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Welcome!. The Academy for Advanced Leadership and Development. www.chairacademy.com. Overview: understanding complexity. Complexity, What is it? Why Does it Matter? Complex Attributes. Diversity Connectedness Interdependent Adaptation Complexity vs. Uncertainty
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Welcome! The Academy for Advanced Leadership and Development www.chairacademy.com
Overview: understanding complexity • Complexity, What is it? • Why Does it Matter? • Complex Attributes. • Diversity • Connectedness • Interdependent • Adaptation • Complexity vs. Uncertainty • Harnessing Complexity • Review and Reflection
Get Set! • Assemble the item in the diagram provided in the allotted time. • Work as a group • Designate a subject matter expert—engineer. • Designate and observer. • Use the materials provided. 1 minute to prepare. • 9 minutes to construct. • Have Fun! • Be Safe!
How was this an example of complexity • Objective • Team Construct • Team Dynamics • Relation to Other Teams • Pressure to Succeed • Risk of Failure • Personal View of Games • ETC. Anything that keeps us from producing exactly what we want at the precise time we want it. Operational Complexity
Classic Definitions A complicated system assumes expert and rational leaders, top-down planning, smooth implementation of policies, and a clock-like organization that runs smoothly. Work is specified and delegated to particular units. Certainty about outcomes is in the air the organization breathes. Complicated systems use the most sophisticated math, technical, and engineering expertise in mapping out flow charts to solve problems. Complex systems are filled with hundreds of moving parts, scores of players of varied expertise and independence yet missing a “mission control” that runs all these different parts within an ever-changing political, economic, and societal environment. The result: constant adaptations in design and action.
Complexity defined We describe something as complex when it consists of interdependent, diverse entities, and we assume that those entities adapt—they respond to their local and global environments. • Interdependent • Diverse • Adapt • Connected Attributes • Simple • Rugged • Dancing Landscape Matters
Complexity defined • They offer the opportunity to deliver robustsolutions, often from the bottom up. • Increase the opportunity for success despite an uncertainfuture. • Better adapt to emergent conditions, particularly when limited notice has been given. • Allows an organization to deal with issues of significant scope and reach. • Often capable of delivering a lasting solution faster, even under conditions of great duress.
Optimizing complex systems Interdependency Diversity Adaptability Connectedness
landscape RUGGED SIMPLE DANCING
Consider twa 1970s-1992 1930-1970 1960s TWA invests in ALL jet fleet Founded 1930—Mail Carrier, 1938 Howard Hughes buys stock 1970s cash rich TWA Corp diversifies 1940s-50s rapid growth 1980s carried 50% of all trans Atlantic PAX, deregulation forces hubs 1960s technological leader, secure routes. 1970s 3rd largest airline, spans globe. 1992 Bankrupt How does TWA’s fate link to their failure to embrace complexity?
How they blew it Jamie Oliver & Tony Goodwin 2010
Learning cafe Explore the complex nature of post secondary education. • Areas of interdependency • Evidence of diversity • Proof of adaptability • Connectedness • 20 minutes, 5 minutes at each chart • Recorder, Reporter stays ate each chart • Prepare short summary of key points to share • Rest rotate on command
Certainty vs uncertainty Every system presents issues that offer some amount of certainty and uncertainty. The question is how do you know what’s true, what deserves to be responded to or is simply another false trail filled with the promise of frustration or worse, false hope ? Sometimes the answer is as simple as it looks. Consider the case of how to put a giraffe into a refrigerator.
Harnessing complexity • Consider simple answers or approaches before looking for complicated ones. • Just because the problem is hard doesn’t mean the answer is. • Think about the consequences of your previous actions. • Every action begets a reaction. • Use all available information. • Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good enough. • Focus on the big picture, not just part of it. • It’s important to distinguish the forest from the trees.
Reflection Record 2-3 ideas, issues that came out of the discussion that were most meaningful to you.