It is easy to default to adding something in order to solve a problem. For instance, your closet is messy, so you install a closet organizer to make it easier to find things. Instead, you could have subtracted things from your closet.

You have a conversation with an employee and realize they are burned out and overwhelmed. Their performance is suffering. You suggest that they develop a checklist so they can keep track of what needs to be done and check things off as they are completed. Instead, you could have suggested that they remove things from their list.

Your employer laid off 10% or more of their employees. The employees who remain are asked to do the work of the people who are gone. Instead, the work could have been reviewed and reprioritized. Some of the work could have been subtracted.

You’re a senior leader and you are looking at your 2023 goals. You’ve compared them to 2022’s goals. Did you add or subtract? Did your priories go from three to six? What if you went from three goals to two or even one goal?

“A series of problem-solving experiments reveal that people are more likely to consider solutions that add features than solutions that remove them, even when removing features is more efficient.” — Nature.com

I was developing a pay transparency roadmap for a client. The deliverables list was long, and I decided to simplify by subtracting. Can I achieve the same outcomes by subtracting? I shared the simpler plan with the client, and they approved.

Challenge yourself to solve problems by subtracting instead of adding.

#problemsolving #lessismore #leadership