Simplifying: Your Daily Job

For more than two decades I have been studying complexity/simplicity at work through our ongoing study, The Search for a Simpler Way. Here's one of our recent findings and what it means to you...



All disruptive changes follow the 

Exponential Pain-in-the-Ass Rule of Five

• Minor disruptions bring with them at least five other pain-in-the-ass complications.

(New form to fill out, new adaptor to buy, etc.)

• Major disruptions bring at least 25 other pain-in-the-ass complications.

(5x5: new ways of working, new skills to learn, etc.)

• Interconnected disruptions bring at least 625 other pain-in-the-ass complications.

(25x25: two companies merging their product lines, etc.)

• System-wide disruptions deliver over 39,000 pain-in-the-ass complications.

(625x625: And that’s for a small system.)



What This Means To You...

• Disruptions are only going to increase. A LOT. Changes that completely disrupt the way you do things will continue to ramp up. Soon — if this hasn't happened to you already — most every one of your daily routines will be UN-routined... Every daily habit will be subject to surprise changes on an hourly basis.

• Even simplifications create complexity. That simplified customer-ordering process... That simplified form HR wants you to fill out... That simplified photo-sharing app on your phone... Sure, they'll simplify SOME things... But they'll also create complications in other areas of your life... Areas that you thought you had already simplified.



The Big So What:

Simplification is everyone's job.

Yes, yours too.

Every day. On everything.

All the time.

• If your team hasn't produced a crisp, clear, compelling one-page version of your project plan or presentation, make sure that gets done

• If your teammates' emails read like a 4,000-page novel, show them how to write emails that take 3-5 seconds to scan

• If anyone is running a meeting that seems like it's a waste of time, take responsibility (even if it's not your meeting) for ensuring it's a productive meeting

• If anyone takes more than 10 pages in any presentation, show them how to create the ultimate 10-page presentation

• If your corporate-designed tools or processes keep weighing you down, form a task force to simplify them and recommend the necessary changes

• etc. (Every task, every action, everywhere needs your simplification due-diligence)



From now on, your daily actions will either make you an agent of complexity or an agent for simplification. There is no middle ground. Pick the one you wish to be and live your life accordingly.