October 14

Simplicity by Principle

As a principle, nothing goes from complex to simple on its own. It requires outside energy to bring simplicity to a complex process or to a complex organization. In fact, on their own, things devolve into ever- greater chaos.

How do you bring simplicity to a complex situation? One way is by establishing principles that guide your decisions and behaviors. If you have to approach every single project or creative problem in a fresh way, your world is going to be remarkably complex. However, if you have a set of guiding principles to help you make decisions and frameworks to shape your decisions, you already have a head start. Premake as many decisions as you can by thinking through the governing principles that guide your work and your leadership. For example, what are the specific qualities you look for in a good idea? How do you handle conflict when people disagree about direction? What are the values you refuse to com- promise, no matter what?

By establishing some core principles ahead of time, you carve out a space for simplicity in the midst of complexity. You bring order to your world.

Nothing goes from complex to simple on its own. Establish prin- ciples to guide your work so that you begin from a point of simplicity.

QUESTION

What are the core three to four principles that govern your work?