What do top performers have in common?
They develop simple, easy-to-maintain organizational processes
The more moving parts something has, the more likely it is to break down. This basic premise from mechanical engineering holds a lot of wisdom for people in any field. Sometimes we are victims of our own intelligence; we decide that the complexity our brains are capable of is the level at which we should always operate. That’s why some software applications seem insanely complicated and it takes five hours to put up a singing Christmas tree.
Wynn Solutions studied 5,000 top performers in 323 organizations and 21 industries and found one major trait that the most successful had in common: They create systems that are simple and easily taught and that have consistent repeatability.
Sometimes we make processes complicated so people will think they have more value. (Our research uncovered a group we called “the strugglers” who used this approach.) Unfortunately, complex systems that are difficult to operate and explain make the people who created them look like they are not that good at what they do. That’s why the smartest people are often not the most successful or not in charge of the big projects. Something complicated may be the glorious brain child of the brilliant; it’s just kind of hard to tell if it’s working. I guess the key to creating a successful process is to be smart enough to not outsmart yourself.
There are some easy to use organization tools on the market today. Here is a new organization tool that provides a lot of flexibility that people are talking about. You might want to check it out.
Get organized with GTDTiddlyWiki:
Everyone has to find their own killer personal organizational app, and for me, it’s a single, free HTML document called GTDTiddlyWiki. The self-contained standalone mini-wiki is packed with features but it doesn’t dictate how you work – it provides a canvas on which you can design your own process improvements and workflows.
Posted by Ginger Dailey Wynn 
