The Enemy of Execution

"Complexity is the enemy of execution." - Tony Robbins

Most of us are pretty adept at complicating just about everything. Whether it's developing relationships, growing a business or coordinating paint colors for the bathroom...why is it so difficult to simplify?

We're probably all guilty of mucking up something great, at one time or another. As humans, we seem to be wired to over-analyze, over-plan, and over-complicate. Coincidently, it is this same complexity that causes us to under-execute. In our quest to get it right, we often sabotage the power to get it going. Sure, a lack of proper planning can result in poor performance. My own experience and work with other entrepreneurs and companies, however, has most often attributed a lack of traction to a lack of action.

Complexity is like the arterial plaque responsible for a failing heart. Just as restricted blood flow can immobilize and shut down our physical bodies, complexity kills great ideas, strategies and companies. The good news is that reducing blockage and increasing flow is possible in our bodies and in our lives. The solution... Simplify and Execute.

Many years ago, I was struggling through a significant business challenge in one of my companies. We were sourcing, warehousing and trying to develop a logistics process that would deliver a product within budget and on a truncated customer timeframe. I worked, iterated and built multi-layered processes to address the situation. What I first thought was an elegant and masterfully designed solution, turned out to be a giant pile of crap that literally brought our business to a standstill. I was bewildered, frustrated and a bit terrified. I had poured all of my creativity, time and resources into this solution and it was nothing short of a bust.

As I talked through my solution with a trusted mentor, he finally sat back in exasperation and stated, "I have never seen anything so convoluted or confusing. I can't even conceive of how to make this workable." When I asked what he thought I should do, his response surprised me. "I'd recommend that you ask your 15-year old son how he would solve this!" I thought for sure he was kidding, but I now see that he was just intuitive enough to recognize the true problem. And, although I consider my son a pretty smart kid, there was no possible way he would know how to approach this, let alone fix it.

To humor myself, and show my mentor how ridiculous his suggestion was, I presented the situation to my son and nonchalantly asked him what he thought. I wasn't even sure he was really listening, until he turned to me and said matter-of-factly, "Dad, why don't you just drop-ship it?" A couple of phone calls and a few adjustments later and his perfectly simple solution now answered all of the issues and instantly made the product one of the most profitable in our entire line. In a few minutes, my teenage child had taught me one of the most impactful concepts of my career, and one I continue to utilize to this day. The solution... Simplify and Execute.

The difficult reality is that what is simple is not necessarily easy. Often, it is as difficult to simplify as it is to create complexity. Our ability to simplify may be the very hinge-point that determines our capacity to execute. And, ultimately execution is what sets successful people and organizations apart from those that fail.

An incredibly powerful concept, taught to me by a teenage boy.

Simplify and Execute.

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