Story 20: Simple

The story: They agreed to keep things simple. She sent a one-slide PDF. Just one slide, he replied. Simple, she said. He had meant clear and focused. She had meant as little as possible. The agreement was obvious. The output was one slide.

What it means for organisations: Simple is a standard that describes the reader, not the work. Clear means the person on the other end understands it, which can take more material. Brief means less material, which can leave them guessing. Both are simplicity, and they pull in opposite directions, so a team that agrees to simplify has agreed to nothing until someone names which direction they meant.