The Law of Complexity states that “the complexity of a process increases by the square of the number of steps in that process.”

Battling complexity in business has become harder and harder as the pace of life and work have increased. As things evolve, there become more options and ways to solve problems in business. All the solutions and options have pros and cons, making it difficult to decide the path forward.

Understanding the Law of Complexity

The Law of Complexity states that “the complexity of a process increases by the square of the number of steps in that process.” So, in a formula that is:

Costs (including delays and mistakes) = Steps2

In summary…more steps? More problems.

So, using an example, you decide to post something on social media. You are doing this yourself. If you are going to write the content, the step is simple: go on social and make the post. The only mistake is likely to be the quality of your content.

But when you expand this to delegate it to someone else, there is an increased chance of a problem.

If that someone then decides to outsource this, the problem exponent increases again.  

Simplifying Processes for Success

The key to simplifying and streamlining your work and business lies in the ability to reduce the steps in your processes. Reducing a step, say from 5 steps to 4 steps, mathematically changes the complexity level from 25 to 16. A significant reduction.

Said more simply, reducing steps equals faster processing and less errors and costs.

Applying Simplification Principles

To get on top of this, do a process analysis of something that seems to be costly or time consuming in your business.

As an occupational therapist I remember doing this with my team to calculate the steps from referral to report. We outlined a process that took 6 weeks. Well, that was too long to provide the level of service we valued as being necessary for our clients and customers. Through removing steps, shortening timelines, and combining some actions we got this to 3 weeks. That was half the time and resulted in a significant change to our business.

To reduce steps, you can do two things: 1. Collapse processing by eliminating steps or, 2. Consolidate processing to less people.

Pick a process in your business that needs an audit and take some time to outline the steps and people involved. Consolidate or collapse some of these and measure your outcomes.

Want to learn more? Let’s connect.

Adapted from “Effectiveness 2.9 Simplification Part 1” by FocalPoint Coaching and Training Excellence, Copyright 2018, by Brian Tracy and Campbell Fraser. Reprinted with permission.