“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Steve Jobs
“The One Page Memo” is almost a “trademark” of Procter & Gamble. We all got trained on how to drive our messages across in just one page containing: (1) the purpose of the memo; (2) some related background; (3) the recommendation in more detail; (4) why the recommendation should be accepted – the benefits it will bring, and (5) next steps. This simple format was such a time-saver and effective communication tool!
When I became a CEO I liked to invite successful business leaders to speak to my organization. There is always something important to be learned from smart people. One of those invitees was Domingos Bulus, a good friend I met in Venezuela, who was the president of Praxair for Central and South America. Prior to that, he became president of Praxair Asia at the age of 39. There he managed to significantly increase Praxair’s business in a place where respect for the elderly was an important cultural value, in corporate settings as well. During Domingos’s presentation to my team, I learned how to conduct more efficient executive meetings. In summary, no presentations containing more than 6 slides were allowed in his meetings. According to him, “If an executive cannot fit his ideas into six slides he is just showing that he does not have the analytical ability to separate the important from the unimportant or the ability to simplify his communication to focus on the important without losing content.”
From then on I tried the “six slides rule” in all of my meetings. The discussions became focused on the important, were more interesting and engaging, and my meetings were cut in half without sacrificing the agenda. More time was then available to think the business through, interact with customers, develop people, and all of the other important things that one cannot do when we are “drowning” in lengthy meetings.
In a time of information abundance, and when people mistakenly think that lengthy presentations are elegant and demonstrate how smart and sophisticated the presenter is (have you ever seen management consulting presentations?), try the six-slide format for your meetings.
Steve Jobs once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” You should include the simplicity mentality in your own work and in the culture of your organization.