Loud Thinking December 06, 2013 at 02:12PM

Simplicity Is Key to Both Managing People and Building Products

The technology industry was built on amazing products, but many principles of product development correlate to smart management principles. Successful product managers know that customers respond best to simplicity, when the only features available are ones they want. Otherwise, complexity will creep in and cloud your offering. For example, between 1984 and 2003, Microsoft Word went from 40 features to more than 1,500—and many overwhelmed users turned to simpler alternatives. Simplicity is also a feature of great management. Employees in flat organizations are empowered to gather insights and pursue ideas, but they’re also overwhelmed by choices: how to prioritize their days, whether to go to a particular meeting, which emails to read. To be a superior manager, simplify. Draw a clear mission for your team, articulate group goals, and get out of the way to enable your people to make day-to-day decisions.

Adapted by HBR from “Can Building Great Products Help You Build Great Teams?” by Deep Nishar

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