Simplicity beats sophistication

Projects need straightforward coordination systems people can immediately grasp, not methodological perfection.

Complex methodologies with specialised terminology and rigid procedures often collapse at the point of adoption, regardless of their theoretical strengths. When team members need training just to participate in coordination, the system risks excluding the busiest people on the frontline team. As we’ve outlined earlier in these principles, these are the very people who know the most about the state of the project and whose participation is needed to effectively coordinate future work.

The most enduring approaches strip away unnecessary complexity and jargon. They use familiar terms and intuitive processes that anyone on the project can understand without specialised training.

This doesn't mean oversimplifying the realities of project delivery, but rather ensuring the coordination system itself doesn't add another layer of complexity. When pressure intensifies, teams will abandon sophisticated systems for simpler alternatives. Design with this reality in mind from the start.