Working with uncertainty, complexity and emergence
Dec 22nd, 2010 by Chris
Lots of people and organisations are going through a process of realising that many of the tools and methods they have been using no longer serve them well in a world that is full of uncertainty and unpredictable complexity. Many people know that they need to change the way they approach change, but don’t quite know how to do it.
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There’s a handy new book around called “Engaging Emergence – Turning Upheaval into Opportunity” by Peggy Holman. Emergence can be a difficult concept to grasp. Peggy offers two definitions – a simple one : ‘order arising out of chaos’ and a less simple one : ‘higher order complexity arising out of chaos in which novel, coherent structures coalesce through interactions among the diverse entities of a system’. OK ?
Developing the ability to work with emergence is a key challenge for lots of people who are used to a world that assumes predictability and where vast resources have been consumed developing strategic plans, milestones, key performance indicators etc etc etc. If the world isn’t going to be like that (at least for the next while !), then what might it look like and how does our thinking about change need to change ?
In her book, Peggy offers a really useful table entitled ‘Changing Notions of Change’ – I have reproduced this below – if you want to know more then buy the book or get in touch !
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| Traditional Ideas about Change
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Emerging Ideas about Change |
| Difference and dissonance as problems | Diversity and dissonance as resources, with problems inviting exploration |
| Restrain, resist disturbance | Welcome and use disturbance |
| Focus on the predictable, controllable | Focus on the mysterious from a foundation of what we understand |
| Ensure that there are no surprises | Experiment, learn from surprises |
| Focus on outcomes | Focus on intentions, hold outcomes lightly |
| Focus on the form and its stability | Focus on intended function; work with forms as they arise and dissipate |
| Hierarchy | Networks containing natural, often fluid hierarchies |
| Visionary Leadership | Shared, emergent, flexible leadership |
| Top-down or bottom-up | Multi-directional |
| Work solo | Work in community and solo, bringing our unique gifts |
| Pay attention to the mainstream | Pay attention to the dance between the mainstream and the margins |
| Build / construct /manage | Invite / open / support |
| Follow the plan | Follow the energy, using the plan as useful information |
| Manufacture | Midwife the birth of novelty and cultivate its development |
| Assemble the parts | Interactions among the parts form a novel whole |
| Design processes | Design processes and cultivate nutrient environments |
| Handle logistics | Cultivate welcoming conditions, including handling logistics |
| Strive for sustainability | Sustainability exists in a dance of dynamic tensions |
| Incremental shifts | Periodic leaps and incremental shifts |
| Classical | Classical skills that also support jazz and improvisation |
| Declare / advocate | Inquire / explore, using what is at the heart of our advocacy as a resource |
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We always need to be wary about things that appear too bipolar. It’s not really a question of either one approach or the other, the approaches are not completely mutually exclusive, but the second column does give many of us some good clues about how we need to expand our range of available options.
If this looks interesting to you in your context and you want to talk about what working in a more emerging way might actually mean in practice, how to develop the necessary skills and maybe to start conducting some pilots / experiments, then please do get in touch.
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The Change Exploratory supports leaders through coaching and mentoring and and also in the design and facilitation of great events and transformative change processes.
Chris,
Thanks for letting people know about Engaging Emergence.
I agree with your statement:
“We always need to be wary about things that appear too bipolar.”
That table got worked and re-worked so that the emergent view included and expanded on the traditional view.
I’ve no interest in making others wrong. Just expanding the realm in which we seek new possibilities.
Peggy