Complexity
How to know if you’re facing a complex challenge
Difficult to frame
Everyone has their own opinion about what’s wrong or what the big opportunity is, but there’s no consensus on how to sum it all up. No one can offer a crisp 25-word description of the challenge that captures the complexity and tradeoffs.
Incomplete list of issues
There’s a long list of issues associated with the challenge, and it keeps getting longer. You pull on one thread and several more appear. There seem to be a lot of “unknown unknowns.”
Issues are tangled up
You’re not sure how all of the issues are related. There is no clear cause and effect relationship, and it’s easy to get lost in chicken-and-egg debates.
Many stakeholders, many opinions
Solving the challenge will require input and buy-in from many stakeholders, such as senior management, staff, partners, and customers. Getting them all to agree on a simple problem statement seems difficult enough. Getting unanimous buy-in on a solution seems impossible.
No playbook
Many leaders, quite understandably, approach complex challenges as if they were merely complicated. So they reach for the complicated playbook: assemble a team, gather data, calculate a critical path, plan the work, and work the plan. They don’t realize they’re in the wrong movie.
A different class
Transforming an organization or creating an innovation culture are not the same class of problem as, say, designing a bridge or launching a satellite. If you’ve seen one complicated challenge, you’ve seen them all. But if you’ve seen one complex challenge, you’ve seen one complex challenge.
You’re stuck
You’ve spent a lot of time and energy on the challenge without much success. Maybe in desperation you hired a traditional consulting firm but their template-based solution predictably fell short. Now you’re stuck and your team is discouraged.
Examples of complexity from different sectors
Environmental conservation
Balancing economic development with the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
National security
Ensuring national security while protecting civil liberties and human rights.
Telecommunications
Providing universal access to high-speed internet while protecting consumers and ensuring competition.
Criminal justice
Reducing crime and recidivism while protecting the rights of defendants and ensuring fair trials.
Immigration
Managing immigration in a way that balances economic needs, national security, and humanitarian concerns.
Mental health
Improving access to mental health services while addressing the social and economic factors that contribute to mental illness.
Aging population
Providing for the health and financial security of an aging population while ensuring intergenerational equity.
Human rights
Promoting and protecting human rights while balancing the needs of national security and economic development.
Space exploration
Advancing space exploration and scientific discovery while managing the risks and costs associated with space travel.
Disaster management
Improving emergency response and recovery efforts while balancing the need for preparedness with the cost of investment.