Hacking free [of complexity]

On a recent Wednesday, all the lights in my house blinked out. Scrambling for a flashlight, I took a moment to consider the path our electricity takes: generating plant, long-distance lines, substation, street lines, pole transformer, supply line to the house. It’s a complex and vulnerable system, worried over by thousands of people, that lets us make coffee and watch TV.
Complexity surrounds modern life, maybe even defines it. If like me, you enjoy the convenience of hot coffee, high-speed travel, and instant information, you’re generally in favor. But complexity causes confusion that can also block our path, fog our vision, and spin us in circles.
Many of ThoughtForm’s clients work inside the beautifully intricate systems that sustain civilization—delivering steady supplies of power, tools, money, health, knowledge. To keep it all working, they battle daily with complex networks, organizations, and technologies. They’re stars who are capable of flying, but often find themselves just trying to hack free of the underbrush.
In this they’re not alone. A recent survey* by Harvard Business Review showed that nearly eight in ten managers agree that complexity hinders growth in their organizations. One in four admits feeling defeated by it.
The dilemma of our complex systems is that they disable us with confusion even as they enable us with miraculous capabilities. While my lights were out, I was able to power up my phone and discover, thanks to the power company’s website, exactly how many houses were affected and where. I was helpless and empowered all at once.
This is probably just the modern human condition. But wouldn’t it be nice to find a gambler’s edge—a way to tip the dilemma decisively toward empowerment, if only for the moment?
At ThoughtForm, we have some suggestions. Check out these six clarity methods to learn more about how you can overcome the confusion that complexity generates. Because barring the apocalypse, things probably aren’t going to be getting simpler any time soon.