Although the science of complex systems was initially applied to physical and biological systems, its application to human organizations has become more widely recognized.
Complex systems dynamically evolve over time and exhibit the properties of self organization, emergence, and co-evolution. Self-organization is the tendency of many systems to generate new structures and patterns over time on the basis of its own internal dynamics—order emerges from patterns of relationships among individuals.
When we use complexity science to view the problems and issues we face in every day life,our attention is focused differently than when we use other, more traditional mental models.
Complexity science provides the following practical suggestions:
■ The quality of the relationships among individuals is more than important than the quality of the individual agents. We are sensitive to the fact that relationships are nonlinear and dynamic, and therefore, often result in high levels of surprise and uncertainty.
■ We focus on the co-evolution of the system with the environment rather than how the system adapts to the environment.
■ We encourage diversity among individuals and leverage this diversity to foster learning and evolution instead of attempting to socialize it away or minimize its effect.
■ We recognize that the system is a social entity. We try to use the social relationships to foster sense-making, learning, improvisation, and other functions that require interaction.
■ We acknowledge that the system exists on a multidimensional fitness landscape and that the interactions among the dimensions will be an important factor in the system development over time.
■ We acknowledge that any one is a part of the system itself and not an external
observer or manipulator of the system.
In summary, there is a shift in our thinking away from single events or processes toward thinking in terms of patterns, interrelated processes, and relationships.
