KISSed in the Face

Most designs and strategies start off as simple and elegant.  

But then the KISS (Keep It Simple, Silly) qualities of the plan get lost during implementation.  

As Mike Tyson put it, "Everyone has a plan—until they get punched in the mouth."  

The challenge is maintaining Strategic Simplicity®.

It takes work to make the hard & complex simple

Ironically, simplicity first requires diving into the noise.

Business is the Same Way

“Football is a simple game complicated by idiots” ~ Bill Shankly

The Key To Having An Effective Business Website

As a management consultant, I helped one client, a small jewelry firm, increase their online sales by 300% by recommending changes to their website.

There are three types of websites. 

The key to having an effective business website is to figure out which type you want and design around that.  Never try to mix types, because you want your website to be simple and easy to use.  

The three types of websites are: 

1. Sales.  An example of a sales website is Amazon.

 

2. Credibility.  An example of a credibility website would be one for a professional (doctor, lawyer, or consultant).

3. Informational.  An example of an informational website would be Wikipedia.

In the case of the jewelry firm, I helped them focus on type #1 (sales).  We focused on making the website strictly about their jewelry products—with large, clear pictures, and easy ordering/navigation.

How companies often waste time and money

As a consultant, I find these three areas as the biggest cause of business waste:

1. Meetings - Inevitably, meetings in organizations become inefficient, dragging on affairs.  Why?

     

     a. Managers focus on inputs (bureaucracy) vs. outputs (customer value).  They equate meetings with accomplishment.

     b. Over-scheduled Managers send subordinates who can't make decisions.

     c. Risk adverse employees continually rehash discussions rather than commit to taking action.

  

2. Documentation - While documenting procedures are important, companies fail in this area because:

     a. Over-documenting—even trivial procedures are formally documented.

     b. Over-complicated formats—resulting in the actual task being easier than its documentation.  This causes project delays.

     c. Documents tend to be officially stored on overcrowded servers, making it difficult for employees to retrieve.

3. Failure Work - Work is not done right the first time and needs to be redone because:

     a. The outcome and/or process wasn't originally communicated properly.

     b. The proper resources (people, time, budget) weren't originally sufficiently allocated.

     c. Subordinates did not understand, but were afraid to ask questions.

Ikea's Ingvar Kamprad and Simplicity

Ikea's late founder knew the value of simplicity in business.

A recent WSJ obituary mentioned that he resisted pressure to tailor the company's products for each local market, because "that would have added complexity and raised prices."

Praveen's Strategic Simplicity® Framework

My Strategic Simplicity® framework helps leaders dramatically drive business growth and improvement.


Here are the components:

1. Change Simplicity -  This refers to thinking about a transformation / project as a TV series as opposed to a movie. We should break change into phases, or “micro projects,” that can be implemented iteratively. “Rinse and Repeat,” as the wisdom of the shampoo bottle tells us. This way, we can easily adjust to changing marketplace relevance.

2. Market Simplicity - This is about stating the “Why” of the project as succinctly and clearly as we can, so everyone understands what results we want. It is also about prioritizing, clarifying, and triaging business requirements, so that we focus on only implementing change that is strategic to the business. Transformations and projects are successful when the outcomes are relevant, stated simply, and clearly worded. Many problems occur not because of technical issues, but because of communication issues.

3. Decision Simplicity - Having to make decisions based on ambiguity and/or having too many options results in paralysis by analysis. We need to narrow choices and filter information in a way that allows apple-to-apple comparisons. All through the project—from strategy through implementation– we need to be able to synthesize information to make timely, informative decisions.

4. User Simplicity  - Most companies are aware of the need for positive user experiences for their customers, but they neglect their “internal customers” (employees). Many technology companies have employees straining to be productive on internal systems with clunky interfaces that they would never sell to their customers. Timely implementation success depends on teams being able to work effectively, without having to deal with unessential road blocks.

Joe Flacco: Like Business, NFL Quarterbacking Depends on Time Management, Simplicity

Since Mitch Trubisky, the #2 pick in this year's draft, is now starting at quarterback for the Bears, the Chicago media is asking opposing quarterbacks about their rookie experiences.

This week, it's Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens.

Flacco was drafted in 2008, started all 16 games, and got the Ravens into the playoffs.

His advice: Don't make football bigger than it is—just play the game you love, practice time management skills, and "finding ways to keep everything simple."

These are the same traits that will help you lead a successful business in today's Attention Scarcity Age, where your customers and employees are overwhelmed with information and speed of change.

Peanut Butter Sandwich "Hack" Backlash—People Hate Unnecessary Complexity

I just read a Yahoo article about how the Food Network revealed a  Peanut Butter Sandwich "Hack". It involved spreading the peanut butter on wax paper and freezing it, so that you now have peanut butter "slices" that can be laid on the bread.  One of the "advantages" was not tearing the bread.

As evidenced from the comments section, people instinctively recoiled at this unnecessary complexity:


"I hate these buzzwords. everything is a 'hack'..."


