Five business leaders deserve attention "subtraction rule"

Source: Internet
Author: User
Keywords Product streamlining less is more subtraction rule
Tags business business leaders core point customers design it is key key points

"Less is more" is the favorite of architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. However, if this sentence as a philosophical aphorism in the architectural design industry may not agree. But in business this phrase can be fruitful, as Richard Saul Wurman, the founder of TED, put it. And in a recent conversation, I discussed with Richard about the power of subtraction in innovation. If you reduce something, you add a limit to yourself, but at the same time it gives a clear and concise environment for the inspired idea.

Simple pragmatism and the normative nature of subtraction are the most important keywords that can sustain this conversation. And how much more directly do you get without telling you something needs to be subtracted? In business, leaders often talk about projects in the name of an MBA, for example, they use "center," "locate," " Prioritization "and so on. The implication of these terms is that they require" proofing "," clarification "and" reconsideration ", not directly or explicitly asking others to make deletions.

The following five noteworthy business leaders "law of subtraction"

1, cut your important task

In my previous article, I mentioned that when CEOs write an annual letter to the board of directors, it is a best practice to explain the important tasks. When the important task proposed by the CEO is recognized, it will repeatedly become a reference source for the board of directors and employees. Using such a document as a reference for sane individuals can not only improve his sense of self and avoid important tasks being put on hold, but also prevent the company's founder or CEO from suffering from the "shiny ball syndrome" problem . In order to make this practice more effective, you can not set more than five important tasks at a time. However, most say CEOs tend to propose 10 important tasks or even more. Minimize the most important tasks to five, preferably three. Do not split the 10 tasks into 5 categories to "hide"! Each important task must be characterized and independent of each other.

2, to reduce the key points of publicity

The myth about countless product promotions is that potential buyers can not afford the many false promises they make to them, which is why you need to reduce three (or even more) product promotion key points to one core promotional spot. The great message is the story of "doing for me" instead of "doing it yourself" or "choosing your own adventure." Master of Literature is to delete the secondary plot and focus on the most prominent story. While I am often taught to do business presentations around three key points, it's easy for me to become focused on just three points and ignore the first core point. What is even worse than being lost in the three points is trying to find three distinct key points. Cut down to a key point! Related to this, you also pay attention to the use of materials (ppt slides, word documents, etc.) the number. People tend to increase the amount of material rather than reduce it. The most successful meeting I had had was when I was on an overseas flight, I shared with the customer the original 35 pages on the plane and only one page after the redo. A simple story that always centers around the center is much better than a truck's documentation and recordings. Reduce redundancy, to seize a core point!

3, reduce the number of employees

Jack Welch (former General Electric chairman and CEO) has a saying that makes sense: you need to continually cut 10% of the bottom of the team employees. Employees below the working standard will only drag the entire agency. As the saying goes, things like to gather together, people in groups. Not everyone can be an elite, so you have to regularly cut down on the bottom of the staff. Establish expectations for your employees and use them as a basis for regular assessment, abolition of under-performing and recruiters, which is the foundation for a strong executive and strong corporate culture.

4, streamline your customers

Need to regularly evaluate and streamline more than just your employees, but also your customers. To eliminate outdated customers, you need to regularly lose 5% of what appears to be the most valuable customer. Businesses often think it is necessary to retain all customers, because many small customers in the future may become a big client, this is actually a misunderstanding. Do not believe go check your data to see if all this is really achieved. You are more likely to find out that 5% of regular customers are "die-hards" who are less able to buy but more demanding after-sales service and are a group rather than a handful of people. And you want to spend the most time, energy and service on behalf of those who can give you the highest long-term maximum return and loyalty. This means you should recognize that you should sell him not just because you can sell it to someone.

5, reduce your luggage

Finally, a Weibo foot warned: When packing for a business trip, reduce one-third what you think is needed. I have read an article telling you how to pack your luggage: List the items you need while resting in bed and then cut them in half. I've never done it that way, but I subtract a third. Travel is very hard, so we should put on light. In addition, forcing myself to plan ahead allows me to make better choices about what type of apparel is more appropriate to attend meetings or events. Can anyone think that reducing luggage can help dress you so much?

With the power of subtraction, these five rules can drive more focused effectiveness and success. If you remember the specific case of more difficult, remember this sentence can be: when you move indefinitely, subtraction it!

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