It’s Not What You Add, But What You Eliminate
There’s a car show called SEMA which is held every November in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it is not open to the public. The trade-only event is open to qualified members of the automotive industry. Industry members include buyers and sellers of automotive parts, vehicle manufacturers, aftermarket parts companies, and media outlets. Part of this show is a competition called “Battle of the Builders”, where some of the top builders in the country compete for the coveted best in class and best in show prizes.
There are some amazing cars at this show. It’s impossible to articulate how phenomenal some of the vehicles are which are brought here. Multi-million dollar investments are paraded in front of a panel of judges, examining everything from build quality to design. However, money isn’t everything when it comes to winning.
Many competitors come to the table with expensive engines, chassis, and tons of custom features to impress the judges. One competitor lined the interior of a Porsche with Goyard fabric. They couldn’t buy the fabric outright, so purchased $150,000 worth of purses they cut up to create the seat and door inserts. It was impressive, to say the least.
Yet, the car didn’t win. Why? These builders pour millions of dollars into these cars. Wouldn’t the biggest investment win? Not necessarily. As one of the judges pointed out, more isn’t always better. He shared a piece of advice with one builder that stood out. He said, “People who don’t win one year will bring back their cars with new things bolted on. This new feature, that new part. But bolting on new things isn’t what makes the difference in a great build. The smart builders take their cars back to the shop and identify what they can eliminate.”
Why is this brilliant advice and how does it apply to business? We often forge ahead in an organization with a campaign, strategy, program, or initiative. We add a lot of “features” to it and try to make it the best it can be. When it doesn’t meet expectations, we seek to figure out what’s missing — we look to add more proverbial “features”. A new this, or a fancy that. However, what we need to do is look at it in a new way, identifying what we can eliminate.
For example, can a 5 step signup process be reduced to 2? Or can the initiative get rolled out in smaller, quicker phases, rather than waiting for the entire project to be completed before launch? Or can the strategy be simplified to focus on a single target, rather than going in 3 or 4 different directions? Or should we even be doing a particular project in the first place?
Simplification is one of the hardest things to do, but it is also one of the most effective. When you examine your own organization’s projects, initiatives, strategies, and engagements, take the time to consider what you can eliminate, rather than what you can add to make it more effective. Because more often than not, less is more.
About the Author
Andrea’s 24-year, field-tested background provides practical, behavioral science approaches to creating differentiated, human-focused organizations. A 4x ADDY award-winner, TEDx presenter, and 3x book author, she began her career at a tech start-up and led the strategic sales, marketing, and customer engagement efforts at two global industrial manufacturers. She now leads a consultancy dedicated to helping organizations differentiate their brands using behavioral science.
In addition to writing and consulting, Andrea speaks to leaders and industry organizations around the world. Connect with Andrea to access information on her book, keynoting, research, or consulting. More information is also available on www.pragmadik.com or www.andreabelkolson.com.
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
