Rating: 
Summary: It's Simply Great!
Review: Do you work at a corporation dominated by red tape and middle management? Do you feel that if your company focused on making things simpler rather than more complicated, you could accomplish more in a shorter period of time? In a world where faster is equated with better, "Simplicity" is a refreshing read. Jensen introduces his "Simplicity Manifesto" and its 7 main principles. "Simplicity" is well written, simple and useful. Its primary premise, making the complex clear so people can work smarter, is 'simply brilliant.' Jensen's breakthrough book makes a great case for simpler workdays, simpler companies, and a simpler future. What I found especially pleasing about the book is Jensen's use of graphics and unique visuals to help drive home his points. At the end, what you find is that this guide to new corporate thinking is smart and practical. I believe every manager ought to consider reading this book, as should every employee who aspires to be management one day. For a quick taste of the book, you may want to visit the book's companion web site at www.simplerwork.com.
Rating:
Summary: Doing Simpler, Smarter, Energised Work & Things That Matter
Review: The high quality of 'Simplicity' stands out immediately- it's truly useful, multi-disciplinary and multi-level, supported by deep evidence, very attractively presented & reader-centric, and very up-to-date & net-aware without suffering vendor/consulting or armchair-theorist bias. Suitable for all levels within business, consulting and academia, 'Simplicity' is filled with insights, exercises and tools to help clarify, simplify and energise towards smarter companies (leaving time for things that matter). The concise, provocative, action-centred content covers: *Section 1 (the aha)- defining simplicity, complexity and the need for change. *Section 2 (simpler workdays)- using time, planning, contracting, listening & scanning, and engaging. *Section 3 (simpler companies)- customer-centric knowledge, building feeling of trust, content design for decision use, project design to do something, and succeeding with simpler navigation. *Section 4 (simpler futurework)- changing the structure of companies. A few favorite parts include: defining business complexity (causes include: integration of change, knowledge management, communication, technology and unclear goals & objectives); the focus on customer-facing associates driving restructuring processes; the behavioral communication model (relevance? specific actions? measures & consequences? tools & support? benefits to self?); and the message map for storytelling (our burning platform, where we are, success this year, and our destination). A key strength is the presentation (font sizes & emphasis, illustration, chapter punchlines, tables, exercises, tools, lack of jargon, and sufficient anecdotes), and great potential for use as a 'work book' rather than shelf-book. Many of the common-sense examples and suggestions span the same domain as 'Futurize Your Enterprises' by Siegel (amongst others), with both more evidence and more useful tools. Recommended highly for getting rid of the "noise", and best using your 1440 minutes per day.
Rating: 
Summary: Disaponting, and not simple to read
Review: I had great optomism when I picked up this book, caring much about simplicity at work and in product design. However I found this book did not live up to the title - the page layout and design is complex, heavy on semi-relevant, but not great, quotes and anecdotes from people other than the author. The book generates a great deal of models, buzzwords, and processes, that could be beneficial, but are definitely not simple to follow, or to put into practice. The study mentioned in the book, which might be great, is impossible to find on the website (http://www.simplerwork.com - claims the section is under construction).
Rating:
Summary: Real Help in a "World of More, Better, Faster"
Review: Many of us like our 'knowledge work', but we face an endless source of competing priorities and demands. So I was delighted to read Bill Jensen's book, Simplicity. His work puts into words what we've been feeling and thinking as employees and managers. He brings clarity and organization to what makes work so complex. Even better, he provides practical ways for figuring out what to do in our world of infinite choices. He shows what we and our organizations can do to progress right now and to build-in longer term solutions. I started using his ideas before I'd finished reading his book (e.g., "storytelling as a business tool" in explaining strategy and plans). The organization and design of the book-summaries, lists, tables, graphics-speeds understanding and facilitates rereading for key messages. I particularly like Jensen's ideas on working smarter by designing smarter work-taking a user-centered approach (e.g., consulting employees) to ensure that work tools, processes and information are grounded in what we need; and by using time differently-making the complex clear, e.g., via clear goals, objectives and priorities, with ongoing dialogue, and smarter tools, so we can "...spend a lot less time on the things that don't matter and more time on the things that do." I work in a group whose role is to help organizations better understand, manage and communicate about risk. Jensen's ideas can help us significantly in our and our clients' work to create and sustain a risk-smart workforce and environment.
Rating:
Summary: Epiphanies Are Nice: Let¿s Get Real & Basic
Review: I look at some of these reviews and it sounds like Simplicity set out to cure world hunger and reinvent all work. Maybe for some people, it does that. Not me. I'm just trying to do my best each day, make a difference, and spend more time with my kids. And I love this book. Here's my take: Buy enough copies of Simplicity for everyone in your company. Not because it'll cure all of today's complicated craziness. But because it's real. It's basic. It's common sense made unbelievably useful. The tools and ideas the author offers involve day-to-day challenges: How to communicate differently...(the behavioral communication model has already helped me immensely)...How to use time effectively. How to help others navigate all the noise. Buy this book because, as Jensen says, it's about the most basic thing that ties all of us together. Each of us gets only 1440 minutes each day. Simplicity is about changing how you and I use those minutes.
