Back to the basics

Every year, organizations seem to become more complex. More rules, more processes, more layers of control. Some of this is inevitable—regulation, compliance, reporting. Some of it is self-inflicted. And it doesn't always improve what it's supposed to.

Often, when someone new joins an organization, they are tempted to change everything. As if what existed before could not be valid. However, experience teaches us something different: often, systems that work do so because someone, at the time, made good decisions.

Updating is necessary. So is improving processes. But not everything new is better, nor is everything old obsolete. In an environment of constant change, it takes judgment—and a certain humility—to say, “This already works well; I wouldn't touch it.”

I have seen many transformations fail not because of a lack of technology or investment, but because, in the name of improvement, simple mechanisms that were effective were destroyed. And I have also seen how going back to basics—to clear processes, well-defined responsibilities, and understandable indicators—unlocks situations that seemed complex.

That's why an outside perspective is so valuable. They come with a desire to enjoy the game.

They don't come with the need to justify changes, but with the ability to distinguish between what needs to evolve and what should be preserved and valued.

In finance and management, complexity impresses; simplicity works.

When faced with excessive complexity, going back to basics is often an advantage.

Sometimes, going back to basics isn't taking a step backward.

It's simply... the most basic thing.