Keep It Super Simple and Super Clear
By: Brian Kim - September 11, 2006
I first heard this saying in my high school math class. Actually, the original saying was “Keep It Simple Stupid,” but my math teacher avoided saying that phrase to his students for obvious reasons, hence the PC version you see in the title today.
Several years later, I then came across this concept of simplicity after reading one of John Wooden’s books. I mentioned him in my weekend post, but for those of you who don’t know John Wooden, he was the coach of the UCLA Bruins who won 10 national college basketball championships in 12 years, 7 of which were in a row. In a row. No small feat when you consider the fact that you have to win every single game in the tournament to win the championship. Yes, every single game. He was also named Coach of the Century (Yes, century. Yes, century as in 100 years 
)
His game plan that resulted in all those championships?
Very simple.
One defense. Man to man.
One offense. High-post.
One fast break play. A 15 foot bank shot.
That’s it. Obviously, they had a couple more plays for special circumstances such as inbound passes and such, but the fact remains, they had a very simple game plan.
That was the game plan that John Wooden used, year after year.
Well, if they used the same game plan all the time, surely other teams would take notice and build counters right? The teams did notice and they did plan counters, but that turned out to be useless as they simply were not able to stop the Bruins.
The secret?
Yes, simplicity.
Simplicity allows for mastery.
The example of the power of simplicity given in the book was a 15 foot bank shot at the end of a fast break play. Most of the other teams would let the player go all the way and dunk the basket, or slow it down and make a play, or make fancy passes to end with a spectacular dunk, or have 4 different other plays to run, but not the Bruins. When they got a fast break, there was only one game plan. A 15 foot bank shot. Spectacular and riveting? Some might say no (I admit, I prefer the high flying dunk), but effective? Absolutely. Why was it effective?
They practiced that same 15 foot bank shot for 20 minutes in every practice to perfect the shot. Pulling up at the exact same stop from the run, aiming at the exact same spot on the backboard and making minor adjustments to their form to correct and perfect the shot. As a result of stressing that one simple play over and over, they were eventually able to condition themselves to hit that shot at a high percentage.
Obviously, there were times the shooters missed and here’s where things get interesting. By practicing that bank shot over and over again, the team was able to realize where the majority of missed shots would land, and by knowing that, they strategically placed themselves in those high probability landing zones to get an offensive rebound, hence a second chance at scoring. By focusing on that one simple play, they were able to maximize every single probable event that manifested from it. Now imagine if Coach Wooden had 5 different scenarios for fast breaks. Would he have been able to maximize each and every scenario for optimal gain? Probably not.
Simplicity allows for excellence.
Keep it super clear. Yeah, sounds easy, but it’s amazing how we tend to think things are clear when they’re really not. For example, I’m a big fan of making to-do lists. I loved them the first time I started them, because you essentially dump everything you need to do on paper and relieve yourself of the worry and anxiety of forgetting to do something.
However, I found there were days when I was able to check off a majority on my to-do lists and then days when I wasn’t able to check off a single one. I often wondered what the differentiating factor was. Why was I able to get things done one day and not the other? You know what the factor was? Clarity. True clarity.
Let me give you an example. The days I wrote “Pay bills” on my to-do lists, nothing happened. Yes, it’s pretty clear. Pay the bills. But what bills? I had a general idea of some bills to pay, but I wasn’t sure of the entire list.
The days when I wrote “Pay cell phone bill”, the cell phone bill got paid. The days when I wrote “Pay insurance bill”, the check was cut. The days when I wrote “Pay credit card bill”, VISA was paid.
When I realized that by clearly defining which bills to pay, I was able to build a system to make this process go faster. I created a batch file named “Pay Bills” that when clicked, would automatically launch the web sites that I needed to go to in order to pay my bills online (at least the ones that weren’t automated). So I spent about 5 minutes creating the batch file and now, with a click of a button, I can pay my bills.
An interesting development occurs here. I often notice we tend to procrastinate on things where the instructions we receive are not CRYSTAL CLEAR as to what we should do.
I can say without a shadow of a doubt that all the times I was working, I always got things done IF, and only if, I understood what was expected of me with absolute clarity.
When I was working part time in school as a systems analyst, I would hesitate to approach my boss and ask for clarification on projects. The result? I would just sit at my desk, frozen in a state of uncertainty, looking at my notes with a blank face. Instead of sitting there doing nothing, I would write out all the questions I had and go back 2 or 3 times till I was exactly sure what I was supposed to do. When I was absolutely sure as to what I was to do, action flowed like a river downhill.
Clarity leads to immediate action.
How many times have you put things off because you didn’t have a CRYSTAL CLEAR idea of what you were supposed to do? It’s like the guy who says “I want to open my own business.” Does this guy ever open his own business? No. It’s not clear enough.
Here’s a rule of thumb. If after reading or hearing an instruction, and you don’t know exactly what step you need to take in the next 3-5 seconds, you need further clarification.
If you need more than 3-5 seconds after reading or hearing an instruction to decide what to immediately do next, you’re probably using that time to figure out what you need to do, hence a never ending cycle where nothing gets done.
Simplicity and clarity are the mother and father of mastery and immediate action.
So when it comes to giving instructions to yourself or to other people, take the time to keep it super simple and super clear. You’ll find things will get done a heck of a lot better and faster than you ever would’ve thought possible.
Please share and enjoy!: 
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4 Responses to “Keep It Super Simple and Super Clear”
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September 11th, 2006 at
Brian,
The notion that it’s hard to get something done unless it’s completely clear exactly what to do next is very similar to David Allen’s concept of Next Actions. It’s always interesting to me how things that seem so clear in my mind reveal themselves to be pretty half-baked when I try to write them down. I think I know what to do, but it turns out I haven’t thought it through yet. My mind leaps ahead several steps, leaving my idle hands behind.
And simplicity is definitely key! Thanks, Brian.
September 11th, 2006 at
Claire,
Thanks for dropping by.
I’m assuming that’s from GTD? I have the book, but I just skimmed through it. Seems like a rich meal that needs to be properly digested.
You’re dead on when you mention the experience of the mind leaping several steps ahead. Got to watch out for the tricks it plays eh
September 12th, 2006 at
How absolutely true Brian.
Repetition and mastery of the basics are the absolute key to succes in anything. In the past I was always eager to learn more but I slowly began to realise that learning more never gave me any sense of satisfaction. And then I got bored, and then I would give up!
It’s so important to understand the need to to master the basics and once that is done everything else comes together easily just like a soduku puzzle!
Best Wishes!
September 12th, 2006 at
Amit,
Thank you very much for sharing your view on the matter.
That’s a really nice analogy to use! I really do like soduku.
Brian