Embrace Constraints for Productivity

It’s often said that more choice is better. To a certain extent choice is good, but removing options can help focus and productivity.

Have you heard of an Acrostic? It’s a word I hadn’t come across for a long time. It’s a simple concept though. The first letter of each line spells out a word or message. Here’s an example…

I’d been thinking about the topics for further articles on this blog and at the same time I had a million ideas but nothing concrete. Adding the constraints that come with an acrostic helped me focus and I got this draft list finished in 5 minutes.

So, the things to think about…

1. Too many options? Are you in “analysis paralysis”? Think about how you could add constraints. eg if you only had 1 day rather than 1 week. What would you deliver?
2. As a leader it’s your job to get the best out of your team. Your team needs freedom to work, but too many options may make them uncertain. Could you be more specific or clearer? ie add some helpful constraints for them.
3. Adding constraints may block off some options. If this improves your decision making speed it’s probably worth the trade off. eg It’s better to move forward with the 80% solution than it is to think about the perfect solution and never start.