According to Occam’s Razor, the simplest answer is almost always the right one.

 

But simple should not be confused with easy.  And this perhaps is why so many of us avoid the simple route.  It can be hard, very hard.

 

The simplest way might lead to hard decisions.

 

It might mean saying no to things we are used to saying yes to.

 

It could mean saying no to people we are used to saying yes to.

 

It might mean leaving the comfort of following the herd.

 

It often means ignoring the naysayers.

 

It will often mean cutting a straight line from a to b.

 

All simple in concept but hard things to do.

 

Easier to stay distracted. Easier to follow and wait for approval.  Easier to seek a path already worn by others.

 

However, a complexity bias will cost us.  It will cost us effort.  It will lead to waste.   It will cause us frustration.  It will distract us from what matters most.

 

On an individual level this can be costly enough but, at a societal level, a complexity bias bites hard.

 

It can put the brakes on improvement projects.  It can dilute the important work and conversations. It can stop the big decisions being made.  It can mean budgets overrun, deadlines are missed and public services suffer.

 

A complexity bias festers, it burrows.  It can eat from inside out.

 

Better to simplify instead.

 

 

 

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