Reflections on Chaos

There is an exercise designed to open your mind and gain insight to how complexity can work in a group setting. This exercise, or game, can be played with 8 - 80 people, has established boundaries and rules, and purposefully leaves the participants guessing as to how the objective will be attained. The game goes something like this:

After establishing the out-of-bounds area of the game have everyone stand randomly about the area. The objective is pick two other people at random (without letting them know who you picked) and move yourself within equal distance from them. As they move and adjust you move and adjust, but the game is over when everyone is equal distance from their chosen points of reference.

Once the game begins, and after a few chuckles of uncertainty from the participants, the objective usually is completed within a few minutes (followed by a few more chuckles at the ease at which the objective was reached). Now... the catch.

The person overseeing the game then asks how much longer would this exercise have taken if they had ONE person leading the efforts. The overall response is... FOREVER!

The purpose of the game is to demonstrate how simple complexity can be. With eight very simple principles a random group of people unified in an underlying purpose can achieve and objective laced with complexity and uncertainty, and in less time than most would imagine. Here are those eight principles:

1. Clear Individual Objective
2. A Few Simple Rules
3. Clear Boundaries
4. Continuous Feedback
5. Skill/Will of the Participants
6. Discretion and Freedom of Action
7. Underlying Purpose
8. Ambiguity and Uncertainty

How can these principles and this game have an affect on strategy? Sounds like a complex question, but the answer is as simple as the results of the exercise. Strategy is what we want to accomplish down the road. With a few rules, boundaries, and a purpose there are many ways to accomplish the long range goals. Strategies can be broad, but the actions to get there can be small and fluid.

The lesson here is that even though complexity and uncertainty exist all around us we can maneuver to accomplish our objectives. The eight principles are not some astrophysical equation. They are easy steps, and all of them are innate within a good organization.

As leaders we should embrace the resilience and collective knowledge of our people. We should be observers in our environments and make small adjustments when necessary. We must learn to use complexity and uncertainty to our advantage and allow others to grow and gain experience through their efforts. We might live in a complex world, nation, and organization, but there is always simplicity with good leadership.

JP