How Simplification is the Key to Change | Lisa Bodell | TEDxNormal

Why are change and innovation so hard to achieve? It’s not why you think. The reality is this: we spend our days drowning in mundane tasks – meetings, emails, reports – often self-created complexities that prevent us from getting to the meaningful work that truly matters. Using simple stories and techniques, Bodell shows us how using simplicity as an operating principle can eliminate the busy work that puts a chokehold on us every day, and enable us to spend time on the work that we value.

Lisa Bodell, CEO of futurethink, is on a mission to create space for change and innovation in organizations using the power of simplicity.

[wisepersonsay]

I get up always early, at 5 am to start my day. I like it, because it's quiet and I can swim to the sunrise in the nearby ocean. I check email and get ready for meetings by 7am. My daily work is done by 9 am. The rest of day is free for me. It took me only my firm decision to live like this 30 years ago. It also took me to prioritize, plan ahead, organize, and stick to the plan. I love living each day. I have lots of emotional and spiritual room for other people. I spend most of my free time rendering my ears to the lost and confused. The most of these people need just listeners, not advisers. It's a great human-learning for me. I love it.

[iamjomy]

She said, "Why do we get so mad when people waste our money but we don’t get as mad when people waste our time. " WOW. This is very true.

[drfdwf]

Even if not for a company or business, even just for personal growth, this is really helpful. Thanks, Lisa!

[jacquelineboone]

Bold and beautiful talk, Lisa! Deeply inspiring and definitely one worth watching again and again.

[ajcassataofficial]

I believe exercising creativity in any area of your life like writing, painting, photography, graphic design etc work or non-work gets the creative juices flowing in your brain. Since I have made that a habit I have felt my overall level of creativity innovation increase

[davidlopezlive]

I can't like this video enough. These are all the things that I believe in and try to enact all the time in the organisation I work for but are constantly getting my hand slapped for and it's killing me. As a line manager, I constantly have to battle midlevel and upper level management even though most of the changes I have made or have suggested has been good for business, employees, and the organisation but the resistance is tremendous. My feeling is to want to leave but I know that change comes from within so I stay to be that voice for change and questioning and I'm not alone and that makes me hopeful.

[verticalcurve]

"Thinking is a daring act!" Brilliant!

[kiterafrey]

The video was way too quiet and I really wanted to be able to hear her while I was cleaning because Ted talk inspires me to get things done while it's playing.

[cathygallagher]

Lisa Bodell is my new personal hero!!!

[AgentZ-]

Obstacles :

Skepticism over appreciation
Changing processes over behaviors
Doing over thinking

Ways of fixing things :

Provocative questions that are into problem-solving, about getting out of comfort zone by questioning rules or habits, or instead about what the core is.
Ask people what rules they'd like removed in order to innovate. It's likely those are not rules at all.
Make sure everything is minimal and most simplistic possible.

[mangoyacho]

Thank you for providing me with food for thought. The knowledge you have shared is very applicable to my home life too.

[rolandparks]

How about "courage is the key to change". The boss tells your boss what she wants done. Your boss tells you what the boss wants done. You don´t even know if your boss and her boss are in the same page, not to mention the board of directors, share holders, regulatory agencies etc. You must do as told. What else can you do? Challenge your boss? In cases like my example, change might come in the form of you becoming the boss by moving on and starting your own company, Is that simple. Lisa hints that simplification is a must for the top boss but one must think that the boss might need checks and balances to find out if the crew will do what she thinks needs to be done. Somewhere I read that Einstein once said.. "Make things as simple as they can be, but no any simpler than that". People mistake simple with brevity. A short answer is not a simple answer. I can go on for hours.. Great talk Dr. Bodell, sincerely.

[pacesferry]

Wow. Who is this Lisa Bodell. Amazing 14 mins.

[nehaagarwala]

Lisa
You are simply simple that's why you simply questioned simple things which simply change our life but those simple questions are hard to ask.

[kleewolf]

Love the talk -I just wish the sound was louder.

[guylainelessard]

Fantastic talk, Lisa. I relate 100%. Very inspiring and actionable.

[temporarythoughts]

the key is to make the meaningful mundane and vice versa, dont get sucked in this notion that activities in and of themselves are meaningful or mundane. it is precisely how we live them that makes them such experiences. all you need to do is stop romanticising the special things and start enjoying all moments of life, and alternate between them to create growth :)

[ItStartsWithL]

asking the right questions will help each other go far in every aspect of our lives.

[veramensana]

So wise & simple. It reminds me to simplify my habit. Thank you for making this video 🙏

[marshaj]

very interesting....I am going to use this...