Simplify Work

In urgent response to the epidemic of crippling complexity affecting organizations around the world, Simplify Work reveals the common sources of this virus and outlines practical steps that can be taken to liberate innovation, productivity, and engagement. Complexity is like a vine that gradually grows and expands, wreaking havoc in organizations and individual lives. Growing complexity has traditionally been met with added structures, processes, committees and systems. Consequently, organizations often become a complicated mess, clouding strategic focus, slowing innovation and breeding complacency. It is no wonder that large organizations around the world are failing at an increasing rate and employee engagement levels have never been so low. Simplify Work reveals the typical drivers of complexity and provides a practical method for simplifying work. Inside, global management consultant Jesse Newton delivers a newfound clarity on the case for simplification and the steps organizations and individuals need to take to unleash its potential. He reveals the common drivers of debilitating complexity and provides a recipe for reducing and removing those things getting in the way of peak performance. Based on the research and experiences of a recognized organization effectiveness expert, Simplify Work leaves readers inspired and equipped to create a new liberating reality in both their organization and their life.

For the past 40 years Richard Koch has wanted to uncover the simple, elemental, elegant and parsimonious principles that are needed to create great new businesses. To qualify, a principle must be so overwhelmingly powerful that anyone can reliably use it towards extraordinary results. Is there any principle that can tell you how to do that consistently and with a high chance of success? Working with venture capitalist Greg Lockwood, his co-author on SUPERCONNECT, and supported by research from the elite firm of OC&C Strategy Consultants, Koch has the answer. The principle Koch and Lockwood have discovered behind extraordinarily successful businesses is simplifying. Some simplify on price - take Ryanair's budget flights which still take you from A to B, but so cheaply that nearly everyone can afford them, multiplying the size of their market - and some simplify on proposition, such as Apple's decision to cut down on the number of their product lines and focus on perfecting only a few devices. With case studies of famous companies in all different industries from finance to fast food, the authors show how anyone can analyse their business's potential to become a simplifier, and which route they should take to maximise the impact.

With more than two million copies of the Simplify series books in print--now there are two million and one reasons to simplify, simplify, simplify. Elaine St. James' Simplify series has taught the world how to start doing less and enjoying it more. Now Elaine teaches us to balance one of life's most difficult areas: the work world. Filled with tremendously helpful advice, and easy yet profoundly smart suggestions, her new book shows us big and small ways to scale down and simplify life on the job, such as: Breaking the habit of bringing work home from the office Estimating the time it will take to complete a project, then double the estimate Cutting back on the amount of time you spend working Learning how to make the right decisions quickly Written in the same upbeat, relaxed, and matter-of-fact tone that won millions of readers to the simplicity movement, Simplify Your Work Life is certain to attract even more followers. Elaine's syndicated weekly column Simplify Your Life is carried in 50 newspapers nationwide and is read by more than 2 million fans each week.

With more than two million copies of the Simplify series books in print--now there are two million and one reasons to simplify, simplify, simplify. Elaine St. James' Simplify series has taught the world how to start doing less and enjoying it more. Now Elaine teaches us to balance one of life's most difficult areas: the work world. Filled with tremendously helpful advice, and easy yet profoundly smart suggestions, her new book shows us big and small ways to scale down and simplify life on the job, such as: Breaking the habit of bringing work home from the office Estimating the time it will take to complete a project, then double the estimate Cutting back on the amount of time you spend working Learning how to make the right decisions quickly Written in the same upbeat, relaxed, and matter-of-fact tone that won millions of readers to the simplicity movement, Simplify Your Work Life is certain to attract even more followers. Elaine's syndicated weekly column Simplify Your Life is carried in 50 newspapers nationwide and is read by more than 2 million fans each week.

New tools for managing complexity Does your organization manage complexity by making things more complicated? If so, you are not alone. According to The Boston Consulting Group’s fascinating Complexity Index, business complexity has increased sixfold during the past sixty years. And, all the while, organizational complicatedness—that is, the number of structures, processes, committees, decision-making forums, and systems—has increased by a whopping factor of thirty-five. In their attempt to respond to the increasingly complex performance requirements they face, company leaders have created an organizational labyrinth that makes it more and more difficult to improve productivity and to pursue innovation. It also disengages and demotivates the workforce. Clearly it’s time for leaders to stop trying to manage complexity with their traditional tools and instead better leverage employees' intelligence. This book shows you how and explains the implications for designing and leading organizations. The way to manage complexity, the authors argue, is neither with the hard solutions of another era nor with the soft solutions—such as team building and feel-good “people initiatives”—that often follow in their wake. Based on social sciences (notably economics, game theory, and organizational sociology) and The Boston Consulting Group’s work with more than five hundred companies in more than forty countries and in various industries, authors Yves Morieux and Peter Tollman recommend six simple rules to manage complexity without getting complicated. Showing why the rules work and how to put them into practice, Morieux and Tollman give managers a much-needed tool to reinvigorate people in the face of seemingly endless complexity. Included are detailed examples from companies that have achieved a multiplicative effect on performance by using them. It’s time to manage complexity better. Employ these six simple rules to foster autonomy and cooperation and to effectively handle business complexity. As a result, you will improve productivity, innovate more, reengage your workforce, and seize opportunities to create competitive advantage.

In "Simplify," bestselling author Bill Hybels identifies the core issues that lure us into frenetic living--and offers searingly practical steps for sweeping the clutter from our souls. Today's velocity of life can consume and control us ... until our breakneck pace begins to feel normal and expected. That's where the danger lies: When we spend our lives doing things that keep us busy but don't really matter, we sacrifice the things that do. What if your life could be different? What if you could be certain you were living the life God called you to live--and building a legacy for those you love? If you crave a simpler life anchored by the priorities that matter most, roll up your sleeves: Simplified living requires more than just cleaning out your closets or reorganizing your desk drawer. It requires uncluttering your soul. By eradicating the stuff that leaves your spirit drained, you can stop doing what doesn't matter--and start doing what does.

Is it really possible to simplify your life? The answer is a resounding "yes," if you know the necessary steps to unclutter your life and lifestyle. Get the inside scoop from professional organizer Marcia Ramsland and begin to solve your life management issues like a pro. With fast-paced, step-by-step instructions, Marcia walks you through refreshing new ways to manage your daily schedule, your life at home and at work, and special seasons of your life such as parenting, the holidays, and transitions. Simplify Your Life reveals do-able tips and practical systems using Marcia's trademark "PuSH" Sequence?an acronym for Project, you (the key component), System, Habit?which not only gets you organized but help you stay that way. Tips include how to: Create the illusion of a clean home in just minutes each day Predict a pending time crunch . . . and sail through it Dissolve any paper pile by answering three key questions Power through projects you never get around to Learn how to put things back together when everything falls apart Offering practical solutions designed to change your life immediately, this simplified style of living gives you and your loved ones more time to do the things you really enjoy?starting today.