Rating:
Summary: Sense-making, and Changing the Rules
Review: This is two reviews, really. One for Simplicity, the other for the author's new book, Work 2.0. Another confession: I don't expect a book to solve all my needs. If I get one major or useful "aha!" (as the author calls it), then the book is worthwhile. In Simplicity, he focuses on the basics of cutting through the clutter. I've had lots of experience in all sorts of communication and coaching tools and workshops, and nowhere have I found such useful guidance as Simplicity about what to do when there's too much communication, too much information. The hapters on behavioral communication and "hitting delete" more often are worth the purchase! In Work 2.0, the author goes further. I was excited by his SimplerWork Index. He applies the principles from Simplicity to organizational design, work and tool design. He's setting new standards for what we should consider when envisioning great places to work. The the communication tools in Simplicity, and the new things you'll think about in Work 2.0 make this pair of books a very worthwhile investment.
Rating: 
Summary: Clear Choices: Compelled me to change
Review: Why I really liked this book is not because it provided answers for all my complicated problems. But that the author kept coming back to how many choices are within my control. And he provided the tools and ideas to help me make new choices: Behavioral Communication for how to communicate more effectively. The CLEAR model for how to listen and hit delete more often. Know/Feel/Do for how to organize my thoughts more easily. I don't know if my life is simpler for having read this book, but I certainly feel like more of my everyday choices are now within my control! (...)
Rating: 
Summary: Simplicity's never been so complicated
Review: I would have ranked this item 2 or 3 stars. But if i'm ranking one star is in order to counterattack all the "5 stars". There are good ideas in this book. Nevertheless, it looks really more like a conversation with a seasoned person, during a few minutes, that's it. Indeed, there are a few ideas that could be interesting if the author told us how he was leaded to his new concepts, how many times and with which results he leaded "simplicity" in his own experience.
At the end you think you can write a few ideas on simplicity but you're not at all convinced by his whole vision, his very academic concepts and for sure, you're really frustrated you don't have good examples of what his theory looks like in real world and how to apply it effectively. Therefore, it is likely to remain theory. When you propose new ideas, you have to back up them, to help them to be adapted to everyday situation. And at this point, we are very very far from simplicity. It seems like the author wanted to write a book based on his experience. But we don't get his mindset. Try to read it once, but don't buy it for full price and don't expect too much. Really don't. There are good things (user centered is the main one) nevertheless. The only way i would switch for a 5 star, if the author read this (and i believe he is very competent) is that he rewrites a second book or this book with a lot of case studies and the clear explanation of why it works, how he was leaded to this conclusions. With this, the book could be a must.
Rating:
Summary: Clarity for Confusing Times
Review: It is clear that we now live in complicated, confusing times. Simplicity won't make any of that go away. But Bill Jensen's book is invaluable at delivering permission and tools to help you cut thru the clutter and say "no" to a lot more that's coming at you. Buy this book because it isn't about "new and improved." It's about the common-sense basics of how to communicate, how to listen, how to help others around you stay focused in an unfocused world. (The chapter on Behavioral Communication is worth the purchase price. I've completely changed how I engage and focus my team with the tips in this chapter.) Don't get it 'cause you're looking for "Simplicity for Dummies." Buy it for you, your boss, your team because you all want to work smarter, not harder.
Rating:
Summary: Eliminate, Prioritize, Focus...and Then Do It Again
Review: As I first heard the story, a prominent venture capitalist was cornered at a party by an eager young entrepreneur who explained that he had a terrific idea and all he needed was "only" $10-million. The venture capitalist asked for his business card. "On the back of it, please explain why my firm should invest in your idea." Disbelief. "I can't possibly get it all down on the back of a business card!" Pause. "Then I'm sorry but I really don't think we have anything to talk about." Years ago, a journalist asked Katherine Hepburn to explain the success of her career. "Elimination." She had eliminated from her life everyone (including a husband with whom she remained close friends) and everything which interfered with her career. These two quite different situations illustrate, I think, the most important point in Bill Jensen's book. He asserts that simplicity is "the new competitive advantage in a world of more, better, faster." It is certainly one of them. The book is divided into four sections: The Aha (which includes a discussion of Simplicity's "Evil Twin") Simpler WorkDays (e.g. using time, planning, contracting), Simpler Companies (e.g. "designing work for easy navigation") Simpler FutureWork (ie "changing how we structure companies") Jensen concludes with an Epilogue in which he discusses "The Power to Do What's Important." I think this is a carefully-reasoned, thought-provoking, and eloquent book. One important point which some reviewers seem to have ignored is that Simplicity enables us to cope much more effectively with Complexity. Think about all the clutter you haul around in your mind; all the clutter piled up within your workstation and probably on your computer's hard drive; all the clutter your organization staggers and stumbles through each day. In any competitive environment today, change is the only constant. As one result, carefully crafted "long-range plans" can become irrelevant in a single day. Organizations are comprised of people; people, by nature, love to collect "stuff." Lots of it. Many of our accumulations (including business assumptions) no longer have value. Jensen correctly affirms the value of the "KISS Principle" to how we think. He understands that our values and perspectives generally determine how we behave. Obviously, it would be Stupid to Keep Everything Simple. But surely it makes sense, "in a world of infinite choices", to use Simplicity as a leadership tool to help us think smarter. I highly recommend this book to those who are determined to do so.
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