Complexity seems to be a watchword of our time. Most of us would agree that the world and our work is more complex than ever. I don’t need to make this case or give support to the reasons why. But that existence of complexity isn’t really the problem. The challenge is that complexity is hard for individuals and groups to deal with. Once we understand the impacts of complexity, we can work to overcome those challenges.
But first, we must understand why complexity is so hard. Here are five big reasons why.
Complexity Creates Uncertainty
When things are simple or the cause-and-effect relationships are clear, we can more easily see and manage the risk in a situation. But as complexity grows, it becomes harder and harder for us to have any idea what will actually happen. Since we are wired to seek certainty, an uncertain future is perceived by our brains as a threat. This threat triggers threat responses and leaves us less able to think clearly when we most need that ability.
Complexity Defies Patterns
As humans, we are really good at finding patterns. And patterns help us see and make sense of the world. But often, as we get overwhelmed by the complexity of the situation, we either can’t find patterns or we oversimplify our patterns, leading to less success and confidence in our ability and decisions.
Complexity Creates Communication Barriers
Communication is hard enough when situations are simple and clear. But when things get complex, we struggle to find clear language to describe the situation and our feelings, which may lead to poorer, less clear communication. Coupled with our tendency to use complicated language or technical terminology when things are complex, we have a recipe for poor communication – which makes matters worse.
Complexity Has Psychological Impacts
The more complex we see things, the more likely we will move to a fight or flight response. The fight response could look like resistance of reality or postponing/procrastinating on decisions. The flight response could look more like denial or removing ourselves from a situation. None of these responses, which we might move towards (with seemingly rational arguments) will help us deal with the reality of the complexities we face.
Complexity Breeds More Complexity
When we encounter complex systems or ideas, we often add unnecessary layers of complication, making them even harder to understand. Or, to help us deal with the uncertainty and complexity, we impose new controls and processes – and those processes themselves, while giving an illusion of control, steal our focus from the main thing we want to address.
All of this leads to my observation that while things may be complex and we need to acknowledge that, there are places we can find slivers of clarity if we look for them and don’t underestimate their value.
Once you understand these truths, you can begin to address them and reduce the impact of complexity on you and your team. I’ll give you some specific suggestions here next week.
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