A633.5.3.RB_Reflections on Chaos_Wathen Reece Sandra
Based on the chaos
game video, create a blog on what this exercise meant to you and how it impacts
your understanding of chaos theory, include the implications that this has on
strategy.
This video represents a real life example of what Obolensky also
described in his book called Complex Adaptive Leadership in which it indicates
how complexity and chaos can work and that there is an underlying order of complexity
and simplicity. This video provides a
real-life example that complexity and or chaos can be simple. As Obolesky (2010) describes it, "the
more complex things are, the less traditional leadership one needs".
The other interesting thing is that you only need a few simple
basic rules to accomplish a task. Some
things are just too complex to manage in the traditional style of
leadership. It may often be deemed
better not to have too much oversight in that it can cause even more chaos or
adverse impacts.
Being that the world has become so complex, there is a need
to use less traditional leadership practices and concentrate on understanding
and engaging with at least 8 indentified principles necessary for ensuring that
the organization can manage complexity. 8
key principles that Obolensky recognizes - 5 are considered more obvious of the
eight which are: Clear Individual Objectives; A Few Simple Rules; Continuous
Feedback; Discretion and Freedom of Action; and Skill/Will of Participants. The
other 3 less obvious of the 8 key principles are: Underlying Purpose; Clear
Boundary; A Tolerance of the Players for Uncertainty and Ambiguity.
Defined strategy by Obolenksy is that it "can be seen
as defining what is delivered to whom and how it is delivered. In many ways once this is clear then self-organization
can operate". The implications it
has on strategy is that it has created a broader and wider boundary; allowing
larger participants of strategy within the organization - not just those at the
top. Mass intervention techniques are
often used to permit larger number of people to be part of evolving
strategies. Basically, what this means
is that strategy is open to most of the members of the organization and not
limited to an elite few.In comparison, the example by Obolenksy of Larry Hirschhorn and Thomas Gilore of Whartorn stated: "As organizations become more flexible, the boundaries that matter are in the minds of managers and employees...The traditional organizational map describes a world that no longer exists."
This is continued with the statement that they propose that
the "new" organizational boundaries which need to be managed are the
Authority boundary; the Task boundary; the Political boundary and the Identity
boundaries. The boundaries are
interactive in nature and are not meant to stand-alone.
Then to add the dynamics of the four +four principles which
really means to ensure that power is viewed from a totality perspective vice
all of the parts and the relationship of those to the whole. It is a way to represent the importance of consistency,
reinforcing nature, need for balanced relationship/interdependencies of the
principles while concurrently providing clear objectives, boundaries, rules and
feedback with the goal of the organization to find its own innovative way to
apply them.
So as to try and interpret this information, it is coming to
realization that as our world becomes more complex, the meaning and power of
these boundaries from when we once knew them also take a stronger form. These are the ways in which we must embrace
paradox and uncertainty as we move toward finding ways to manage in this world
of complex adaptive leadership.
Obolensky, N. (2010); Chapter's 6 &
7. Complex Adaptive Leadership. Embracing Paradox and Uncertainty. Grower
Publishing Company, Surrey, England
Obolensky, N (2008);
Nick Obolensky presents "Who needs leaders?". A 3.32 minute UTube; Uploaded April 12, 2008.
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