Simplicity is a sign of TLC

A few weeks ago I went back to Austin, Texas, where I store my precious motorbike. 

Every year I go back and have to spend a valuable morning renewing my vehicle registration.
And it’s always been a painful process. 

Inspections, paperwork, finding an agency in the middle of nowhere that would take me without a prior online appointment, 2 or 3 hour lines without being able to move from them. You name it.

However, this time, it was different.

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The process had been streamlined. No inspection required.

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But wait... There is more.

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There was a new, brighter office.

You had tables, power outlets, and even a comfortable space to work while you waited.

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Wait what?

For once, it felt like someone had actually thought about the people who are using the system. 

Someone cared enough to… care!

In many areas of life, I see so many people wanting to leave their mark by making a contribution. It’s easy to point at your work when it’s materially visible. Handball penalties in the Spanish soccer league are a great example of this that I will do my best not to get into here.

It's not easy when your work involves removing the unnecessary.

Our egos love to add more steps, more forms, more processes. 

We think we’re being thorough, but we are adding complexity to the point where nobody understands any longer.

Have you ever been surprised that someone you didn't know i.e., a government, actually made life easier for you when you least expected it?