Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy

I make this comment several times a week: Simple doesn’t mean easy.

In fact, making something simple can take more effort, more time, and more thought than leaving it complicated. We have to break a problem down, remove what gets in the way, and make the next step easier to understand.

I once rewatched Steve Jobs’s 2007 announcement of the first iPhone. He began by recalling Apple’s Macintosh and iPod, then told the audience that Apple was introducing three revolutionary products: a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a mobile phone, and an internet communications device.

The surprise was that all three were one device.

Jobs compared the phones of that time by how smart they were and how easy they were to use. Many could do remarkable things, but even ordinary tasks were complicated.

The simplicity people experienced with the iPhone required enormous complexity, effort, and innovation behind the scenes. The work was difficult, but the result changed what people expected from a phone.

That principle applies well beyond technology. A simpler process, a clearer conversation, or a better daily routine may require us to do the difficult work of deciding what really matters.

What feels unnecessarily complicated in your life or work? What effort would it take to make it simpler—and what might become possible if you did?

Your coach’s insight…simply put.

— Rory