How Your Project Can Become More Complex Than It Should Be

You’ve mapped out your project plan, identified the key stakeholders, and locked down the scope. So why does everything still feel like it’s spiralling out of control? It’s because project complexity often sneaks up on us, and we underestimate how interconnected everything really is. Let’s look at what’s actually making your project complex and what you can do about it.

• It’s people, not just processes, that create complexity. Let’s look at the example of maintaining an aircraft. While you might have 30,000 parts to account for, there are only three options for each part: inspect, maintain, or replace. The fact that there are so many parts makes it complicated—but not necessarily complex. The real complexity kicks in when you’ve got multiple stakeholders with competing needs. People who deal with flight schedules want parts scattered in hangars across the country so they can be quickly replaced if required to keep an aircraft flying. Logistics and finance teams want to limit the number of parts in inventory to save money. That is where the complexity resides. Balance and align goals and objectives before a project starts, and the complexity reduces significantly.

• Complexity originates inside and outside of the organization, but it can be addressed.Technical complexity—such as implementing untested AI tools or using new building materials—arises from decisions made within the project. Dealing with those complexities is under the direct control of the project sponsor and team members. Other, more complex challenges arise from changing regulations, political shifts, and environmental concerns. The key is mapping out these uncertainties early and determining potential plan B and C options, rather than pretending they don’t exist or thinking they are outside your control and that nothing can be done about them.

• Size doesn’t necessarily determine complexity. A large international project with a clear scope and experienced team members might be straightforward to manage. Meanwhile, a smaller local project crossing five different local government jurisdictions can turn into an absolute nightmare. Look at the number of stakeholders, their level of influence, and the degree of uncertainty around them—that’s the real size-complexity indicator. When planning, emphasize the time and experience required to perform stakeholder management in these scenarios to control project complexity.

• Stop looking for the silver bullet. I enjoy sharing the saying: “To every complex problem, there’s a solution that’s simple, fast, and completely wrong.” If you believe you have found a quick fix to simplify your complex project, take a breath and consider the potential consequences of that fix. Complexity needs to be acknowledged and managed stage by stage, not wished away with an easy-to-implement solution.

• Use a complexity/risk assessment tool. Instead of just saying “this project is complex,” put a number on it. A complexity assessment model examines the technical and business environments to provide a complexity score. You can then tell your team or sponsors that your project rates an 85 out of 92 on complexity, which helps stakeholders understand what you’re up against. It also highlights areas of complexity, allowing you to examine aspects of the project and change them before complexity turns the project into a costly mess!