{"id":62,"date":"2020-02-04T03:47:58","date_gmt":"2020-02-04T03:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/?post_type=chapter&p=62"},"modified":"2020-02-04T03:47:58","modified_gmt":"2020-02-04T03:47:58","slug":"keeping-it-simple","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/chapter\/keeping-it-simple\/","title":{"raw":"Keeping it simple","rendered":"Keeping it simple"},"content":{"raw":"

September 25<\/h1>\r\nBy the time the twins had been bathed, storied and tucked in, Bobbie was exhausted. It\u2019s been a good day, she thought to herself, just an unexpectedly busy one. Still, she had work to do as she sat on the couch, notebook in hand, staring at the list of questions she and Jim had come up with that afternoon.<\/em>\r\n\r\nShe heard her husband Alex over her shoulder, using his mock \u2018sexy voiceover\u2019 tone.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cWhat is risk?\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cWhat\u2019s the purpose of the assessment?\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cHow does this support the business?\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cMmmmmm, yeah baby.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nShe started to laugh as he leaned over the back of the couch<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cI didn\u2019t know you\u2019d taken up writing? Is this a sequel to Fifty Shades of Gray?\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nShe laughed and whacked him with a pillow.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cYou\u2019re a jerk.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nHe flopped down next to her and pulled her in for a hug.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cBut I\u2019m your jerk. Forever and ever. You do remember promising that, right?\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cI lied. My fingers were crossed.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cMine too.\u201d He looked down at the notebook. \u201cNew project?\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cYeah,\u201d she replied. \u201cXavier wants a risk assessment of the whole business and I don\u2019t know where to start. Jim and I were cooking up some ideas this afternoon.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cAh, that explains it.\u201d Alex said.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cExplains what,\u201d she asked suspiciously, pushing him back a bit.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cWhy Jim said I need to be nice to you for the next few weeks. He invited us over for lunch on Saturday but said you and he had \u2018grown up\u2019 things to talk about.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cWell, he\u2019s absolutely right. You do need to be nice to me but not just for the next few weeks.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cWhatever I can do for the best HSE Manager in the country.\u201d Alex looked down at the notepad. \u201cWhat\u2019s that last one?\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cK.I.S.S. It\u2019s an acronym for\u2026\u201d she started to explain.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cHappy to oblige.\u201d He interrupted, pulling her close.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cYou\u2019re still a jerk\u2026.\u201d<\/em>\r\n

- - - - -<\/em><\/p>\r\nIt was still dark the next morning when she sat at the kitchen counter looking at her notebook, sipping her first cup of coffee. Alex was already out for his morning run and the kids were still asleep so she could enjoy having an hour of quiet to herself.<\/em>\r\n\r\nShe looked at the notes she had made the day before.\u00a0<\/em>\r\n

------<\/em><\/p>\r\nShe\u2019d brainstormed with Jim for about an hour, eventually producing a few pages of notes, questions and ideas about what might pose a risk to XYZ Co. But she didn\u2019t feel that they were any closer to working out how to approach the risk assessment. All they had was a bigger and bigger list of things they didn\u2019t know.<\/em>\r\n\r\nEventually, she dropped her pen and flicked through the pages and pages of yellow pad they had covered before she tossed that down too.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cThis is impossible. There\u2019s no way we can get all this done in three weeks. It\u2019s just way too much work to pull something this complicated together in the time we have.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nJim had sat there silently, nodding in agreement, until he suddenly grabbed the pen, opened a fresh page in the pad and started writing.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cYou\u2019re right. This isn\u2019t enough time for something detailed and complicated. Do you remember when we rolled out the new HSE system with the updated procedures.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nShe nodded. \u201cOf course, I was the one who wrote those doorstops.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cRight, but we didn\u2019t just drop those on the business and tell them to implement everything at once did we? We broke it all down and took it bit by bit.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cThat\u2019s right. We started with the big ticket items and took it from there. That\u2019s the 80\/20 rule: find the 20% of something that has the most impact.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cI think you mean the Pareto Principle, my dear\u201d Jim said using his know-all voice as he called it.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cYes,\u201d she laughed. Jim always did a good job of pretending he was a simple, hands-on oilfield guy even though he had degrees in engineering and safety management.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cBut do you remember the other thing we preached?\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cKeeping it simple.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nJim held up the notepad and turned it around to show K.I.S.S. written in big letters across the middle of the page.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cWe need to do the same here. Keep it simple and focus on what\u2019s going to produce the most return for our effort.\u2019 He paused and corrected himself. \u201cYour effort, I mean.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cRight, KISS: Keep It Stupid Simple. OK, I\u2019m onboard but that doesn\u2019t tell us where to start.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cSure it does,\u201d replied Jim, turning the pad around and starting to write again. \u201cWe need to start with the basics. We need to work out what you\u2019re trying to achieve.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cRemember,\u201d he continued, \u201cwe didn\u2019t just tell people to do things \u2018because we said so\u2019. We defined what it was we were trying to achieve with the program and how that benefited the business. We don\u2019t know that yet so let\u2019s start there. You figure out what Xav really wants from this process and I will do some general research.\u201d<\/em>\r\n

