Managing Towards The Simplicity Just On The Other Side Of Complexity

Managing Towards The Simplicity Just On The Other Side Of Complexity
Byr
Bill Cottringer

“I wouldn’t give a fig for the simplicity on this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity just on the other side of complexity.” ~Oliver Wendell Holmes.

The main purpose of quality thinking in management is to: (a) give up the illusion of easy simplicity in arriving a quick cures to complex problems(b) patiently and persistently plow through the complexity and chaos (the 95% BS non-sense), and (c) arrive at the genuine simplicity on the other side (the 5% golden truths).

Even creative geniuses in art, music, literature and acting go through this mental (and often emotional) evolution—they all start out giving into the temptation of seeing life’s realities, problems and solutions as very easy and simple. Then their work moves into the realm of endless details and infinite complexities. With patience and perseverance they are finally able to see what all the computations, permutations and conundrums were trying to point towards during their overwhelming complexity. This is the 5% common sense truths that lead to genuine success and authentic happiness that come from the quest.

A good opportunity to apply this mental process is in trying to answer the challenge of managing complex dramas in the workplace. All organizations, large and small, have them. Such dramas are very counter-productive to the prosperity and well-being of any organization; they need to be resolved for the organization and employees to succeed in their work goals. Unfortunately, more often than not, they are not resolved, go underground and fester into bigger problems beyond the manager’s reach.

Below are ten useful suggestions to help manager’s get to the right simplicity on the other aside of a workplace drama’s complexity:

1. Pay attention to the informal culture in your workplace and have a way to know what is going on above and below the table. Do what you can to enforce and reinforce a drama-free work culture that emphasizes professionalism and discourages all types of unprofessional conduct such as discrimination, sexual harassment, bullying, gossiping, rumors, poor communication, negativity, lack of teamwork, petty squabbling, passive aggressive behavior, personality conflicts, etc.

2. Give up trying to “regulate” an employee’s personal life or personality. But, do not tolerate situations where this personal stuff spills over into the workplace with behavior that is really misconduct or poor performance that interferes with employees’ productivity and work success.

3. Make sure all employees have a clear understanding as to what is or isn’t acceptable and why. Don’t assume anything is common knowledge or that it is fully supported in the workplace.

4. When evidence of a destructive drama occurs, get the facts on paper conce
ing what specific behavior is happening that is causing a problem. This may involve in-depth, frank discussions with the right people who know what is needed to be known by the manager to see a simple solution from all the complexities of the drama. The things needed to be known are the source of the conflict, it’s most likely cause and drivers, the investments all of the stakeholders have in a particular solution, and the ultimate cost of resolution.

5. Make your best effort to find out this information to connect the dots. To be able to do this, you have to separate the emotions from the rational issues, and even be willing to give immunity for moderate wrong-doing to get the right information (which is usually who started it and who ended it).

6. Whether you can do this or not (often not), notify all the drama stakeholders what is or isn’t happening and why.

7. Remind everyone involved what is expected and what the problem is that must be corrected. There must be widespread understanding of, commitment to and passion for contributing to a professional culture in the workplace that discourages dramas and saves all the time and effort they take to be resolved.

8. Hold people accountable with later follow-up progress checks and hold yourself accountable for doing that.

9. Document everything for a likely reoccurrence on which you may have enough evidence to act.

10. You usually can’t solve or cure complex dramas, so just manage them to a reasonable, tentative resolution which will need periodic re-attention.

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” ~Albert Einstein.