Productivity coach Donna McGeorge on why adding layers of complexity within a small business is more of a hinderance than a help.
Somewhere along the line, we made work harder than it needs to be. We created bloated processes, unnecessary approvals, meetings for the sake of meetings, and entire projects that exist because no one stopped to ask, “Is this even necessary?” In fact, we are often too busy to stop and ask why are we so busy.
An article in Harvard Business Review warns against the illusion of productivity where effort multiplies but outcomes don’t leading to excessive busyness often being mistaken for productivity, when in fact it leads to burnout and poor decision-making.
Businesses, and the people within them, are running on fumes and not because the work is meaningful or mission-critical, but because we’ve layered on so much complexity that we’ve lost sight of what actually matters.
The complexity creep
Complexity is usually the result of good intentions: let’s add a step to make sure nothing gets missed, let’s build in a layer of approval to cover ourselves, let’s invite everyone to the meeting “just in case.”
Each small addition might seem harmless, but over time, they accumulate into a tangled mess of red tape, lost time and sluggish execution. I call these ‘red bricks’ – the unnecessary weight we carry in our systems, structures and even our thinking.
Most businesses think complexity equals sophistication. That more structure equals more control and that more oversight leads to better results but, more often than not, it just leads to more confusion.
We create dashboards no one reads, workflows no one follows, and policies no one understands. We invite 12 people to a meeting when three would do, rolling out tools that solve problems we never really had. Then we wonder why nothing feels efficient.
Every layer adds friction and friction slows momentum. In small business, where agility should be your superpower, complexity is a killer. It delays decisions, discourages creativity, and drains energy.
Simplicity requires strategic subtraction
Choosing simplicity doesn’t mean stripping everything back to the bones or running your business on a whiteboard and hope. It means getting razor-sharp about what truly matters and being bold enough to let the rest go.
It’s about making real decisions with real impact:
- Replacing the default one-hour meeting with a 25-minute one.
- Saying no to “just in case” agenda items and only focusing on what drives value.
- Giving teams permission to bypass red tape in favour of common sense.
- Killing the sacred cows – the reports, routines, or rituals that no one benefits from but no one questions.
This is what is at the heart of strategic subtraction. The deliberate practice of removing processes, tasks, habits or systems that no longer serve a meaningful purpose so you can create space for clarity, energy and impact.
When you remove the noise, you make space for your team to respond faster, move cleaner, and think better. It’s not easy but the payoffs come with increased productivity better decision-making, and a team that feels energised, not exhausted.
It starts with one choice
If you’re a small-business owner or leader, ask yourself: what’s one thing we could stop doing this week that wouldn’t negatively affect our results? Chances are, there’s a meeting, a report, a system or a habit that no longer serves you. Start looking for where could red bricks be hiding, in some cases in plain sight.
Here’s how to spot (and stop) them:
- If it feels slow, heavy or hard, it’s probably a red brick. Whether it’s a clunky process, an outdated tool or an approval chain ten people long, ask yourself: Does this add value, or just effort?
- Don’t just audit your processes, audit your beliefs. Many businesses operate on assumptions such as “we’ve always done it this way” or “everyone needs to be across this”. These are cultural red bricks and they’re often the stickiest to shift.
- Empower your team to challenge the norm. The people closest to the work usually have the clearest view of what’s not working. Create permission-rich environments where they can remove red bricks without needing a taskforce or three-tiered business case.
You don’t need a full restructure or a five-year plan; you just need the courage to choose clarity over clutter. When we start getting intentional, we don’t just work better, we lead better and that’s the simplicity advantage.