"Worlds most complicated pb sandwich.Sounds like she has too much free time.Peanut butter is supposed to be quick and convenient."


"Seriously?"


"Brilliant. Too bad the Nobel Prizes have already been handed out."


"Dip knife in jar, spread peanut butter from knife to bread. Done.  This 'hack' is stupid. Sounds like she just likes round about ways to do simple things."


"Sounds like it takes more time then to just carefully spread peanut butter so you don't tear the bread, never have that problem. This person just likes busy work."


"She needs a lesson in how to use a butter knife to spread peanut butter. If she's unable to do that, she's not qualified as a chef. Sounds like another millenial who wants to build her twitter account with more useless advice."

Aldi: The Power of Strategic Simplicity®

Aldi, the German grocery store chain, is planning a large expansion in the United States.

They became one of the most successful grocery chains in the world by focusing on limited choice.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, Aldi originally had to start with less—when two brothers (Karl and Theo Albrecht), veterans of WWII, took over their family's store in the bombed out city of Essen.  They only offered 250 items, mostly what families needed to survive, like flour, sugar, coffee, butter, etc.

However, by around 1960, the German "economic miracle" occurred, and fancy supermarkets selling thousands of items appeared.  The brothers were forced with a choice.  They decided to keep the selection in their stores limited because it gave them a cost advantage.

Today, Aldi stores still stock much less than other chains.  The advantages: more clout with less suppliers, faster inventory turnovers, smaller stores (with smaller rents and utility costs), and (ironically) better quality control.

The last advantage, quality control, means that Aldi also attracts more middle and upper class customers than you would expect.

Time Magazine Unsubscribe Example of Non-User Design Simplicity

I have a subscription to Time Magazine, and they kept emailing me offers for other magazines.

I got tired of it and went to unsubscribe.  They had an email opt out.  I clicked on it and:

1. I had to enter my email.

2. They said that it will take effect within a week.

This is not user simplicity.  In most cases, when you want to opt out of email, you just click on the link and click "confirm".  You do not have to retype your email (which is already known, since you are clicking on their email), and it takes affect immediately.

When it comes to improving your business with Strategic Simplicity, its not always a matter of making a massive change.  A lot of irritating complexity is caused by little things that can be easily changed.

Old Joke Contains A Serious Business Lesson

There is the old joke about the plumber who gets called to fix a water heater:

He listens to the heater for a few seconds, taps it with his hammer, and it starts working!

The plumber then gives an $80 bill to the homeowner, who then complains that the plumber didn't do anything.

The plumber then writes up an invoice and gives it to the homeowner:
          
          $1 to hammer the heater

          $79 for knowing where to hit


Interestingly, this joke actually contains an important business lesson.  Business should be about generating results for customers, not in methodology or outputs.

In other words, the value to the homeowner is to get the heater working.  The value doesn't depend on   what the plumber actually did or how hard he worked.  In fact, getting it fixed quickly is more valuable for the homeowner.

Yet, in our society, we value hard work.  Even worse, we (the service provider) feel that, unless we generate enough work, we haven't given value to the client—even if they are happy with the results.  We are our own worst enemy!

In the joke, the plumber was pressured to generate a simple invoice. But, in the real world, many companies would go further, and, under self-pressure, add even more unnecessary deliverables such as power points, documents, etc.

If your company wants to be productive, agile, and innovative—in other words, strategic simplicity℠ —then it should focus on generating results, and resist the urge to justify value through busy work.

Relationship between Change, Complexity, and Simplicity

When change creates new chaos / complexity in your life or business, you have two choices:



Change  ==> Complexity  ==> Do Nothing ==> Stagnation      {negative feedback loop}


or:


Change ==> Complexity ==> Simplify  ==> Innovation   {positive feedback loop}

For Simplicity, Shrink Your Options

For creativity and innovation, we always hear that "you should keep an open mind", or "think outside the box".

But this is only half the story.  This is great for the experimental phase, where you test and iterate through ideas to find the best ones.

But, once you decide to execute, you need to shrink your box.  You need to focus on a few, high-quality, core ideas.  Otherwise, you'll get overwhelmed, spread through thin, and your business will be mediocre at best.

So, you need to keep your experiment/testing phases and production/execution phases separate.

The correct sequence is:

1. expand your ideas and "play" in your "sandbox" (development environment).  Come up with proven, break-through ideas.

2. Implement selectively and focused so that your production offerings are streamlined and well-executed.

3. Go back to your sandbox and experiment some more.  If you create something better than your "production" model, then replace it.

4. Rinse and Repeat.

Why Sloths Are No Deadly Sin

Sloths used to be considered boring, useless animals who hang in trees all day.  Being slothful was looked down upon—a "deadly" sin.

Now, the Wall Street Journal has become the latest media outlet to write about how sloths are exploding in popularity.  They are one of the most popular animals in the zoo and, unfortunately, people are starting to want to keep them as pets (which isn't good, since some species are endangered).

