Addition by Subtraction

What can you subtract today that would make things easier for you?

Recently I’ve been binge-watching a show, The Bear. In one of the finale episodes, the executive chef reveals a culinary secret to Carmy: the key to improving a dish is often subtraction

It hit me that we could apply the same idea to building our businesses. The path to becoming more robust, more profitable, more efficient can be had without adding more layers, more processes, and more people.

In his book, Subtract, Leidy Klotz says:

“We humans neglect an incredibly powerful option; we don’t subtract. We pile on to-dos but don’t consider stop-doings. We create incentives for high performance but don’t get rid of obstacles to our goals. We draft new laws without abolishing outdated legislation. Whether we’re seeking better behavior from our kids or designing new initiatives at work, we systematically opt for more over less.”

Addition by Subtraction is a simple and powerful concept where we as founders remove some elements to improve the whole. Here are a few areas to consider subtracting from:

1. Time Management: eliminate low-value tasks.
2. Product/Service Offerings: streamline offerings to improve customer focus.
3. Decision Making: reduce options, increase effective decisions, and less mental fatigue.
4. Team Structure: simplify hierarchies and roles.
5. Business Processes: cut unnecessary steps in our workflows.
6. Personal Habits: let go of counterproductive behaviors.

This was originally published in?The Elevated Entrepreneur newsletter. Sign up?here?to receive my latest practical articles and how you can build a business that runs without you.