May 27, 2025
Over the years we’ve adjusted to every technological advancement, every cultural shift, and the ever-evolving demand of the workplace. Today, with all the advancements available and media influences from companies procuring rich data, we’re able to apply the wisdom of those years we spent cutting through the “latest and greatest” to find what works sustainably.
It's easy to make the mistake of equating complexity with sophistication and effectiveness. A complicated process might have the allure of being more professional, and a multi-layered strategy can appear comprehensive at first glance. At GLC Business Services, our teams have been on the front lines of auditing business processes, and assessing for compliance continually for over thirty years. What we’ve found is that time and time again, often it’s the simplest solutions that end up being the most effective. These are the fixes that are easy to implement and allow your teams to take quick responsibility for the outcomes.
Simplicity not only saves time and resources, but unnecessarily complex procedures are often the root of low morale. Simplicity promotes clarity and allows people to focus on the true priority behind each task. We know that the most meaningful work gets done when there are fewer barriers in everyone’s way.
The Simple and the Sustainable
At its core, a simple fix is a solution that resolves a problem with minimal effort, resources, or disruption. It doesn’t mean the problem is small or insignificant to start with, but once solved it frees up time, people, or resources that are better spent in other areas of the business. Think of those solutions that target the issue directly and efficiently. One recent example from our team was a change in food ordering that lead to massive client savings. However, we see similar effects every time a firm chooses to digitize a legacy of paper files, freeing up space and administration.
Simplicity works because it reduces friction. When teams spend less time navigating a hierarchy or learning overly complicated systems, they can focus more on delivering value. The fewer moving parts a solution has, the fewer chances there are for it to break. This makes simple fixes more sustainable in the long run.
Simplicity has a psychological benefit. When employees understand a process or solution clearly, they’re more likely to adopt and champion it. Confusing systems, which expend energy on the unimportant, often breed resistance and frustration from those expected to use them. By choosing simple and effective over the convoluted, leaders send a powerful message: we value your time and your understanding.
Simple Doesn’t Mean “Easy”
It's important to recognize that simple solutions are not always obvious or easy to find. In fact, identifying the most straightforward fix often requires a deep understanding of the issue. This is where expertise becomes crucial.
Our experts bring the knowledge and context needed to distill complex problems down to their root causes. For example, a seasoned manager may recognize that a team's delays stem not from laziness or inefficiency, but from unclear deliverables.
Clarifying roles and responsibilities may resolve what appeared to be a significant productivity problem. Someone less experienced, or less committed to Lean practices, might attempt to patch symptoms with layers of processes.
Our leadership uses analytics to discern the exact number of people it takes to do each task in an effective time frame. We are equipped to identify the core issue and solve it directly. This is why our seasoned professionals are often so effective: they’ve seen patterns before. Their experience allows them to cut through noise and recognize when a bottleneck isn’t a structural flaw, but a miscommunication or a badly-structured method. With that insight, they can apply the most direct, effective fix.
A Case for Straightforward Solutions
Many of our teams around the country operate under pressure. Tight deadlines, evolving expectations, and limited resources are expected in the typical workweek. In such conditions, overcomplicating a solution can be costly, leading to solutions that are either short-sighted or excessive.
Simple fixes also scale better. A process that is intuitive and minimal can be adopted across departments and replicated easily. A convoluted one will require more training, more oversight, and more room for error.
Our leadership, too, can benefit from simplicity. Decision-makers deal with large volumes of information. When the solutions presented to them are simpler, the faster and more confidently they can make decisions. Clarity and directness mean momentum and outcome.
Implementation
Simple solutions are easier to implement, offering another major advantage above those that must be proven and defended before they can be rolled out in any measure. By requiring fewer resources, less training, and minimal disruption to existing workflows, ease of implementation makes adoption quicker and more widespread. When a solution is easy to understand and act on, teams are more likely to embrace it without resistance or confusion. There’s less need for extended onboarding, detailed manuals, or constant troubleshooting. Instead, the solution becomes part of the natural rhythm of work, reinforcing its effectiveness over time.
When changes in productivity are easy to implement, teams are more likely to take ownership. Even better, they may be more apt to suggest opportunities for change and growth within systems as the opportunity arises.
Allowing a team to take ownership, not only of the tasks, but of the outcome, may motivate great strides in productivity. This ease of implementation isn’t just convenient, it’s strategically beneficial. In many workplaces, momentum is critical. The faster a team can resolve a problem and move forward, the more agile and competitive the organization becomes. Simple solutions remove friction from progress, allowing the workplace to respond more quickly to challenges and opportunities. They make continuous improvement more sustainable. When solutions are easy to roll out, progress accelerates.
Counterbalancing Oversimplifying
While the goal is often to simplify, it’s important to know when you’ve stepped into the territory of oversimplifying.
Policy matters. Compliancy matters. Documentation and data matter.
Some workplace issues are complex and do require layered solutions. The trick lies in knowing when simplicity will suffice and when a more involved approach is justified. Again, this is where expertise is invaluable. Professionals with a domain of knowledge and context can gauge whether a problem is superficial or symptomatic of a deeper structural issue.
Efficiency and clarity are always top priority among our teams. Simple fixes that address the root problem and are easy to implement often present a smart path forward. They conserve resources, empower teams, and create solutions that are both accessible and enduring.
Simplicity isn’t about cutting corners, it’s about cutting through noise. Doing so effectively requires insight, experience, and a willingness to look past complexity to find the elegant core of a problem.
We are always striving to improve the workplace, but let’s not forget: the best solutions are not always the most elaborate. Sometimes they are obvious, but in need of the right hands to offer follow-through. Clear, effective, and beautifully simple solutions are found through the wisdom of expertise.