5 reasons complexity is so hard to grasp
By Kevin Eikenberry
Complexity is a watchword of our time. Most of us agree that the world and our work are more complex than ever. But its existence isn’t the problem. The challenge is that complexity is difficult for individuals and groups to deal with. Once we understand the impacts, we can work to overcome those challenges.
But first, we must understand why we find it so hard. Here are five big reasons:
1. Complexity creates uncertainty
When things are simple, or the cause-and-effect relationships are transparent, we can more easily see and manage the risk in a situation. However, as complexity grows, it becomes more difficult for us to know what will happen. Since we are wired to seek certainty, an uncertain future is perceived by our brains as a threat, which triggers threat responses and leaves us less able to think clearly when we need to most.
2. Complexity defies patterns
Humans are great at detecting patterns, which help us see and make sense of the world. But often, as we get overwhelmed by a situation’s complexity, we either can’t find patterns or oversimplify them, leading to less success and confidence in our abilities and decisions.
3. Complexity creates communication barriers
Communication is hard enough when situations are simple. 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, we have a recipe for poor communication, which makes matters worse.
4. 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 to reality or postponing/procrastinating on decisions. The flight response may appear more as denial or removing ourselves from a situation. None of these responses that we might move towards (with seemingly rational arguments) will help us deal with the reality of our challenges.
5. Complexity breeds more complexity
When we encounter complex systems or ideas, we often add unnecessary layers of complication, making them even more challenging to understand. Or we impose new controls and processes to help us deal with them, which, while giving an illusion of control, steals our focus from the main thing we want to address.
All of this leads to my observation that while things may be complex, 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.
Kevin is the chief potential officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a leadership and learning consulting company that has been helping organizations, teams, and individuals reach their potential since 1993. He is also the cofounder of The Remote Leadership Institute, formed in 2014. Kevin’s specialties include leadership, remote/hybrid work, teams and teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, organizational learning, and more. He is the bestselling author of several books and hosts The Remarkable Leadership Podcast.
