Think About Thinking: a Little Effort With Strategic Thinking Can Make a Difference
Description:
Thinking can be hard work. It takes deliberate effort to simplify something complex. That is why most people avoid it and stick to routine or familiar work processes and busy work rather than challenging the status quo and tapping into imagination.
Content:
Thomas J. Watson, the founder of IBM said, “I wouldn’t give a fig for the simplicity on this side of complexity but I would give my right arm for the simplicity on the far side of complexity.” What Watson understood was that a simple idea was infinitely more likely to get implemented than a complex one.
But sometimes in the corporate world there is a tendency to grab hold of the first simple strategy purely because is it popular or easy to execute. However, acting too soon “on the near side of complexity” can be more costly in time and money than taking the time up front to really understand a problem.
The following illustrates this idea. The staff at a Dallas Hospital was very concerned about the sharp increase in the number of back injuries that the nursing staff was experiencing. They looked at the data and a simple solution became apparent. They determined to put all nurses through a management training course to help them understand how to lift and use their bodies better to keep from injuring themselves. The training was implemented but the injuries continued.
The hospital management training team decided it was time to reconsider the problem. This time they included in their analysis a visit with the nurses. Those additional interview data points revealed that the laundry shoot on the 2nd floor that had been recently installed was too high off the ground and the nurses were straining their backs to get the laundry into the shoot. Now, the solution was to rebuild the laundry shoot lower to the ground. The shoot was rebuilt and the injuries went down.
Hindsight is always 20-20. But the simplicity of the more effective solution still begs the question… “why didn’t they just talk to the nurses in the first place?” Here are two of the answers that they came up with:
a) The leadership team reviewed the initial data and a training solution was quick, easy and familiar. They were sincere in their desire to solve the problem but assumed that since it had worked in the past, it would work in this case.
b) Those responsible for the financial consequences were very anxious to start a solution. Gathering additional data seemed to only delay the process.
The training solution was simple and executable. Ironically, the simple solution wasn’t a solution at all. Because it was simple and easily implemented, they missed getting the additional data that would have saved time and money and spared the frustration of the nursing staff. That is the power of “simplicity on the far side of complexity.”
The Dog Whisperer is a current TV program available on cable. It is a show that features a man who is very good at what he does. He has a deep understanding on how to train dogs. He has a special way with dogs and seems to relate personally with them. One program featured a dog that was very shy during their walks through the park. So shy in fact that the dog would put his tail between his legs and cower rather then enjoy the outdoors.
The Dog Whisperer came up with a remedy, which seemed unusually simple. He devised a special leash for the owner to use… that would hold the tail up rather than let the tail go between the legs. Simply holding the tail up seemed to change the confidence level of the dog. This simple strategic thinking miraculously changed the dog’s demeanor and he was able to enjoy, with confidence, his walks through the park. The strategy was simple yet effective.
Drawing on the wisdom of Thomas J. Watson again, he said, “All the problems of the world could easily be solved if people were only willing to think. The trouble is that people very often resort to all sorts of devices in order not to think, because thinking is such hard work.”
Thinking can be hard work. It takes deliberate effort to simplify something complex. That is why most people avoid it and stick to routine or familiar work processes and busy work rather than challenging the status quo and tapping into imagination. It can be risky in an organization that favors tradition and convention even when it is no longer effective. However, those who are willing to put in just a little additional effort to think through their roles and contributions to an organization will distinguish themselves very quickly as problem solvers.
If you want to get ahead, learn to think!
Corporate America doesn’t reward thinking. If employees are sitting at their desks thinking, they are usually considered slacking off. Strategic thinking is taken for granted and the workplace is reserved for “doing” rather than “thinking.” However, solving problems is recognized and rewarded. According to Steve Stowell and Stephanie Mead, authors of Ahead Of The Curve, there are 7 steps to thinking more strategically and becoming a problem solver.
Step 1) Tame The Beast – Learn how to minimize distractions and set aside time to think.
Step 3) Gather Intelligence – Determine what you need to know and then gather the data. Make sure you understand what info is valuable and what is just clutter.
Step 4) Analyze Forces – Look for key driving forces and restraining forces and analyze risks and opportunities that could derail or bolster your campaign. Understand what your strengths and weakness are.
Learn about Steps 2, 5, 6, and 7 by reading the book, contacting a CMOE representative, or attend a training sessions on the strategic planning process. Visit CMOE for more information or call toll free (888)262-2499 and ask for an introduction on Strategic Thinking.
Author: 10x Marketing
About Author:
Greg Davidson is the Northeast regional manager for CMOE. Greg has been assisting organizations for more than 15 years in the area of Strategic Management, Performance Coaching, and Leadership Development. He has worked organizations such as the FBI, Formosa Plastics, NYPD, Pfizer, and many others.
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