I was talking with a client today about the difference between simple and easy when it came to workflow systems. It got me thinking…
We often use the words “simple” and “easy” interchangeably, but they have different meanings.
For example, keeping a house clean is simple but that does not mean it is easy. Conversely, asking to clean their rooms is easy but might not be that simple.
Systems are amazing tools (in the workplace and anywhere else) because they work whether the people operating them know what they’re accomplishing, or not. All everyone has to do is play their part and the end-goal is achieved.
To this end, you need to simplify things to create a working system. This is not to say you are asking people to do things that are easy along the way, simply things that need to be done.
I know there is a lot that can be said on this topic, but I just wanted to make a note of this aspect as something that played a part in my day: Seeking ease to get things going in a moment is not always what your business needs.
Then again, sometimes a little momentum is what you need — especially when first starting out. There are all sorts of things to learn while finding easy ways to do things 😉
But, as a rule, simple is better than easy. Especially, if you have a system.