Complex Systems Have Simple Roots

When I talk to people about conquering complexity, they sometimes ask, “Well what about organizations or systems that are by nature complex?” Typically, they are referring to what’s known as Complex Adaptive Systems. An example might be the weather system, the global economy, or the cells in our body.

But scientists have proven that even the most complex systems have simple roots. The problem isn’t complexity per se; it’s trying to manage complexity in complex ways. It’s a futile cause. Indeed the way to conquer complexity is not with more complexity—it’s with simplicity.

Sometimes, less control—not more—is the answer, and simple guidelines and checklists are more effective. It’s the same with detailed project plans. Sometimes, it’s best to stay high level and let the experts manage the individual actions themselves. Dee Hock calls this concept “chaordic” (operating on the edge of chaos, with just enough structure to keep things moving in the right direction). I’ll be examining examples of this and posting them here.

Meanwhile, check out Bas De Baar’s interesting blog post on Complex Adaptive Systems…

And here’s an intriguing YouTube video that talks about how Complexity Management is the new Risk Management. It’s from Ontonix, an organization that has tools for measuring complexity.