Einstein once said,
‚Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.‘
What he meant was that to truly understand complex matters, it’s vital to simplify them—but not to the point where they lose their meaning.
So?
This applies not only to science but also to business. When confronted with complexity in business, it is essential to simplify the matter at hand, making it much clearer to understand what you are actually dealing with.
But:
It’s much easier to make things more complicated than it is to simplify them.
Some people claim that you don’t truly understand a topic unless you can explain it to a 5-year-old—and they might be right.
Take inflation, for example. You might read an article and think, ‘This makes perfect sense‘ but try explaining concepts like money supply or central banking in simple terms, and you may find yourself falling back on jargon (also: gobbledygook)
Practically
Simplifying complex matters isn’t easy, but these practical methods can provide a useful framework to get started:
Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule):
• This principle states that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. By identifying the most important factors that drive a situation, you simplify the complexity of a problem and focus on what truly matters.
Theory of Constraints:
• This method focuses on identifying and addressing the single most limiting factor (the constraint) in a process or system. Once that constraint is resolved, the overall complexity of the system decreases, and performance improves.
Critical Thinking:
• This involves analysing and evaluating information logically and systematically. By questioning assumptions and breaking down arguments into their fundamental components, it helps clarify complex issues and make more reasoned decisions.
And:
Then there’s Kidlin’s Law. It is said to originate from the works of novelist James Clavell and the concept has proven effective for many. Here it is:
‘If you write down a problem clearly, you have solved half of it.’
In this context, ‘writing‚ refers to using pen and paper; typing on a computer doesn’t work as effectively.
That’s all,
RvdL
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