This morning I was working on a presentation on problem solving and decision making and I came across a recent article on the concept of “simplexity” which is the idea that some complex things can be deceptively simple and that some simple things can be startlingly complex. This concept is explored in the just published book Simplexity: Why Simple Things Become Complex (and How Complex Things Can Be Made Simple) by Jeffrey KlugerTeam leaders routinely encounter problems of varying size, scope and importance that need to be analyzed and solved. A few points that jump out of Kluger’s writings are instructive to anyone struggling through the problem solving process. 

1. People make irrational choices. Why? Because many choices spring from the amygdala, the emotional portion of the brain, rather than from the cortex which is the logic center of the brain.  This means that one of the leader’s most important tasks is to keep the team focused on logical analysis and discussion while at the same time dealing with the various emotions that might derail the problem solving and decision process.

2. Our minds are hard-wired to seek out simple solutions. While simple is often good, it is also often wrong. The team leader tasked with solving a complex problem will do well to ensure that all aspects of a problem are identified and analyzed before the focus shifts to solutions. Moving towards solutions too quickly will often result in incomplete or even wrong solutions.

3. Every complex system can be shut down by “choke points”. Choke points are often small details or seemingly inconsequential junction points that create pressure that can result in systemic failure. Another job of the team leader is to ensure that the problem analysis includes a systems thinking approach - an analysis of the entire system to identify choke points and/or details that may be creating a disproportionate impact.

If you are involved in any type of problem-solving, Kluger’s book challenges you to step back and rethink the questions you should be asking – and the actions that you should be taking.

If you are interested in creative problem solving and the dynamics of human behavior in decision making, I also recommend Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, and Levitt and Dubner’s Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything.

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