We don’t want an Airbus cockpit in a Cessna!

A metaphor I often use in transformation work. In many organizations, I encounter complex structures and processes that have evolved over time—layered, overregulated, and far from lean or efficient. Employees have learned to accept this complexity: “That’s how it’s always been,” or “The boss wants it that way.”

But this complexity often stands in the way of progress. It stifles innovation, undermines accountability, and creates distance.

With this phrase—“We don’t want an Airbus cockpit in a Cessna”—I emphasize that structures and processes must be efficient and therefore effective: designed to support goals, not to hinder them. We don’t need oversized control systems when responsibility and entrepreneurial thinking are alive and well.

Complexity must not be a hiding place. Change succeeds when structures and processes are simple, clear, and practical—and when people take ownership instead of hiding behind systems.

#Efficiency #Effectiveness #Structures #Accountability #Transformation