The Power of Simplification

I’m on a constant quest to achieve simplicity. I want to make what is complex, simple. WHY? Simplicity provides accessibility to operate with optimal efficiency; increasing productivity. Simplicity ensures that information is tangible and applicable.

Simplicity, at its core, is the act of making something less complex or complicated. It seems simple but it’s rather complex. It’s so complex that we often allow information to get lost in translation because simplicity is a difficult destination to arrive to.

Simplification can own a direct tie to how information is perceived. Whether professional or personal, written or verbal, we are creators and deliverers of information. This article covers the importance of simplifying information in an effort to maximize its effectiveness.

Simplicity Levels the Playing field

We all have varying levels of education, intellectual abilities and learning styles. Naturally, the methods and capacity in which we consume information is vastly different as well. This dynamic presents an unwavering challenge for delivering information in a highly effective manner. A measure to overcome this difficulty is to utilize simplification.

A teacher’s ability to teach students comes to mind when I think of simplicity. I’ve had math teachers that I couldn’t learn from. On the other hand, I’ve had math teachers who I learned from with ease. The constant variable of my success to learn, or the contrary, was the way that the information was delivered; complex or simplified.

The ability to bring something to its most simple form creates a more universal understanding that a broad audience can pull from.

• Simplicity increases the spectrum of understanding on any topic; it makes information processing more efficient.
• Simplicity levels the playing field because it narrows down information into an easy to understand format.

Simplification is Genius

Taking something from its complex origin to a simplified state can be a difficult process. In fact, we can say that having the ability to bring something to its most simple form is genius. This can be learned from one of Albert Einstein’s most famous accomplishments…

One of Einstein’s great insights was to realize that matter and energy are really different forms of the same thing. Matter can be turned into energy, and energy into matter. His translation of this idea was the formula E = mc². The formula basically tells us the amount of energy that mass would be equivalent to, if it were suddenly turned into energy. It says that to find the energy, you multiply the mass by the square of the speed of light.

What Albert Einstein did in creating E = mc² to the world of physics was genius. He simplified highly complex information and made it accessible to even the layman.

The Art of Simplification

Achieving simplicity can be obtained with ease or difficulty; it all depends on your overall understanding of the subject and your ability to communicate.

Incorporate the considerations below as you work to make things less complex and more simple:

• Total understanding. It is absolutely essential that you have an acute understanding in order to formulate highly effective information in a simplified form. A lack of understanding of something complex, mingled with the attempt to be made simple will create confusion at the least. Not to mention your credibility, or lack of it, will come in to factor.
• Simplification doesn’t mean to dilute. The goal isn’t to dumb-down information; rather to present information in a format that is easier to digest than its complex nature. Okay, I guess we can call that dumbing-down…but be careful that you don’t offend anyone in the process. An insult to another’s intelligence can be detrimental to your entire goal at hand.
• Provide access to the complex side of information. As our understanding of simplified information is reached, we’re more likely to increase our understanding by digging further into the complexities. It’s like college: graduate school builds on the broad learnings of the first four years, with a more direct and specialized approach. As the level of schooling increases, so does the focus of information.
• Know your audience. If your message or information is targeted to a specialized crowd, then presenting overly simplified information may cause boredom. Be creative to present your information in a way that will meet the requirements for your audience.

A Simple Conclusion

As humans, we’re creators and deliverers of information. For this reason we are naturally driven to present information in a way that is effectively conveyed to maximize our desired results. It’s not uncommon that we indirectly simplify things in hopes for our audience to quickly establish an understanding of our message. My call to action is that you make simplification a direct and definite portion of your plan.

Complex things are fascinating indeed, but complexity brings about an increase in confusion, entangled thought, and complication amongst other things. The ability to make what is complex, simple, can be the difference between clarity and obscurity.

Maximize the effectiveness of the information that you present by making it simple, and you’ll experience the power of simplification.

Q: Do you feel that delivering complex information has an advantage over a simplified version, generally speaking? -I’d love to hear your thoughts … please share below.