Our world is increasingly complex. Societies and economic systems are evolving rapidly. Uncertainty and unexpected developments are part of everyday reality—especially in IT organizations working cross-functionally on innovation, digitalization strategies, or transformation initiatives.
A situation is considered complex when it is not possible to oversee all relevant elements at once. Cause and effect are not clearly linked. Decision-making processes cannot be structured linearly or predicted reliably.
This is not an excuse for inaction. On the contrary, it should motivate us to improve how we deal with complexity—to generate better ideas together, to make sound decisions, and to learn from experience.
Complexity management capabilities describe how well an individual or team can handle such conditions. The more perspectives are considered, the more differentiated the analysis, and the faster this is done—the better complexity is managed. See also: C2M Model
In IT projects, complexity arises from many sources: uncertainty about product-market fit, the abundance of technological options, organizational structures, and communication habits within teams.
Agile methods and related practices were developed as responses to this context and are widely used today. But without active reflection and awareness of complexity, they can reinforce dysfunctional communication patterns.
Since we solve problems in collaboration, we must also address the complexity of the communication system itself:
- Long-established organizations often struggle with transformation.
- In some teams, dysfunctional interaction patterns emerge over time.
- In others, essential conflicts are avoided or not articulated clearly.
- Some teams argue from a single perspective, wasting time in unproductive debates.
- Many organizations become overly inward-focused and lose sight of external customers and market signals.
Understanding how communication works—and which conditions enable effective interaction—helps us address such challenges constructively. It also enables us to use conflict productively as a source of creativity and perspective shifts.
This requires a willingness to learn from one another. Systemic thinking, grounded in systems theory, offers useful perspectives for organizational development. Learning to recognize patterns, reflect on systems, and assess one’s own role within them can strengthen collaboration and decision-making.
It also helps organizations avoid blindly adopting the next framework, model, or consultant trend without critical examination.
Further Reading
Our world is increasingly complex. Societies and economic systems are evolving rapidly. Uncertainty and unexpected developments are part of everyday reality—especially in IT organizations working cross-functionally on innovation, digitalization strategies, or transformation initiatives.
A situation is considered complex when it is not possible to oversee all relevant elements at once. Cause and effect are not clearly linked. Decision-making processes cannot be structured linearly or predicted reliably.
This is not an excuse for inaction. On the contrary, it should motivate us to improve how we deal with complexity—to generate better ideas together, to make sound decisions, and to learn from experience.
Complexity management capabilities describe how well an individual or team can handle such conditions. The more perspectives are considered, the more differentiated the analysis, and the faster this is done—the better complexity is managed. See also: C2M Model
In IT projects, complexity arises from many sources: uncertainty about product-market fit, the abundance of technological options, organizational structures, and communication habits within teams.
Agile methods and related practices were developed as responses to this context and are widely used today. But without active reflection and awareness of complexity, they can reinforce dysfunctional communication patterns.
Since we solve problems in collaboration, we must also address the complexity of the communication system itself:
- Long-established organizations often struggle with transformation.
- In some teams, dysfunctional interaction patterns emerge over time.
- In others, essential conflicts are avoided or not articulated clearly.
- Some teams argue from a single perspective, wasting time in unproductive debates.
- Many organizations become overly inward-focused and lose sight of external customers and market signals.
Understanding how communication works—and which conditions enable effective interaction—helps us address such challenges constructively. It also enables us to use conflict productively as a source of creativity and perspective shifts.
This requires a willingness to learn from one another. Systemic thinking, grounded in systems theory, offers useful perspectives for organizational development. Learning to recognize patterns, reflect on systems, and assess one’s own role within them can strengthen collaboration and decision-making.
It also helps organizations avoid blindly adopting the next framework, model, or consultant trend without critical examination.