Breaking Down Complexity to Simplicity

Understanding how simplicity is just complexity, resolved

Complexity is one of the biggest issues facing businesses today. It’s slowing them down, affecting their profits and tarnishing employee morale. I believe that we, as a society, tend to make things more complicated than they need to be, especially in business. The great Albert Einstein said it best “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

Simplicity is an art, an art that is necessary to express and grow your business. Apple is the prime example of achieving simplicity with a technology that could very easily be viewed as too complex. Yet, they were able to articulate their products in a way that now has 60+ year olds fully utilizing iPhones with the simple wave of a finger.

Apple was able to understand that complex doesn’t always mean complicated. How so? With a few simple steps –

1. Visualization
Things tend to become clearer when you can actually see them. Even if your complex problem isn’t tangible, by using visualization tools you can see the overall process and thus begin to untangle the complexity. By making the information a little more accessible, you begin to see things as they are rather than how you believe them to be.

These visualization methods can range from creating an organizational chart for your company, plotting the flow of carbon through a supply chain, or simply building a Venn diagram. Utilizing visual tools can allow you to better understand the process and, therefore, be able to better articulate the concept.

2. See the bigger picture
This stems from your visualization tools. Seeing things as they relate to the greater purpose and how they affect other pieces of the puzzle can allow you to pinpoint where the real problems lie. These problems can very easily be something you had no idea affected the process. When you zoom out and look at the bigger picture from a higher level, you are able to hone in on the sphere of influence that matters most while likely identifying unknown bottlenecks.

3. Embrace complexity
It is very easy to get overwhelmed when faced with a complex problem. This is when you must remind yourself that complex doesn’t always have to mean complicated. View it as a challenge that must be overcome to get to the next level of success. Once you set your mind at ease, you open yourself up to see things more clearly and from different perspectives.

Actions - like flipping a switch to turn on a light or pressing a button to turn on the television - are only easy on the surface. Someone spent months, and even years, developing the hidden technologies that enable much our daily lives, especially in today’s world. Being able to make the complex simple is essentially the key to success.

Apple was able to accomplish this seamlessly. Have you ever needed to read an instruction manual to use an Apple product? This isn’t rocket science, although many Apple products may be. There is a way to mask the complexity of any situation with the simplicity of the message. It just takes the ability to step away and see the bigger picture while embracing the risks and technicalities that come with any great product, service or organization.

Still can’t see the road to simplicity? All Systems Grow prides itself on the ability to provide leadership and management consulting to lead your organization towards operational efficiency. Take the first simple step to success and call us today.