We live in a complex world.  Interdependent like never before. Flat. Volatile. The US Military coined it as VUCA–volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.  True in world powers. True in business.  Sometimes I hear people longing for the good old days when things were simple. Life is so complicated now.  It doesn’t have to be.  It is a choice to respond to complexity with complicatedness or to respond to connectedness and interdependency with control.

I recently read a great business book on this very topic:  Six Simple Rules:  How to Manage Complexity without Getting Complicated by Yves Morieux and Peter Tollman. I have recommended it to many people (even bought a copy for the CEO of my former employer) and now have written a book summary to help people access the wisdom.  To my pleasant surprise the rules highlighted are extremely consistent with the principles of design thinking, which helps explain in part the team performance dynamic I witness time and time again when a team or business embrace the principles of design thinking, not just the tools.

Don’t accept complication just because things are complex.  We can do better.

Cindy

Take Action

• Read my 2page summary of the book, or better yet, read the book!