McGill Universtity’s Karl Moore recently interviewed Ron Ashkenas, author of “Simply Effective: How to Cut Through Complexity in Your Organization and Get Things Done.” As a partner at Robert H. Schaffer and Associates, a management consulting firm, Mr. Ashkenas advises organizations on how to simplify all aspects of their operations.
According to Mr. Ashkenas, complexity is self-generating. Unless one steps back and consciously focuses on simplification, the organization will naturally become more complex. New products and services will be added to the list of offerings but none will be removed. Procedures will become more complicated. Technology will become a patchwork of applications.
Having managers and C-level executives consciously focusing on simplifying could have a huge impact on learning and development. Simplified processes can be learned and retained significantly faster than complex ones. Learners can then become productive faster. (RN)
The power of simplicity | The Globe and Mail | Karl Moore | 1 June 2010
News
Subscribe by Email
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Facebook
Join us on LinkedIn
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 0 comments… add one now }