Simple Guidelines for Navigating Complexity in Life
Written on
Understanding Simple Rules for Better Decision-Making
Do you feel that your actions are out of sync with your values? Implementing straightforward rules can help realign them.
Key Insights from "Simple Rules"
The acronym K.I.S.S.—Keep It Simple, Silly—may be a common piece of advice, but how can you actually apply it? In their book, "Simple Rules," authors Donald Sull and Kathleen Eisenhardt offer six straightforward guidelines designed to clear mental clutter and expedite your decision-making. By establishing and adhering to these simple rules, you can achieve your objectives more reliably, tackle problems with ease, make quicker and less regrettable choices, and regain a sense of control in an intricate world.
The Value of Crafting Your Own Simple Rules
Consider medical triage, which plays a crucial role in saving lives by helping healthcare professionals quickly determine who requires immediate attention. These simple guidelines enhance life-saving efforts and promote seamless coordination in treatment.
Simple rules help manage chaos and keep individuals focused on essential aspects of both life and business. These heuristics serve as adaptable guidelines for specific activities or decisions, requiring only a few to be effective. They are particularly useful for critical decisions that can create obstacles to achieving your goals. Such rules offer actionable guidance without leading to decision paralysis.
Simple rules excel in situations where adaptability is more important than uniformity. They concentrate on vital components of a choice while disregarding less relevant factors. This allows individuals to make decisions without the need to rethink every detail each time.
— Sull & Eisenhardt
Can You Rely on Simple Rules?
Gerd Gigerenzer, a renowned professor at the Max Planck Institute, argues in favor of simple rules. He conducted a study comparing a straightforward rule against a sophisticated decision model aimed at identifying the residence of serial offenders. The simple rule suggested finding the midpoint between the two most distant crime scenes, which proved to be more effective than the complex model.
The authors contend that the success of simple rules lies in their focus on the most critical variables, filtering out distractions that may seem interesting but are ultimately irrelevant. While complex models have their place in decision-making, simple rules are invaluable for making quick, on-the-spot decisions that require immediate action. They not only prompt action but also discourage individuals from second-guessing their choices once made.
— Sull & Eisenhardt
How Simple Rules Enhance Daily Decisions
When considering your dietary choices, which approach works better: a simple or a complicated diet? You likely know the answer. You face numerous decisions daily that shape your eating habits. Are these choices driven by unrealistic expectations, fatigue, your schedule, or three straightforward questions?
The biggest challenge with this approach is adhering to the answers. Simple rules can help you avoid the self-deception that often accompanies diet plans. For instance, with intermittent fasting, the only question you need to ask yourself is, "Is it time to eat?" The toughest part is sticking to your decision.
Types of Simple Rules
Decision-Making Rules
Boundary Rules
These rules assist in making choices between two exclusive options. For instance, should you answer the phone, or is it better to ignore it? Studies show that burglars also apply boundary rules to select their targets. Research from Canada found that if a car is parked in the driveway, they will skip the house, but if not, they may proceed.
Organizations like DARPA utilize boundary rules to allocate billions to competing projects by establishing clear criteria: the initiative must advance fundamental scientific understanding and have practical applications—an effective way to reduce complexity.
Prioritizing Rules
These rules help you determine what deserves your attention and what can be set aside. Given that resources like time, energy, and money are limited, prioritizing rules enable you to rank tasks and focus on what aligns with your values. For example, should you read a book or exercise? Take a family vacation or invest in stocks? Don’t let simple decisions catch you off guard; use your prioritizing rules.
Stopping Rules
Stopping rules define when to cease an action or backtrack. For example, when should you stop drinking for the night or end your search for the perfect headphones? Nobel laureate Herbert A. Simon noted that individuals often lack the information and time to find the best option among many alternatives.
Sometimes, the fear of loss can make it challenging to stop an activity. Stopping rules provide a reliable way to say, "That's enough." For instance, during the Great Depression, investor Gerald Loeb thrived because he had a stopping rule: if an investment drops by 10%, sell it.
Establishing stopping rules can prevent you from falling into mindless behaviors, such as incessantly checking your phone or investing time in unproductive activities. Personally, I have a stopping rule for parenting—never discipline when I'm angry. Although it’s tough to follow, it helps me build trust and respect with my children.
How-to Rules
These rules guide you in executing tasks effectively. We often rely on them to save time and minimize errors. For example, I created a how-to rule for discussing sensitive topics with my partner: wait until he’s in a good mood, and don’t initiate the conversation immediately after he comes home or while he’s engaged in another task.
If you worry that how-to rules might stifle your creativity, consider that renowned artists like Claude Monet and William Motherwell set constraints for themselves in their work, which helped them flourish.
Coordination Rules
Coordination rules outline what actions to take, both individually and collectively, to achieve shared objectives. Imagine flying in a plane where the crew is disorganized—it would be terrifying. NASCAR drivers rely on a well-coordinated pit crew to succeed in races, and poor coordination in medical settings can lead to disastrous outcomes.
These rules enable groups to respond effectively to unexpected changes, ensuring everyone knows their next steps in any situation.
Timing Rules
Timing rules dictate when to act. "There is a time and a season for everything." Have you established your schedule? In the 19th century, financier Nathan Mayer Rothschild advised, "Buy when there is blood on the streets, even if that blood is your own," indicating that during tough times, people often panic and give up on valuable assets.
If you fail to act when planned, you may miss opportunities entirely.
The Importance of Adapting Simple Rules
While these simple rules serve a vital purpose, there are moments when breaking or adjusting them becomes necessary. They should evolve as your values and goals shift. A lack of self-control can lead to chaos, much like a house without secure doors and windows.
— Proverbs 25:28, The Message
In summary, you encounter numerous "simple" decisions daily, from what to eat to how to spend your time. These choices significantly shape your life and define who you are.
Recap of Simple Rules
- Decision-Making Rules: Assist in making informed choices.
- Boundary Rules: Aid in selecting between two opposing options.
- Prioritizing Rules: Help rank what matters most.
- Stopping Rules: Indicate when to end an action.
- How-to Rules: Guide task completion effectively.
- Coordination Rules: Ensure teamwork toward common goals.
- Timing Rules: Specify when to initiate projects.
If you find yourself grappling with a pressing concern, reflect on which rule led you there. If no rule exists, consider creating one. You have six types to choose from.
Here’s to aligning your actions with your values and aspirations.
About the Authors
Donald Sull is a global authority on strategy and execution amid turbulent markets. He teaches at the MIT Sloan School of Management and has previously held positions at Harvard and the London Business School, residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Kathleen M. Eisenhardt is the Stanford W. Ascherman M.D. Professor and a member of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. She has authored over 100 articles in various business and research journals and is recognized in Harvard Business Review's OnPoint collection. Eisenhardt has also served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Insead.