The word “complexity” is in common use by nearly everyone.  I don't know whether it is tribute to or condemnation of language and Homo sapiens that people can talk about complexity all day long and have no idea what they are talking about.  If you find this hard to believe, look the word up in the dictionary.  Let me know if you find anything more enlightening than complexity refers to some thing as being complex.  Look up complex and you find out it is something with parts.  Or try a http://www.google.com/ query such as "definition of complexity." You will find a rather perplexing range of opinions and sarcasms. 

Before I can explain how complexity can cause organization failure, I need to explain what I mean by complexity.

First, let me comment on the opposite of complexity, simplicity.  In his very lengthy book, "On Walden Pond," Henry David Thorough offers only 3 words of advice, "simplify, simplify, simplify." There is a long history of people stating that their times had become too complex and things needed to be made simpler.  This is not a modern day opinion or woe.  Things appear to have not gotten simpler.  If in the past it was too complex then how did it happen that things got more complex?  If things were not too complex in the past then why should we believe they are too complex today?

We'll start by answering the question, "What is complexity?"

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