Systems engineering needs new ways to visualize where and how the increasing complexity found in large-scale aerospace programs affects development processes. Following sensemaking principles provides a vector for comprehending confusing or roadblock events by enhancing communication and decision making to improve the organizational management of complexity. The sensemaking process can be applied through collaborative intelligence, an example being collaborative engineering principles that can guide team dynamics as a method of visualizing complexity in system development. The use of applied sensemaking can document personal interaction in beneficial ways. Communication styles are captured in a collaborative intelligence technique called thinking talents. Utilizing the collective thinking talents of the people who work within a team enables communication to be more effective for both the individual and the organization. Thinking talents are a simple organizational development tool to implement. Using its data enables a collaborative engineering environment that is proactive in focusing collective attention on uncovering potential failure earlier in the development process as a way to manage complexity.