Perfectionism can be the enemy of good. While tempting, it’s an unattainable ideal that can lead to disappointment and frustration, hinder progress and prevent experimentation. It demands flawless execution without room for error or deviation from expectations. However, there’s another way to look at things — by accepting that imperfection is a natural part of any process, you can achieve greater adaptability, resilience and growth in your business.
Too often, people try to figure something out completely before taking action — but you can’t figure out most things on a whiteboard or spreadsheet. Instead, it’s best to have a framework for what you want to accomplish and ask, “What is the minimum amount of resources we can employ to implement something so that we can get real-world feedback?” In other words, don’t shoot an ant with an elephant gun.
The most straightforward answer is always the best one. Avoid over-engineering solutions and processes with more planning. (Ever heard of paralysis by analysis?) Your first version of something is almost good enough, so go with it.
The MSP business is changing quickly. We’re rolling out new services, using different go-to-market strategies, and changing how we deliver value daily to our customers. This means that processes, teams and reporting are also evolving. We can only keep up by simplifying how we do business.
Some ways to do that include:
- Looking at your quarterly action plan and asking yourself, “Is there a simpler way or route to action?”
- Asking your team leads to simplify the processes in your delivery areas.
- Standardizing workflows to ensure consistency.
Simplicity is the key to unlocking greater productivity, creativity and success in the MSP business landscape. By embracing simplicity and avoiding the dangers of perfectionism, teams can increase clarity, reduce friction and communicate more effectively toward shared goals.
