The Fight Against Simplicity

We fight simplicity because:

1. It exposes good and bad
2. It may take work from me
3. It may give work to me
4. It may take power from me
5. It won't make everyone happy at this moment
6. It makes me have to stop and think
7. It scares me

We fear simplicity because in many cases, we think we'll lose something--freedom, power, love, glory, ease, etc. But like a lot of things that you commit to, once you accept it and dedicate yourself to it, after a while it becomes apparent you're not missing anything of value.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com

If only things were simple

If only there were a simple way to:
Lose weight
Save money
Stay healthy
Go to heaven
Be happy
Be a good parent
Be a good citizen
Be a good company

It's not that things are too complicated, it's that they're actually too simple, which complicates it for us...

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com

A Stranglehold on Clarity

It's so complex and complicated today. The bigger the words you use, the more impressive you sound. The more steps to the process, the more valuable it seems. The more vague the response, the more important the person must be.

All of this interference in our lives depletes us. It weakens us and it keeps us from what's important. Sometimes the complexity is intentional, other times it's not. But it doesn't matter.

We must fight to get a stranglehold on clarity even if it's painful. The more clear it is, the better we can be and the better we'll have it.

Grab for it and don't let go.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com

Simple isn't it

It's simple, isn't it?
You do a great job each time for your customer.
You do the right thing even when it is difficult.
You offer what you do at a fair price.
You staff the right amount of people for the amount of business you are given.
You focus on the best customers, the best products, and the best employees.

So what gets in our way? What complicates such a simple, clear existence? We do. Our insecurities, greed, worry, excitement, fear, and optimism all clog up the beautiful, clear world we could live in.

We need to de-grease our lives, clean off the gunk we're dragging around with ourselves. It would be scary to have it so simple, wouldn't it?

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com

Simple isn't it?

Business is simple, isn't it? Do a great job, do your best, make sure the customer knows that, make sure the customer is happy, charge what is fair for both you and the customer, follow up to make sure the customer is happy.

If we did that every time what would happen?

We'd need less customers because we'd be able to profitably focus on the few we have. Which would mean we'd do our best work and thinking for the customer, who would want us to do more of that for them.

It is that simple. But why is it soooo hard to do?

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com

Simple is So Hard

Look back on the mistakes you've made in the past--it would have been so simple to have done something different or better and never have experienced them. But why did a mistake happen if it's so simple? Is it hindsight that makes it look so obvious? Maybe, but...

Simple is hard. We want to avoid discomfort, hassles, etc. Simple is tough. Sure it's simple to do a great job, to check your work and to clarify every detail of a project or relationship, but it takes time, it's not a lot of fun--not when it's 5:01 or it's a sunny day and you'd like to be outside playing.

But the good news is that IF we do the simple stuff and put up with the hassle and inconvenience, we will have a better life and less long-term issues to deal with, which makes life a lot more meaningful (and not so hard).

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
LaBov Sales Channel
PB&J Newsletter

Simple is Our Friend

If you want to be paranoid about one thing in business, be on the lookout for complexity.

Complexity is the downfall of many great ideas, companies, and relationships. If something seems too complicated or a relationship too fuzzy or a product is difficult to use, you can count on failure.

If an employee says his job is hard to understand or her responsibilities are not clear, at best they're crying out for help, at worst, they're letting you know they're not engaged. No matter, count on that professional relationship falling short.

Why do we surround ourselves with complexity instead of simplicity? It's scary to deal with simplicity. Simplicity is clear, black and white, and it's naked--nothing is covering it up.

Complexity is out to get us. The answer is simple.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & beyond
www.labov.com
LaBov Sales Channel
PB&J Newsletter

A Company Within a Company

A manufacturer is troubled and confused, it can't seem to figure out what's going on. Sales are down, yet some dealers are doing great. Other dealers are doing terribly. How can it all be solved with a new process or initiative? The answer is: it can't.

A company of any size sometimes has a company or companies within it. The above manufacturer has a group of failing dealers that were down in sales and in customer service. That group needs to be isolated and focused on. They need to be dramatically improved or risk being eliminated.

There also is a group of "Steady Eddie" dealers that are status quo for the year. They need different focus. Maybe they need guidance on where to focus, maybe they need to set higher goals.

The manufacturer also has a small but aggressively growing group of dealers that with a little attention could move mountains. Again, you guessed it, they need a completely different approach. They need support and they need to feel the love from the manufacturer.

One size doesn't fit all, one program won't solve every issue, and all dealers aren't the same. We have to fight the temptation for a generic answer when we need specific approaches to the different situations or "companies" we deal with.

Barry LaBov
LaBov and Beyond
www.labov.com
LaBov Sales Channel
PB&J Newsletter

The difference between simple and easy...

In business, and in life, we want things simple and easy. Well, choose one, because you can't always have both.

Running a business can be simple: do the right things, be smart with finances, hire and keep good people, avoid doing the wrong things. Simple.

But that stuff isn't necessarily easy. It isn't easy be fiscally responsible (it's not fun, it's not good for the ego). It isn't easy saying no to clients that might want "favors" or inappropriate treatment. It isn't easy to hire the right person and reject the wrong one (even if the wrong one has more experience or claims to have an "in" with a prospective client).

Perhaps this is the answer: If your focus is on what's easy, life will be complicated. If you focus on what is simple and right, life and business will be pretty easy.


Barry LaBov, CEO
LaBov and Beyond
www.labov.com