I recently came across a post by Jo O’Driscoll-Kearney, the CLO of Majid Al Futtaim and a Chief Learning Officer Council Member at the World Economic Forum, that really made me pause. Jo shared a powerful thought on LinkedIn: “Do less with less” rather than the typical “Do more with less”. If you’re not following Jo, I’d highly recommend it – her insights are always thought-provoking. This one especially stuck with me.
At first glance, “do less with less” might seem counterintuitive, right? Isn’t the usual advice in business about finding ways to stretch resources, be it time, budget, or staff? That’s what we’re constantly hearing in the corporate world: “Do more with less.” But Jo’s shift in perspective got me thinking. What if doing less with less doesn’t mean cutting corners, but rather working smarter? What if it means bringing more focus to what truly matters?
Across the organisations we work with globally, we’re seeing companies push to do more with less—stretching resources, teams, and budgets to their limits. But here’s the thing: instead of constantly chasing more, there’s power in doing less with less, which is why doing less with less resonated with me. It’s about being intentional, strategic, and wholly focused on what truly matters. From an L&D perspective, that means making deliberate choices, looking at the some of the challenges in a different way and ensuring every effort serves a clear purpose (more on that later).
For instance, we’ve helped organisations transform unused, outdated playbooks into engaging webinars led by internal subject matter experts. These weren’t just nice-to-haves. They were essential tools for empowering teams and ensuring critical knowledge wasn’t locked away in unengaging PDFs.. Repurposing content like this doesn’t require huge budgets. It’s simply about taking what you have and making it work smarter.
But here’s the real kicker: there’s a pretty sizeable gap that’s never really gone away. Siloed thinking and operations still plagues many organisations. and bridging this divide would help us all make more of what we already have… It holds the greatest opportunity for doing less with less while still achieving maximum impact. Teams aren’t collaborating in the most efficient way, and that’s where we see the real untapped potential. When you align teams around a common goal, you start unlocking results that weren’t possible before, all without needing to stretch resources or budgets further. It’s about focus. It’s about clarity. And it’s about working smarter, not harder.
I’ve written about this before in the context of the ever-popular discussion of brand vs. performance. In that debate, the question often arises: Where should resources go? Should we push for performance, or is it better to build long-term brand equity? The answer isn’t necessarily one or the other. It’s about balance. And what drives the best balance? Collaborative teamwork. Teams who understand that their contributions, no matter the department, are part of a greater whole. This isn’t just a theory. It’s a strategic shift that’s happening in some of the world’s leading organisations right now.
I had the privilege of delivering a program last year to a cohort within a global B2B organisation (it went so well and provided such tangible ROI in upskilling, but more importantly, successful campaigns using the framework I created for them, I’m delivering it again this year). The biggest takeaway for the group? The “lightbulb moment” when they realised/experienced first hand just how powerful it was when sales, marketing, PR, and other teams came together to brainstorm their marketing strategy. They all had touchpoints, data, and perspectives to share, and when they worked together, the results were powerful. They didn’t need extra resources—they just needed to work as one team.
Key Takeaways
- Repurpose What You Have: Instead of always looking for new content or ideas, take stock of what’s already available. Repurpose existing materials like playbooks into more engaging, interactive formats like webinars. The value is already there; it’s about unlocking it.
- Collaboration is Key: The best way to achieve more with less is to break down silos. When teams from different functions work together, they can pool their resources, knowledge, and insights to create far better outcomes than if they were working in isolation.
- Focus on the Big Picture: Encourage teams to keep the overarching goal in mind. When everyone is focused on the same end result, the work becomes more efficient and impactful, even with fewer resources.
- Smarter, Not Harder: Doing more with less doesn’t mean doing everything. It means doing the right things, with the right people, at the right time.
So, next time someone tells you to “do more with less,” remember: Maybe it’s not about adding more, but about simplifying and streamlining what you already have—and making sure your teams are working together. Because, at the end of the day, collaboration might just be the secret ingredient to success in an increasingly resource-constrained world.
Innovation isn’t magic. It’s a systematic approach anyone can master.
Design Thinking isn’t just another corporate buzzword. It’s a powerful problem-solving methodology that transforms how teams tackle complex challenges. Forget rigid, linear processes. This is about empathy, creativity, and rapid iteration.
Cognitive Union is a progressive, boutique learning and performance consultancy. We work with forward-thinking businesses. Transforming their people. Shaping their culture. Helping them embrace change and take on the world. Find this blog useful? Sign up to our email newsletter (bottom of this page), where you can receive articles like this and other insights (not publicly published), and you can also follow us on LinkedIn.