4/11/2023 0 Comments Sample manager samplicityAll of those things together just made the organization much, much harder to control.” He notes that it is difficult to be aligned when there is a lot of organizational clutter. I was surprised by how many organizational layers we had created in a multimarket, multifunctional organization with all of the corporate governance that comes with being a public company. William Eccleshare, worldwide CEO of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, was candid with me: “The pandemic has thrown up that organizations grow more complex without you realizing it. Imagine you are turning a hexagonal axle inside the wheel of your organization, starting with one side, marked A, and rotating through the letters of ACCEPT: And for this reason, the concept of simplicity strategy is anchored in action.ĪCCEPT is actionable strategy in practice. We don’t have time to lose as we rebuild and renew our businesses and institutions post-pandemic. A lot of leaders can get mired in talking rather than doing. Action is an all-important word, because it focuses on deeds. I often work with teams on “half a hexagon” to identify the three things they will do now as they “triage” their priorities. Then there is versatility: The “perfect” nature of the number six means that the smaller integers of one, two, and three all fold neatly into it. By using a model that has a shape with sides and boundaries, we can better contain and manage our thinking and our strategic action. The hexagon is a powerful visual aid and connects us to network theory in which “ edges” play a crucial role. This is crucial, because so much of what people do intersects and connects. Like the equilateral triangle and the square, the hexagon tessellates, which is to say it can connect to the same shape without gaps (unlike, say, circles, an all-too-popular PowerPoint intersecting image). The hexagon, nature’s diamond, lends itself beautifully to organizational management because of the way it embodies interconnection, resilience, and economy. If you adopt a small-is-better mentality (I love the two-pizza rule, which says if your working group can’t be fed by two pizzas, it’s probably too large), six gives you a guideline that can be established and maintained fairly quickly. Six is also workable, definable, measurable, and memorable. Six, of course, is the sum of one, two, and three. Six, as I have written before, is a useful organizing number, and is the smallest in a range of numbers described in mathematics as “ perfect.” A number is perfect if it is a positive integer that is equal to the sum of its divisors. It’s based on an acronym, ACCEPT: alignment, clarity, collaboration, ease, productivity, and time.įirst, a short explanation of the power of six and the hexagon. However, the six-part hexagon action model illustrates how to turn simplicity of focus into action. In his classic book, Good Strategy, Bad Strategy, Richard Rumelt argues for “reducing the complexity and ambiguity in the situation, by exploiting the leverage inherent in concentrating efforts on a pivotal or decisive aspect of the situation.” So, simply adopting a “stick to six” rule would be progress. Strategies based on hexagon action models are flexible and can be applied to all sorts of settings, including personal productivity and creative brainstorming. How to achieve such simplicity? What follows is a guide to the six-point management model I call “hexagon action.” It embodies the Simplicity Principle - where I suggested using the number six as an organizing tool - and helps to hone an approach that focuses on what matters and getting things done.ĭeveloping a culture and practice of simplicity takes deft leadership skills, but the rewards are high. It also echoes Jack Welch of GE and his famous “ speed, simplicity, and self-confidence” strategy. Called the Simplicity Principle, it updates the famous KISS principle (“keep it simple, stupid”) of design thinking, which the U.S. My actionable strategy helps leaders prioritize, focus, and cut through complexity. Sean Stannard-Stockton, president of Ensemble Capital, a California-based investment firm, argues that simplicity is a very clear antidote to “the detrimental effects that complexity has on investment performance.” Global search firm Heidrick & Struggles found that 67 percent of “high-accelerating organizations” had embraced simplicity in their strategy, operating model, and culture. The exponential growth of the market for calmness and wellness apps also illustrates how we hanker for simplicity. Apple’s remarkably powerful brand was built on Steve Jobs’s ferocious dedication to simplicity in design. Developing a culture and practice of simplicity takes deft leadership skills, but the rewards are high.
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