I once had the opportunity to support the establishment and operation of a Digital Transformation Office for one of the largest German companies. It was the most challenging consulting project I’ve encountered, yet also the most rewarding experience to date. I learned many valuable lessons along the way.
If there’s one thing I observed my client doing right, it was embracing complexity. What does this mean?
To simplify, we can categorize our environment into two states: complex or complicated. A complicated environment follows defined outcomes, where plans are effective and traditional management approaches suffice. On the other hand, a complex environment presents a different scenario. Here, outcomes are unpredictable, requiring constant learning and adaptation. It’s a realm of surprises and unknown variables.
One significant factor in any situation is the level of expertise in the field of operation. Are you navigating truly uncharted territory, or is it a matter of lacking experience?
If the terrain is unfamiliar, you can “simply” enlist experts to handle the tasks at hand. However, when venturing into new territory, whether personally or organizationally, you’ll encounter a high degree of complexity. This is where an agile mindset and diversity in teams prove invaluable.
This is precisely what my client did. He assembled a team of consultants to establish the structure for his new venture, leveraging their time, expertise, and dedication, along with the backing of the entire consulting firm. We were able to tap into the knowledge of “the many” to move tactically.
So, when confronted with high complexity, embrace complexity in return. As you progress, explore, and learn – you’ll need to make decisions to maintain a manageable level of complexity. Think of it as surfing the “Double Diamond” – go wide from your start, close in, go wide, close in… Love complexity.
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