Sensemaking and the power of simplicity

A clear purpose such as Lego's can inspire others

In my last post, I referenced the work of Karl Weick into sensemaking.  A great insight from Weick is how, when it comes to sensemaking, simplicity can be very powerful. He noticed that people need plausibility rather than accuracy in order to believe in a cause. In our everyday lives, we need to filter noise to see clear understandable signals.  So as leaders it is helpful to recognise that simplification enables action.  And above all, a strong simple story energises action.

Lego is very clear about its purpose, which is to ‘inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow’. This encapsulates their role in both play and education and is part of why the Danish company has enjoyed such success all the way from simple plastic blocks to the widely-acclaimed Lego Movie. Lego aims to inspire and develop children to think creatively, reason systematically and release their potential. People can understand this. They get what Lego is all about, and they buy into it. Lego has successfully built on this purpose to the extent that in 2015 was rated as the world's most powerful brands by consultancy BrandFinance. It would appear that for Lego, everything really is awesome.

Why is Lego such a good example of sensemaking? Well, if we can provide plausible reasoning to fit the facts, we can energise others to act with greater understanding and commitment. This is typically more important than logical certainty.  A story that puts the facts as we know them into perspective with a plausible level of certainty is more likely to inspire people than a detailed business case. The simpler, the better.

Ruthless prioritisation

One of the client organisations I work with has a strategic plan that fits easily on one side of A4.  It is the reference point for decision making, the focus for all activity, the criteria for investment and the basis of performance review.  It describes four shared priorities for the whole business, and demonstrates the value of ruthless prioritisation. 

This organisation also has the benefit of a deeply embedded set of values that date back generations. Two years ago the business issued a profits warning and was in decline.  At that time the new management team worked with the business to determine the new plan, and since then has relentlessly executed it across its integrated supply chain and national food retail network. 

The journey has not been easy, involving restructuring and closure of some facilities.  But the business is now performing strongly, with high levels of customer satisfaction and employee engagement.  They have kept true to their values and delivered on their plan with discipline and commercial agility.  The challenge now is to refresh the plan for the next three years, in light of changing customer expectations and supply dynamics.  I am confident they will do so with clarity of thought reflected in the art of simplification.  To repeat a much-quoted line from Leonardo da Vinci, ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’.