------<\/em><\/p>\r\nShe looked back down at her list of questions and jotted down a few more. She finished off her coffee and headed to the shower. It would be mayhem shortly once the kids were up and she and Alex were getting them ready for school.\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\nShe wasn\u2019t sure things would be any less chaotic at work.<\/em>","rendered":"

September 25<\/h1>\n

By the time the twins had been bathed, storied and tucked in, Bobbie was exhausted. It\u2019s been a good day, she thought to herself, just an unexpectedly busy one. Still, she had work to do as she sat on the couch, notebook in hand, staring at the list of questions she and Jim had come up with that afternoon.<\/em><\/p>\n

She heard her husband Alex over her shoulder, using his mock \u2018sexy voiceover\u2019 tone.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is risk?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the purpose of the assessment?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHow does this support the business?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMmmmmm, yeah baby.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

She started to laugh as he leaned over the back of the couch<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know you\u2019d taken up writing? Is this a sequel to Fifty Shades of Gray?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

She laughed and whacked him with a pillow.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a jerk.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He flopped down next to her and pulled her in for a hug.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m your jerk. Forever and ever. You do remember promising that, right?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI lied. My fingers were crossed.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMine too.\u201d He looked down at the notebook. \u201cNew project?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d she replied. \u201cXavier wants a risk assessment of the whole business and I don\u2019t know where to start. Jim and I were cooking up some ideas this afternoon.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAh, that explains it.\u201d Alex said.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cExplains what,\u201d she asked suspiciously, pushing him back a bit.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy Jim said I need to be nice to you for the next few weeks. He invited us over for lunch on Saturday but said you and he had \u2018grown up\u2019 things to talk about.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he\u2019s absolutely right. You do need to be nice to me but not just for the next few weeks.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever I can do for the best HSE Manager in the country.\u201d Alex looked down at the notepad. \u201cWhat\u2019s that last one?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cK.I.S.S. It\u2019s an acronym for\u2026\u201d she started to explain.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHappy to oblige.\u201d He interrupted, pulling her close.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re still a jerk\u2026.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

– – – – –<\/em><\/p>\n

It was still dark the next morning when she sat at the kitchen counter looking at her notebook, sipping her first cup of coffee. Alex was already out for his morning run and the kids were still asleep so she could enjoy having an hour of quiet to herself.<\/em><\/p>\n

She looked at the notes she had made the day before.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

——<\/em><\/p>\n

She\u2019d brainstormed with Jim for about an hour, eventually producing a few pages of notes, questions and ideas about what might pose a risk to XYZ Co. But she didn\u2019t feel that they were any closer to working out how to approach the risk assessment. All they had was a bigger and bigger list of things they didn\u2019t know.<\/em><\/p>\n

Eventually, she dropped her pen and flicked through the pages and pages of yellow pad they had covered before she tossed that down too.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is impossible. There\u2019s no way we can get all this done in three weeks. It\u2019s just way too much work to pull something this complicated together in the time we have.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Jim had sat there silently, nodding in agreement, until he suddenly grabbed the pen, opened a fresh page in the pad and started writing.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right. This isn\u2019t enough time for something detailed and complicated. Do you remember when we rolled out the new HSE system with the updated procedures.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

She nodded. \u201cOf course, I was the one who wrote those doorstops.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cRight, but we didn\u2019t just drop those on the business and tell them to implement everything at once did we? We broke it all down and took it bit by bit.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right. We started with the big ticket items and took it from there. That\u2019s the 80\/20 rule: find the 20% of something that has the most impact.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI think you mean the Pareto Principle, my dear\u201d Jim said using his know-all voice as he called it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d she laughed. Jim always did a good job of pretending he was a simple, hands-on oilfield guy even though he had degrees in engineering and safety management.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut do you remember the other thing we preached?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cKeeping it simple.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Jim held up the notepad and turned it around to show K.I.S.S. written in big letters across the middle of the page.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to do the same here. Keep it simple and focus on what\u2019s going to produce the most return for our effort.\u2019 He paused and corrected himself. \u201cYour effort, I mean.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cRight, KISS: Keep It Stupid Simple. OK, I\u2019m onboard but that doesn\u2019t tell us where to start.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSure it does,\u201d replied Jim, turning the pad around and starting to write again. \u201cWe need to start with the basics. We need to work out what you\u2019re trying to achieve.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cRemember,\u201d he continued, \u201cwe didn\u2019t just tell people to do things \u2018because we said so\u2019. We defined what it was we were trying to achieve with the program and how that benefited the business. We don\u2019t know that yet so let\u2019s start there. You figure out what Xav really wants from this process and I will do some general research.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

——<\/em><\/p>\n

She looked back down at her list of questions and jotted down a few more. She finished off her coffee and headed to the shower. It would be mayhem shortly once the kids were up and she and Alex were getting them ready for school.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

She wasn\u2019t sure things would be any less chaotic at work.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":253,"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[47],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-62","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-standard"],"part":42,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/62","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/253"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/62\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63,"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/62\/revisions\/63"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/42"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/62\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=62"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=62"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=62"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}