It's Complicated

It takes a lot of work to make things easy.

Growing up, I loved the game "Mouse Trap."

You compete with other players to build this wacky, complicated contraption that eventually is used to capture other players' mice game pieces in order to win the game.

Truth is, I'm not even sure anymore what the object of the game is. It was just fun to build the machine, watch the marble roll around, launch the diver playing piece, and drop the mouse trap.

It's a classic example of a Rube Goldberg machine, and I'm sure everyone has seen one of the many mesmerizing and creative George Rhoads kinetic creations at an airport or other public space (my favorite is his "Based on Balls" at the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field).

Rube Goldberg machines are deliberately over-engineered and over-designed with complicated steps to accomplish incredibly simple tasks for a reason: Our entertainment (and often for satirical purposes).

For some reason, business operations processes across many industries are modeled after Rube Goldberg machines, which are not so much fun.

For example, here's an old flowchart for the Wick Communications special publications process:

After we implemented a new system using the special publications order form, our Monday.com project management boards, automated email notifications, and a service called Integromat (that makes them all work together), we streamlined to this:

Utilizing the right digital processes at the right time in the right sequence actually does dismantle real-world unintentional Rube Goldberg machines, such as this old process for scheduling special publications and converting it into a seamless, cross-department flow:

I still believe there's a practical time and place for my beloved Rube Goldberg machines, but it's important to tie them to specific project requirements and outcomes.

For example, my wife has a beautiful backyard garden that's constantly under attack from neighborhood critters and a large population of stray cats. A recommended repellant is distributing citrus peels around the garden - the strong smell is unpleasant to a variety of pests.

We also have a beautiful, mature orange tree that's just beginning to bear fruit.

With the help of ChatGPT, here's my artist rendering of a useful, multi-tasking Rube Goldberg machine:

The accompanying explanation from ChatGPT:

"Here is your whimsical Rube Goldberg machine: it peels an orange, squeezes it into a glass of juice, and gently drops the peels into a garden bed. Want one next that butters toast and serves it to a cat?"

Uh, no.

Oh, OK: