Navigating Complexity

Name: Navigating Complexity
Rating: 4.7 (8 reviews)

Smarter Decision Making in Uncertain Times

Created byIan Littlejohn

Last updated 10/2025

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Gain confidence navigating today’s fast-changing, complex business world
Discover a practical decision-making framework built for complexity
Learn powerful facilitation and sense-making tools you can use right away
Learn the essential processes to tackle complexity head-on

Course content

6 sections • 32 lectures • 1h 0m total length

Introduction to the Course1:28
Meet your instructor and see what the course covers: telling linear problems from complex ones, and choosing an approach that suits the problem in front of you.
Importance of Problem Solving0:55
Why problem solving matters more than it did: the cost of applying a tidy process to a problem that will not behave like one.
Changes to the Business Environment3:03
How the business environment has changed, and why more of the problems reaching you now are complex rather than merely complicated.
Your turn: facilitate a workshop3:53
Your turn: run a facilitation session and gather the raw material the rest of the course works on - how to set it up and what to ask.
Your turn: map the changes in your environment0:37
Your turn: identify the changes in your own environment, and what they are doing to the problems you face.

Introduction to Non-Linear Systems2:19
What this section covers: non-linear systems - networks where cause and effect are not proportional or predictable.
Overview of Non-Linear Systems3:19
Understand non-linear systems as networks: how the connections between parts create behavior no single part explains.
Your turn: classify the problems1:25
Your turn: classify a set of problems as linear or non-linear, and see where the judgement gets hard.
Your turn: sort your problems into linear and non-linear0:19
Your turn: sort your own problems into linear and non-linear systems.
Walkthrough: the classification exercise4:17
Review of the classification activity: where problems typically get placed, and what people usually get wrong.

Introduction to Decision Making Framework0:47
What this section covers: a decision making framework built on the two system types - the simple, complicated, complex and chaotic domains.
Simple Domain0:59
The simple domain: problems where the cause is obvious, best practice applies, and the right move is to follow the process.
Complicated Domain1:16
The complicated domain: problems with a knowable answer that needs expertise, where analysis and good practice get you there.
Complex Domain1:54
The complex domain: problems where cause and effect are only clear afterwards, so you probe, sense and respond rather than plan.
Chaotic Domain0:54
The chaotic domain: problems with no discernible pattern, where the first job is to act and establish some order.
Summary of Decision Making Framework3:20
A summary of the decision making framework: how to tell which domain you are in and what each one asks of you.
Your turn: categorize the data into the four domains0:20
Your turn: categorize a set of data and problems into the four domains.
Walkthrough: the categorization exercise3:48
Review of the categorization activity: how the examples usually land, and the ones that split opinion.
Your turn: categorize your own problems0:42
Your turn: categorize your own problems into the four domains and see which you spend most time in.

Introduction to Problem Solving Processes1:47
What this section covers: a problem solving process - problem statement, data collection, sense making, findings and recommendations.
Overview of Problem Solving Processes4:04
An overview of the problem solving process, and how it changes depending on which domain the problem sits in.
Problem Statement1:43
Write a problem statement that is specific enough to work on and does not assume the answer.
Data Collection Methods1:45
Choose your data collection methods: what to gather, from where, and what each method will and will not tell you.
Data Collection Questions1:46
Write the data collection questions - how the wording shapes what you get back, and the questions that mislead.
Sense Making3:22
Sense making: turning what you gathered into patterns you can reason about, rather than a pile of findings.
Findings2:34
Draw findings out of the sense making stage - what the evidence supports, and what it does not.
Recommendations and Action Plans2:30
Turn findings into recommendations and an action plan someone can actually take forward.
Your turn: run the problem solving process0:26
Your turn: run the problem solving process end to end on a problem of your own.

Requirements

There are no requirements or prerequisites for the course.
Ideally the student should have access to a team of people to work with

Description

Struggling with problems that just don’t respond to traditional solutions?
You’re not alone — and you’re in the right place.

This course is designed to help you understand the nature of complexity and why conventional, linear approaches often fall short. You’ll explore the differences between linear and non-linear systems and discover why many of today’s challenges require a new way of thinking.

We’ll introduce you to a practical decision-making framework that simplifies how to approach complex issues. Plus, you’ll get a clear, step-by-step guide to tackling real-world complex problems with confidence.

If you're ready to think differently, embrace complexity, and improve your problem-solving skills — this course is for you.

What You’ll Gain from This Experience:

Discover why smart decision-making is key in a changing business world
Explore practical ways to engage your team and uncover real workplace challenges
Learn a simple, effective framework for tackling problems and making solid decisions
Master each step of the problem-solving process, from start to finish
Craft clear, focused problem statements that drive action
Find the best ways to gather useful, relevant data
Learn how to collect insights from different perspectives
Turn raw data into meaningful insights
Identify key findings that guide next steps
Build actionable plans that lead to real results

ABOUT THE TRAINER

Ian Littlejohn is a Udemy Partner Instructor and has been a top-rated trainer on the Udemy platform for over 10 years. Ian brings his knowledge and expertise from over 15 years of management consulting to this course.

Ian has over 350,000 students and with an average course rating of over 4.6. He has a reputation for delivering excellent, logically structured courses which are easy to follow and get the point across without wasting learners' time.

Who this course is for:

This course is for managers and executives who want to understand how to address complex problems
Students learning management and supervisor skills

Navigating Complexity

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction5 lectures • 10min

Linear Systems3 lectures • 4min

Non-Linear Systems5 lectures • 12min

Decision Making Framework9 lectures • 14min

Problem Solving Process9 lectures • 20min

Course Conclusion1 lecture • 1min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: