Navigating Complexity: Playing chess while the rules keep changing

In my free time, I love solving chess puzzles. Finding that “mate in 3” delivers a satisfying dopamine boost. But chess follows fixed rules with calculable outcomes. Imagine if each move could result in a change of the rules. Surprise, knights can’t check the king now. Not so fun anymore, right? Yet this is often the environment we face in complex software projects where stakeholders have conflicting interests, and political alliances may be unknown.
Complex and ever-changing environments can leave teams paralysed. It is tempting to oversimplify in complex situations to achieve clarity and determine the best course of action. However, this can create dangerous blind spots that lead to the underestimation of critical risks or a waste of resources.
This talk introduces different approaches to complex decision-making. Instead of seeking perfect solutions, it will help you find “the next best move” by making incremental and reversible decisions. By embracing complexity rather than fighting it, you might discover that navigating uncertainty can deliver its own kind of dopamine hit!