I work in a pretty complicated industry. The way buildings go together is complicated. Building codes are complicated. The political process for getting projects approved is complicated. Dealing with clients is complicated. There is no end to the difficulty involved in taking a vision and making it a reality.
I learned this again recently while working on a new student housing project. Our client is a major University and the folks we are meeting with are super smart...I mean really smart. Boy can smart people make things complicated. I guess it stems from having your worth determined by your brain and having to repeatedly prove it. Us, we can point to tangible examples of buildings we've built, designs we done, and drawings we've produced. No such luck for our clients across the table. Their worth hinges on the opinions they've levied. They are all trying to do the right thing. No doubt about it.
What I've come to understand is that simplicity is the way to perfection. I would go out on a ledge and say that almost nothing gets better when it is more complicated. I don't care if you're talking about the design of a building, communications with clients, your relationship with your family, or how you cook your dinner. All are better if they are simple, easy to understand, and leave little room for confusion. As the adage goes - stand with your back to the mirror. Spin around. Whatever catches your eye first, take it off. Now you are better dressed.
It goes for the emails you send, the agendas you create, the meetings you conduct, and the relationships you have. Don't get me wrong, it takes a certain amount to get your point across and skimping will make things just as difficult, but almost no one complains about the words left unsaid.
With that, I shall end before this gets complicated. -ds
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