Simple Rules

How to Thrive in a Complex World

Donald Sull, Kathleen M. Eisenhardt

• Publisher: Harper Business
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9780544409590
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Decision Making
• Index: Business

Armed with a few simple rules, you can tackle even the most complex of problems. Complexity surrounds us. We have too much e-mail, juggle multiple remotes, and hack through thickets of regulations from phone contracts to health plans. But complexity isn't destiny. Sull and Eisenhardt argue there's a better way. By developing a few simple yet effective rules, people can best even the most complex problems. In Simple Rules, Sull and Eisenhardt masterfully challenge how we think about complexity and offer a new lens on how to cope. They take us on a surprising tour of what simple rules are, where they come from, and why they work. The authors illustrate the six kinds of rules that really matter—for helping artists find creativity and the Federal Reserve set interest rates, for keeping birds on track and Zipcar members organized, and for how insomniacs can sleep and mountain climbers stay safe. Drawing on rigorous research and riveting stories, the authors ingeniously find insights in unexpected places, from the way Tina Fey codified her experience at Saturday Night Live into rules for producing 30 Rock (rule five: never tell a crazy person he's crazy), to burglars' rules for robbery ("avoid houses with a car parked outside"), to Japanese engineers mimicking the rules of slime molds to optimize Tokyo's rail system. The authors offer fresh information and practical tips on fixing old rules and learning new ones. Whether you're struggling with information overload, pursuing opportunities with limited resources, or just trying to change your bad habits, Simple Rules provides powerful insight into how and why simplicity tames complexity.

Index

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

Airbnb, 80, 193–98

Action research, 121–22

Alderson, Sandy, 205

Amazon, 80

Amundsen, Roald/Antarctica, 209–10, 212–13

analogies and simple rules, 106–10

Antarctica/Scott vs. Amundsen, 209–13

Apple, 103, 225

Assia, Yoni

background/father (David), 119

YPO/simple rules program, 121–22, 126

See also eToro

B

bail decision, 47–49, 50

battlefield coordination, 87

Bausone, Frederico, 133

BBC, 75–76

Beane, Billy, 205, 206

bees

solitary bees, 38

See also honeybees

Behring, Alex, 58–59

Benedictines, 26–27

Berkshire Hathaway, 59

Berle, Milton, 100

Bingham, Chris, 16, 35, 180–84, 186–87

birds’ flocking rules, 82–84

Blecharczyk, Nate, 195

Blockbuster, 106, 107, 216

Boston Marathon bombings, 5

bottlenecks (companies)

description/term origins, 62, 130–31

examples, 80, 81, 123–24, 130–37, 139

prioritizing rules and, 58, 62

bottlenecks (personal issues), 148–51

boundary rules

description/traits, 49, 53, 56–57, 73

overview/examples, 50–57, 94

statistical findings and, 54–55, 250–51 n

Brown, Jerry, 199

Brown, Shona, 15, 80, 81

Buchanan, James, 115

Buffet, Warren, 59

Burger King, 59

burglars and rules, 50–51

butterflies’ hilltopping/rules, 97–98, 99, 101

C

Cabane, Olivia Fox, 166–68

California

drought/water restrictions, 199

Mediterranean climate/gardening, 199–204

Catholic Church history, 24–25

See also specific individuals; specific orders

Challenger space shuttle explosion, 88

The Charisma Myth (Cabane), 166–68

Chase, Robin, 41

Cheers/rules, 213–16, 220, 221

chefs (master chefs), 42–43

Chernobyl nuclear accident, 88...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Introduction
• Why Simple Rules Work
• Making Better Decisions
• Doing Things Better
• Where Simple Rules Come From
• Strategy as Simple Rules
• Getting Personal
• Rules for Improvement
• Breaking the Rules
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• Endnotes
• Index
• About the Authors
• Connect with HMH