Tuesday, 17 April 2012

Embrace complexity because it’s here to stay


We’ve been having a lot of conversations about complexity lately, both personally and professionally. No matter how you slice it, the changing nature of our world – and the  escalating acceleration of change – affects all of us. As much as some of us crave simplicity, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to remain sheltered from complexity. The world has become connected at a level we have never experienced before and thus demands a greater degree of interdependency.


Two recent studies by KPMG[1] and IBM[2] show that complexity has become the most pressing challenge in today’s business climate. Recently working with a client organization undergoing a large transformation, we witnessed the struggle that can come from a perfect storm of complex variables: changing leadership, new technology, a global workforce, financial scrutiny, change fatigue and uncertainty.  It’s not the first time we have experienced this, nor do we think it will be the last. And yet we are amazed at how often organizations are unprepared to tackle complexity. To better prepare your organization for a business environment that is perhaps best described as a "permanent state of transition", here are a few points to consider:
  1.  Organizations can no longer continue to do the same things the same way.  The rules of engagement are changing so fast that organizations must adapt as they go.
  2. Organizations must engage in new ways of thinking, moving beyond horizontal training focused on teaching skills and competencies, to vertical development, focusing on building self-generative ability and complex thinking.
  3. Change is constant, so change initiatives cannot be thought of as “events” or episodic (i.e. flavour of the day). Sustainable change requires a steadfast vision implemented with consistency over time.
  4. Organizations are the sum of all its parts – silos break down systems! Strategic connectivity is key to successful execution and outcomes.
Complexity is here to stay, so rather than avoid it (which is all but impossible), embrace it as an opportunity to create a competitive advantage.  By developing an organization that is strategically connected from vision through targeted outcomes, fueled by the innovation of an adaptable culture, an organization can become self-evolving, ready to capitalize on the emergent possibilities of our increasingly complex world.

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