Why are sloths so popular?  Why are people having visceral actions, and crying while watching them (do nothing)?

I think it's a reaction to our times, which I called the "Attention Scarcity Age".  We have left the Information Age.  Now, we are drowning in information and big data. We tweet in sound bites and rush around, always on call.

Sloths thrive by doing less and appear to be in contemplation.  People today are thirsty for ease, a slower pace, and less chaos.

This is one of the reasons that Strategic Simplicity®  is so important for businesses today. Your customers, employees, and suppliers are all overworked and overwhelmed.  You are fighting to attract their attention and loyalty.

One of the best ways is through incorporating simplicity throughout your business.  I help my clients with 4 types of simplicity: change simplicity, market simplicity, decision simplicity, and user simplicity.

Crazy Medicine! No User Simplicity in Healthcare

Here is yet another reason why U.S. Healthcare is not an example of strategic simplicity:

A relative was paying $63/month for medicine because the pharmacist said his insurance company didn't cover it.

We told the doctor that the medicine wasn't covered, but he said he prescribed the generic.

We went back to the pharmacy and told them that it's the generic.  The pharmacist contacted the insurance company.

It turns out that they don't cover 20mg pills, but they cover 40 mg.  So, as long as he orders twice the strength, and splits the pills, he pays $0!

Talk about crazy medicine!

How Important is User Design and Simplicity in Software?

I am a management consultant who specializes in the four areas of Strategic Simplicity®: change simplicity, market simplicity, decision simplicity, and user simplicity.

How important is user simplicity / design, especially with software?  

It can change an entire corporate strategy.

I consulted and worked for a large multinational bank that developed an IT strategy to develop it's own web portal—which would eventually serve as the user interface for all of its legacy applications.  They even hired away some key executives from a prominent travel website, who were responsible for the travel site's state of the art portal design.

Around the same time, this bank entered the Chicago area and bought a local bank 1/10 its size. The larger bank expected to shut down the smaller bank's technology group and move customers to it's platform.

It turned out that the small local bank's software was rated much higher than the larger bank's in a survey conducted by a prominent banking magazine.  Their user interface was so good that the larger bank had to do an about-face with its strategy.

They ended up scrapping plans for its own portal, and they ended up shutting down the larger bank's software and switching to the smaller bank's platform.  The newly hired key portal executives ended up leaving, and the smaller bank's technology executives (who thought they would lose their jobs) ended up running the larger bank's tech operations.

Zen, Simplicity, and Design

It doesn't matter what you want to design: software, hardware, furniture, or a business process.


You can benefit from a philosophy of zen and simplicity:


1. To achieve enlightenment and relief from suffering, Zen teaches detachment.  In design, we can apply detachment to escape the specifics of a situation, and design a better, more universal solutions that can be re-used.  Abstract. Simplify. Generalize.


2.  Zen teaches the concept of the Beginner's Mind—see things with fresh eyes.  In design, this means to start from 0, remove as many preconceptions as you can.


3. Zen value of emptiness.   Self-imposed restrictions and constraints increase elegance and economy.  Keep trying to make your design smaller, more minimal, with less parts—until you can't take anything away.

Six Causes of Productivity Loss at Large Corporations

1. Conference calls where too many callers are multi-tasking and not paying attention.  When they are asked a question, they need information to be repeated because they weren't listening the first time.

2. Internal applications which are slow and do not have well-designed interfaces.  IT departments tend to devote the best resources to customer-facing (external) applications, but give too little importance to internal ones.

3. Overkill on documentation.  Forced to create large, formal documents which are then filed away.  Where as, a less formal one page document or spreadsheet would actually be used and consulted more often.

4. Not enough up-to-date communication between important groups on a project.

5. Roles not clearly defined.

6. Gaps—important tasks not assigned to a specific team.

Quick and Dirty Expert Systems Get Used

When I was a vice president at a large bank, I had a team that was responsible for production support for an online corporate banking application.  We had 1 or 2 people on the team who were experts (with years of experience supporting the application), while the other members were inexperienced.  

We found that the inexperienced people kept asking the 2 experienced people for help, and they were tremendously overworked.

As a solution, we created a very simple, informal wiki that was only accessible to the group.  Then, after every incident where a junior member needed assistance, they created a quick note with key words on how it was solved.  Also, whenever the senior people solved a problem on their own that they thought might be hard for the junior members, they took a few minutes after solving the problem to write up a quick note with key words.

The key was that we didn't mandate a format or make it complex.  The support people were busy and did not have the bandwidth to either write a document, or read through one.  It had to be a quick and dirty note, or else it wouldn't get done and/or wouldn't be used.

The result was that, in about a month, we had an expert reference system that reduced the junior's need for senior support by 80%.

My advice is that I've seen many internal documentation systems at companies that are not updated and aren't used, because they are too complex.  Teams need the ability to share quick and dirty notes that can be quickly created and quickly accessed.