Confused and stuck? Check the basics.

When a problem arises in a business there is usually a fix put in place. This fix sometimes increases the complexity of the business by adding in additional rules at the operational end of the business. Sometimes it is worth stopping what you are doing and reviewing the basics of how your business operates. Sometimes the disciplines around the basics of operating a business have been forgotten.

From a engineering perspective the challenges that we face are symptoms of a deeper system based problem. If you track back to the root of the problem you are usually faced with a basic issue that can be resolved easily (or at least in a straightforward manner) and will prevent a myriad of other symptoms appearing in due course.

As people move around organisations there is the possibility that people move into roles and are trained in the current ways of working but aren't exposed to the fundamental principles of working that this particular job requires. Ensuring people understand the basics, the first principles so to speak, can help ensure that the ongoing delivery of that role is logical, effective and consistent.

On other occasions we may find that if we stop what we are doing and question why we are doing something in a particular fashion we cannot provide a good answer. In the time that has elapsed we probably have more information and insight about how that part of the business operates. If asked today how to approach something in our business we would most likely give a different answer to a year ago.

So, if the way things are at work seem too complicated then stop. Ask yourself what you have learned over the last year or so about (this part of) the business and if necessary check up on the basics and come up with a simpler solution to how you do business.

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