Legend has it that during the 1960s NASA, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, used a pen during its space missions that cost $1m to develop.
Conversely, Kosmicheskaya programma SSSR, the Russian outer-space equivalent, with a wary eye to budgetary constraints, elected to use pencils.
Ok, so the story might be apocryphal, but the point is well-made.
How many times could we look at something and ask ourselves the question: ‘does it really need to be that complicated?’
In fact, it’s a bit of a hobbyhorse of mine.
Like many businesses, we’ve evolved over a long period of time and while we try to make sure we do so ‘cleanly’ there are always those small things, legacy processes and protocols, that can be left behind.
When that happens enough times, a process can become unnecessarily complicated for no good reason.
Our leadership team here at Fourayes, is constantly asked to challenge themselves, and others, to look at every process and procedure and ask the question ‘why do we do it this way?’
For me, the worse possible reply is ‘because that’s the way we’ve always done it’.
Even more reason to challenge!
So next time you come across something that looks or feels complicated and cumbersome, it probably is. I urge you to challenge it. After all, life is complicated enough.
Phil Acock
Managing Director of Fourayes, vice-chairman of English Apples & Pears, Fruitician and Mad Scientist.
Conversely, Kosmicheskaya programma SSSR, the Russian outer-space equivalent, with a wary eye to budgetary constraints, elected to use pencils.
Ok, so the story might be apocryphal, but the point is well-made.
How many times could we look at something and ask ourselves the question: ‘does it really need to be that complicated?’
In fact, it’s a bit of a hobbyhorse of mine.
Like many businesses, we’ve evolved over a long period of time and while we try to make sure we do so ‘cleanly’ there are always those small things, legacy processes and protocols, that can be left behind.
When that happens enough times, a process can become unnecessarily complicated for no good reason.
Our leadership team here at Fourayes, is constantly asked to challenge themselves, and others, to look at every process and procedure and ask the question ‘why do we do it this way?’
For me, the worse possible reply is ‘because that’s the way we’ve always done it’.
Even more reason to challenge!
So next time you come across something that looks or feels complicated and cumbersome, it probably is. I urge you to challenge it. After all, life is complicated enough.
