking approached with clarity and focus, a tight control of spending, and a willingness to bring new tools, ideas and analytics into your organization while providing exemplary service will win in every environment. Whether winning is defined as simply staying alive or actually thriving is a point for debate. The key point here is to get back to BASICS and focus on what will make your organization successful.
Tags: KISS, Management, Simplicity
August 13th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Great post! With regard to the next big thing, I think we need to start looking at where the government money/incentives and subsidies are going. Look at the past housing trends and they flowed from Washington economic policies. For instance, people invested in their houses more when mortgage interest was left as virtually the only deductible consumer interest. Obama has poured Billions into weatherization and other Green trends. Combine this with ever rising energy costs and becoming a Green contractor would seem to be the best move to prepare for the next big thing.
August 15th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
What terrific points here. I think it’s so true that we all need to learn to prioritize so that we put our limited energy and time towards the most important areas requiring are attention. Love the way that you simplified it into an acronym here – definitely sums it up!