by Rick Baker
On Jul 27, 2011
You know that K.I.S.S. Principle - Keep It Simple Stupid.
Now, isn’t that an annoying little saying!
People are not stupid…they just have more Bad Habits than you would like.
And, I am sure you can accept it’s their Bad Habits that make you a whole lot less interesting to them than you would like.
So, do not underestimate or pooh-pooh the intelligence of others. Do not assume people are stupid. Do not make light of intelligence or make light of yourself by using the word stupid when you describe what you are doing [and why you are doing it].
Instead, assume you better crank up your interestingness a bit and, even better, you better provide tools that will help people do the actions you desire as accurately, quickly, and painlessly as possible.
At our business, we use "1-Page Tools".
Design a terrific 1-Page Tool and give it to your people. They will use it.
While they may not give you a huge pat on the back...they will appreciate the effort you have made to minimize the disruption in their already-too-busy lives.
I hope you will now take the K.I.S.S. Principle and throw it in the garbage where it belongs.
Replace it with the K.I.S.L. Principle…
Keep It Simple…Leader
Develop Good Habits:
- for communication
- for ‘sticky stories’
- for expressing ‘rules’
- for goal setting
- for task assignment
- for 1-Page Tools
Remember
It’s a double-edged sword:
People ain’t stupid…you just have more Bad Habits than they would like.